Mazel
Tov!
You
have been blessed with a newborn child, a brand new link in the
golden chain of the Jewish People stretching back over three thousand
years. What a joy!
As
we are occupied with providing for the newborn's physical needs we are also obligated to concern
ourselves with his or her spiritual
needs. This circumcision website will help familiarize you with
the concepts and procedures pertaining to the important mitzvah of
Bris Milah – Ritual circumcision. Although this site is fairly
comprehensive, it is not an exhaustive
study on the matter. For that you should seek the
counsel of an ordained Rabbi or certified Mohel.
It's
a Boy!
When
God gave the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai it was the Jewish children who stood as the
guarantors in carrying the Torah into future generations. Indeed, the primary
obligation for most time-bound mitzvot falls to the man, for the woman is
occupied with
and immersed in the Jewish education of her children and this responsibility
surpasses the obligation of most time-bound mitzvot. The
first mitzvah experienced by the newborn boy is his Bris Milah, the ritual circumcision. It is through this highly
significant ceremony that the child
enters into the Covenant of our forefather Abraham
and is given his Hebrew name, cementing an irrevocable bond
between him and his Jewish soul.
It's
a Girl!
Throughout
the ages our tradition has held the Jewish woman in the greatest esteem. Our Sages taught us that
women are more similar to the Creator than men. Just as God created the earth, it is
the
woman who bears children. Just as God provides the world with its sustenance, it is the woman who
embodies the nurturing nature so vital for sustaining life. And it is the Jewish mother
who conveys the Jewish status and birthright upon her child, ensuring the future
of
the entire Jewish people.
Tradition
tells us that a newborn girl is considered "complete" with
regard to the spiritual benefits attained through a Bris Milah. However,
the customs regarding pregnancy and birth are equally related.
