Circumcision.net is the ultimate all-in-one website for Jewish parents and anyone interested in learning more about the laws, customs, and meaning to the mitzvah of Bris Milah — Ritual Circumcision.
This Website Includes
- A comprehensive introduction and overview of Bris Milah, chapters on Pregnancy and Birth, Shalom Zochor, Choosing a Name, and more.
- A list of most commonly used Hebrew names, their meaning and origin.
- All prayers and liturgy for the Bris ceremony in clearly set Hebrew, along with easy-to-read English translation.
- Insights and stories.
- The Zohar in Hebrew customarily studied the night prior to the Bris.
- A bris Video.
A Word from the Mohel
With gratitude to God I am honored to present circumcision.net as an exclusive website focused entirely on the mitzvah of Bris Milah – Ritual Circumcision. This is the first website that has compiled and posted on the web so many laws, customs and insights of Ritual Circumcision.
As a Mohel, I am in contact with people of many different backgrounds and affiliations. I learned over time that although there is a great devotion to the mitzvah of Bris Milah there is still a considerable lack of knowledge regarding the customs and laws surrounding its fulfillment. It is for this reason that I have joined forces with Rabbi Zalman Goldstein, author of several companions on Jewish subjects, and compiled the laws and customs that should be known to parents of a newborn Jewish boy. It is our hope that this website will serve as an overview and introduction to this great mitzvah.
I started as a Mohel while participating in Jewish outreach programs in the former Soviet Union, during the final years of Communism. I was sent by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, along with numerous yeshiva students, to organize a summer camp for Jewish children.
Sadly, due to the Communist opposition to the practice of religion for so many years, many Jewish Russian children have very little, if any, knowledge of their Jewish heritage and traditions. It was therefore our mission to inspire and teach them about their great Jewish heritage in a fun-filled summer camp environment.
Of the many unforgettable experiences I had during this summer, witnessing the courage and self-sacrifice of many of these children who asked to have a Bris Milah had the most impact on me. At that time there was an elderly Jewish Mohel by the name of Reb Avraham Gennin, of blessed memory. He devoted his entire life to the mitzvah of Bris Milah, even during periods of intense religious persecution when the performance of a Bris could result in receiving the death penalty.
I had my own opportunity to meet with Reb Avraham when I brought the children to Moscow for their Bris. It was there that I saw true “Jewish devotion” as exemplified by these children. The experience left such an indelible impression on me that I was determined to become a Mohel, dedicated to maintaining the highest level of both the ritual aspects and medical standards of a Bris Milah.
My grandfather, Rabbi Yisroel Tzvi Halevi Heber, a Shochet (Heb. ritual slaughterer) and Mohel in Israel, served as a tremendous pillar of support during my entire training. His knowledgeable guidance and deft expertise allowed me to satisfy my desire to blend the highest level of medical skill and halachic accuracy into my practice.
I am also grateful for the expert medical training I received from Rabbi Avrohom Cohen, author of the book “Bris Avrohom Cohen”.
He taught me the intricacies of the medical aspects of Bris Milah, which allows me to perform Brisim even in the most complicated medical situations. Most of all, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to bring hundreds of children into the covenant of Abraham.
I pray that the Almighty continue to bless me, guiding me in the performance of this most sacred duty. In addition, may I merit that which is written in the prayers recited by the Mohel at a Bris, “May Elijah the Prophet stand at my right side to assist me,” Amen.
Rabbi Levi Y. Heber/Certified Mohel
Levi@Circumcision.net
