Question: Why do we wish people Mazal Tov? Isn’t ein Mazel byisrael a fundamental concept in Judaism? (I’m aware that לאה was the first one who uttered this phrase according… Read more »
Category: Celebrations
brit milah time
Question: dear, i live in stuttgart, germany. my boy was born on friday, 7 minutes before shabbat. when is the brit milah, friday or shabbat? Answer: Mazal Tov!!! The time… Read more »
bris zoom invite
Question: Is it permitted for a person to send a zoom invitation for a bris to another person? Is that the same as inviting someone which many have the custom… Read more »
Metzitzah during Covid-19
Question: Is Metzitzah still required during this pandemic in Eretz Yisroel. Grandson’s bris iyH on Thursday Answer: Mezitza is still required, and in fact many mohalim in Eretz Yisroel are… Read more »
If a couple gets divorced while the wife is pregnant who names the baby?
Question: if a couple gets divorced while the wife is pregnant who names the baby? Answer: According to the Ashkenazi minhag the wife is the one who gets the first… Read more »
Sephardim Naming for Living Ashkenazi Relatives
Question: Can a Sephardi couple name their child for living Ashkenazi relatives? We would ask permission but wondering if there is any halachic reason not to? Answer: This is a… Read more »
Naming a baby without minyan
Question: Hi, If we can’t get a minyan for the foreseeable future, can the father name the baby on his own? And possibly make the kiddush later on? Thank you… Read more »
Pidyon Haben
Question: How do you do a Pidyon HaBen for a Bechorim, an adult BT..? Thank you very much ! Answer: Essentially the father of the child does the redeeming, however… Read more »
Bar Mitzvah Seudah
Question: We are postponing the Seudas Mitzva 2 days due to logistical / technical issues to make it easier for guests from out of town. I understand from the Yam… Read more »
Baby bris exceptions to delay or change
Question: If a woman gives birth to a baby boy by Cesarean section, and the date of the bris lands on a Rosh Hashana or yom kippur or shabbat? Can… Read more »
Haftorah on klaf
Question: If a Shul has a Klaf to lain the Haftorah from and there is a Bar Mitzvah in shul and the boy doesn’t want to lain from the Klaf… Read more »
Joint Kiddush with for two sisters’ simchas
Question: Is there an issue for two sisters both celebrating birth of a baby girl to have joint kiddush? Thank you Answer: Mazal tov to the whole family! I don’t… Read more »
Bris after a C-section on Yom Tov
Question: If a woman has a C-section brith 7 days before a Yom Tov. Is there any problem with making the bris on Yom Tov due to the brith not… Read more »
Postponed bris
Question: After two weeks the baby is ready for the bris (postponed by medical advice) Must we perform the bris immediately or can we wait for friday when many more… Read more »
Pidyon Haben
Question: When our son was a month old we did a Pidyon HaBen. Many years later we discovered that my wife is a bas levy and therefore we didn’t need… Read more »
Which Parsha to lein?
Question: IY”H we are going to be making our son’s Bar Mitzvah in EY next year 2020. His birthday is Yud Tammuz. So in 2020 in America his parsha would… Read more »
Bris / Pidyon Haben
Question: I know the issue of inviting to a bris as opposed to just informing. Why is there no issue when inviting to a Pidyon Haben? Answer: The source of… Read more »
When is my birthday if I was born after shkiya
Question: I was born on sep 26 1991 and in the family there’s a big debate as to if we go by shkiah or tseis hakochavim bec I was born… Read more »
Does blood have to drawn for a bris
Question: If medical necessity (Chordee )requires a surgical procedure and hospital circumcision at 6 months of age, what does Jewish law require? Answer: The best thing would be to have… Read more »
Bar/Bat MItzvah
Question: How can a 12/13-year-old be considered an adult? What actually happens at the age of 12/13? Please answer in great detail. Thank you. Answer: The age of 12 (for… Read more »
Naming two people after the same person
Question: I just had a baby boy and named him Moshe Chaim. We named him Moshe because he was born minutes after Pesach ended and we thought it was an… Read more »
bris
Question: If one is attending a bris milah that is going to be milchigs, may/ should one bring his own meat in order to fulfill his obligation according to all… Read more »
Enough orlah taken off at bris?
Question: Someone who became religious was circumcised as a baby but has not had a mohel circumcise him. How can one tell if enough orlah has been taken off (so… Read more »
Redemption of the newborn
Question: Dear Rabbi, I grew up in a family not to be orthodox and well not in any jewish strong orthodox community. I do not believe that my father knew… Read more »
Can a 13 year old boy or 12 year old girl make Kiddush for Mother
Question: Presume that the Mother does not say maariv and that no other male is available to make kiddush on Friday night. Does a young teenager have to be inspected to see… Read more »
Special Thanks!
Question: Dear rabbis, I had requested an issue concerning circumcision future concerns a few weeks and you advised me to speak to a mohel. I did and he told me… Read more »
Very Concerning
Question: Dear Rabbis, I am in my 40s today and learned some recently that my bris was not a bris. I was given a circumcision by a doctor as reported… Read more »
Eating at Bris Milah Meal
Question: Yesterday, I attended a bris milah. Immediately afterwards, I left, without eating anything, in order to go to another bris milah, where I stayed for the whole seuda. Did… Read more »
Metzizah B’peh Done with Gauze Covering the Bris
Question: Hi Rabbi, My son was having a bris performed on him by a (which I now know) modern thinking (white hat) type of mohel , however when I noticed… Read more »
Metzitzah
I have a very interesting question about metzitza in general. The Talmud brings many medical recommendations that we do not follow nowadays, and which are said to have dangers associated… Read more »
Seudas Bris on Shabbos
Is it permissible to make a seudas bris on Friday night after kabbalas shabbas for a bris held on Friday morning? Answer: Yes, I presume you mean after Maariv as… Read more »
Non Cirumsized Husband
Hi Rabbi, I consider myself to be a traditional Jewish female. I take pride in my Jewish identity and keep the high holidays. I’ve been seriously dating a Jewish man… Read more »
Bris on Fast Day
Part 1: When selichos are said on a “minor” fast day such as shiva asar b’tammuz, is tachanun said as part of selichos, or is that only on asseres yemei… Read more »
Shabbos Bris and Chilul Shabbos
I am a Mohel and its too late to call my rov. People had a baby on shabbos. They live in manhattan on the 14th floor of a high rise…. Read more »
Pidyon Haben for Safek Cohen
Shalom, In regards to the typical Cohen or Levi, to what extent is that yichus questionable? If it’s a legitimate safek, should their bechors be required to have a pidyon?… Read more »
Bar Mitzvah
What is required for a bar-mitzvah? Answer: When a person becomes bar mitzvah, the most important thing is that he begins performing the mitzvos of the Torah. Therefore, his parents… Read more »
Home after Birth until Kaddish
Is there a source for a woman not to leave her home after birth without hearing kaddish in a minyan? Answer: The Sefer “Bris Avos” mentions this custom, though it… Read more »
Kvater Custom
Is there a source for the “segula” to have a child by being kvater and kvaterin at a bris? Answer: Not that I know of. It is generally believed to… Read more »
Can you Have a Brit on Shabbat
Can you have a brit on Shabbat? Answer: Yet, if the baby was born on the previous Shabbos – meaning from Friday night (after nightfall) until Saturday night (before sunset)… Read more »
Two Firstborns Born to One Mother
There is a medical condition known as “Uterus didelphys”. Wikipedia describes it as follows: Uterus didelphys (sometimes also uterus didelphis) represents a uterine malformation where the uterus is present as… Read more »
Circumcised Before Eighth Day
I appreciate your sending me an answer regarding our 33 year old son and circumcision. We do understand that this is something that must come from his own heart and… Read more »
Adult Circumcision
You mentioned that you had already answered my question regarding our son being 33 and not circumcised because we were not raised in a Jewish home because no one knew… Read more »
Day of Bar Mitzvah
If a boy is born on the 1st of Kislev (during the day), does he become Bar Mitzvah on the 1st or 2nd of Kislev (13 years later)? Answer: He… Read more »
Question of Doctor as Mohel
Shalom Rabbi My daughter is having a baby boy soon however her husband wanted a doctor to do the circumcision My daughter is using a doctor/Mohel who is doing the… Read more »
Thirteen for Bar Mitzvah of Adopted Son
In the case of an adopted boy coming the age of 13. What determines his age of 13. Do we go after his actual birthday, his bris milah, or his… Read more »
Halachic Bris
My Question involves a halachic bris. How does one know that they are halachically cirumcised? What are the halachic requirements for a mohel, must he be shomer shabbos/yiras shamayim to… Read more »
Refusing Sandeka’us
A person was given the Kibud of Sandik at a Bris Mila, conducted by a Mohel Talmid Chochom and Yereh Shomayim merabim; Some members of the family requested no Metzitza… Read more »
Obligation to Attend a Bris
Is there a halacha that says if one is invited to a bris he must attend? Answer: The Rema (Yoreh De’ah 265) writes that somebody who refrains from attending the… Read more »
Baruch Sheptarani for Women (and for single mother)
Is there a reason for the mother of a Bar Mitzvah to ask someone to recite sheptorani (the father is not Jewish)? Some hold that the grandfather may say sheptorani… Read more »
Skin Bridges for Bris Milah
Hi, i recently found out that i have what is called “Penile Skin Bridges”; it does not affect me in Any way; my concern is whether or not This present… Read more »