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עבריתStructure of the Ceremony
The ceremony begins with the baby’s father and the sandak (godfather) standing on the platform, both wrapped in a prayer shawl (in a Brit held during a morning prayer service on a weekday, the father also wears tefillin). The baby, lying on a pillow, is brought in by his mother and handed over to the escorts (kvatterim), who then carry him to the platform and present him to the father, while the audience recites traditional verses. Upon receiving the baby, the father recites the “Shema Yisrael” and additional verses. The baby is then placed on the sandak’s lap, and the mohel begins reciting prayers and prepares the baby for the circumcision.
At this point, the mohel performs the circumcision, which consists of several steps accompanied by blessings said by both the mohel and the father: cutting the foreskin (milah), uncovering the remaining skin behind the glans (periah), and drawing a symbolic drop of blood (metzitzah), done either orally by the mohel or using a sterile tube. After the circumcision, the mohel soothes the baby using his finger or a wine-soaked swab, and bandages or covers the circumcised area. The foreskin is placed in a container of sand and later buried in the ground. Following the physical part of the circumcision, additional verses are recited, and the baby is given his name.
The father remains on the platform throughout the ceremony. The mother does not have a formal role in the ritual and must decide whether she wishes to stand on the platform or stay in the audience. From the moment the baby is undressed until the circumcision is completed, only a few minutes pass. It is natural for the baby to cry during the process. Immediately afterward, the mohel calms the baby and returns him to his mother.
Before the festive meal, it is customary to recite the Grace After Meals (Birkat Hamazon), including special additions for the occasion of a Brit. After the circumcision and during the meal, it is common for the parents, family, and friends to deliver speeches. At this stage, the mother may recite the Birkat HaGomel – a blessing said by someone who has been delivered safely from danger, such as after an illness or childbirth. The mother expresses gratitude for the safe birth and her baby’s health and completeness. She recites:
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who bestows goodness upon the guilty, who has bestowed every goodness upon me.”
The audience responds:
“Amen. May He who has bestowed goodness upon you, continue to bestow all goodness upon you, forever.”
While there is a standard version of the verses recited and chanted during the ceremony, each community and mohel may add specific verses and hymns based on their own customs and traditions.
Ceremonies may follow Sephardic tradition or a unified Ashkenazi-Sephardic format.
Covenant in the Eastern Orthodox style.
A covenant in a uniform style for the Ashkenazi and Spanish Orthodox churches.