עברית
Halachot and Customs
Circumcision After Cesarean Section
Question
A boy was born by cesarean section on Friday. Is there an obligation to circumcise him on Shabbat, eight days after his birth? I have heard that since the baby was born by cesarean, Shabbat is more significant and the circumcision can be delayed. I would appreciate your response.
Answer
If the baby was born on Friday during the daytime, that is before 7:15 PM, the circumcision must be performed on Friday itself. If the birth occurred later, during Friday night or on Shabbat, the circumcision is to be postponed until after Shabbat, and performed on Sunday morning. It should be noted that it is absolutely forbidden to circumcise a baby born by cesarean on Shabbat or on festivals where work is prohibited. The reason for this is derived by the Sages from the beginning of Parashat Tazria that if a child is born not through the womb but rather through the abdominal wall (i.e., cesarean), the laws of ritual impurity related to childbirth do not apply to the mother. In such a case, the circumcision is not fixed for the eighth day, and one who does not have a fixed time for the circumcision does not postpone Shabbat.
Wishing you success - Menashe Israel
