עברית
Faith
Brit Yitzchak
Presence of the mother and newborn
Question
Hello, I am an Ashkenazi Haredi woman who works with non-religious Jews. One of them asked me whether her daughter-in-law and the newborn need to be present at a Brit Yitzchak. She wants to hold it in her home, and because the baby is not supposed to be taken out at night for 40 days, her daughter-in-law will not be able to come.
Answer
To the questioner,
The main point is to make the meal in the same house where the baby is located, as a protection for the newborn. If it is not held in the same house, nevertheless the meal has importance because of the exchange of blessings that people bless one another with, and the prayers recited on behalf of the newborn. Even so, it is proper to do several things for protection in the same house where the newborn is sleeping: - Not to sleep that night with all the lights off, but to leave some light on (even if light from the hallway shines into the child’s room, that is good); - Someone (at least the father, and it is also proper for anyone who comes to visit the mother or the newborn that night) should ideally recite Shema beside the newborn’s room in order to add protection. This means the three paragraphs, or at least one paragraph. - Some bring small children to the house in the evening to recite Shema beside the baby, in order to increase spiritual protection, as mentioned in the Gemara, that the prayers of small children are especially accepted since the breath of young children contains no sin.
With blessings, Rabbi Nachum
