עברית
Halachot and Customs
Presentation of the Baby for Brit Milah
Question
Hello Honorable Rabbi,
My question is whether there is a significance to a specific individual presenting the baby from the mother to the sandek (the person performing the circumcision)? It is known that it is appropriate to honor the grandfather as the sandek for the first son and the grandmother for the second son due to honoring parents, but what about who brings the baby to the sandek? I once heard that it has a meaning to have a woman who is waiting for children... Is there any significance in this? Or can we specifically give it to a family member who is ill and needs divine compassion due to their illness? Or is there no special significance regarding who presents the baby?
I would appreciate a response, thank you in advance.
Answer
Greetings,
It is customary that honoring a couple who do not have children in presenting the baby for the Brit Milah is said to bring about children (Otzar HaBrit Part 2, Chapter 3, Section 12, Item 8). In several places, it is customary to be careful not to give this honor to a pregnant woman (Brit Avot, Section 5, Item 26. And see in the approbation of the Minchat Elazar zt"l to the book Zocher HaBrit, pages 8-9. And see in the book Shaarei Halacha U'Minhag, Part Yoreh De'ah, pages 287-289, which elaborates on the rationale). If one wishes to give this honor to an ill woman who needs divine mercy - there is no prohibition.
Best regards,
Hillel Meirs
