Bris Milah: The Jewish Circumcision Ceremony Explained

Eight days. That is how long a Jewish family waits after a baby boy is born before bringing him into the covenant of Avraham Avinu (Abraham our Father). The Bris Milah — the covenant of circumcision — is one of the oldest and most sacred rituals in Judaism, and it has been performed without interruption for nearly four thousand years.

bris-milah">What Is a Bris Milah?

The word "Bris" is Hebrew for covenant. "Milah" is Hebrew for circumcision. Put them together and you get Bris Milah — the Covenant of Circumcision. (You will also see it spelled Brit Milah, Brit Mila, or Bris Mila — all the same thing.)

The source is the Torah itself. When Avraham was ninety-nine years old, Hashem commanded him to circumcise himself and all the males of his household (Bereishit 17:24). In Vayikra (Leviticus 12:3), the Torah commands that every newborn boy be circumcised on the eighth day of life. This brings the infant into the covenant between Hashem and the Jewish people.

This is not optional in Orthodox Judaism. The Bris is considered one of the most important mitzvot — so important that it overrides even Shabbat. If the eighth day falls on Shabbat, the Bris is performed on Shabbat.

The Bris Ceremony

An Orthodox Jewish Bris is a joyous occasion, typically held in a synagogue, a simcha hall, or the family's home. Here is what happens:

The Mohel

The Bris is performed by a mohel — a specially trained practitioner who is expert in both the medical procedure and the halachic (Jewish legal) requirements. Many mohalim are also rabbis or doctors, and they have performed the procedure hundreds or thousands of times. Finding a skilled, experienced mohel is one of the first things parents do after a baby boy is born.

The Ceremony Itself

The baby is brought into the room on a decorated pillow, often dressed in special Bris apparel. The gathered family and friends stand, and the mohel announces "Baruch Haba" — "Welcome." There are specific roles at the Bris: the kvatter and kvatterin (the couple who carry the baby in), the sandak (the person who holds the baby during the circumcision, considered the highest honor), and various family members who participate in the blessings.

The baby is placed on a special chair called the Kisei Shel Eliyahu — the Chair of Elijah the Prophet. Jewish tradition teaches that Elijah attends every Bris as a witness to the Jewish people's faithfulness to the covenant.

The mohel then performs the circumcision while reciting the appropriate blessings. The father recites a blessing as well, declaring that he is fulfilling Hashem's commandment to bring his son into the covenant of Avraham. The crowd responds: "Just as he has entered the covenant, so may he enter into Torah, marriage, and good deeds."

Naming the Baby

One of the most emotional moments of the Bris is the naming. A special prayer is recited — usually by the rabbi of the community or an honored family member — and the baby's Hebrew name is announced publicly for the first time.

In Ashkenazi tradition, babies are named after deceased relatives, carrying forward the memory and merit of previous generations. In Sephardic tradition, babies may be named after living relatives, often grandparents. Either way, the name is chosen with great care and meaning. I have seen grandmothers weep with joy when they hear their father's or mother's name given to a new baby — it is a moment of continuity that connects the generations.

The Seudah

After the Bris, a festive meal is served. This meal is considered a seudas mitzvah — a meal in honor of a commandment — and there is a special merit in participating. The mood is celebratory. There is usually a short speech, divrei Torah, and lots of Mazel Tovs.

The Deeper Meaning

The Rambam (Maimonides) in his Guide for the Perplexed offers one perspective on the reason for circumcision, but the truth is that the Torah does not explicitly state a reason. It is a chok — a divine decree that Jews fulfill because Hashem commanded it, regardless of whether we fully understand why.

What we do understand is the significance. The Bris marks a physical, permanent sign of the covenant between Hashem and the Jewish people. It has been performed in every era and in every land where Jews have lived — in times of peace and in times of terrible persecution. There were periods in history when performing a Bris was punishable by death, and Jewish parents did it anyway. That is how central this mitzvah is to who we are.

What to Know If You Are Attending a Bris

If you have been invited to a Bris, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Timing: A Bris typically takes place in the morning, on the baby's eighth day of life. It usually starts early, sometimes right after morning prayers.
• Dress: Modest, respectful attire. Men should wear a kippah (yarmulke).
• What to say: "Mazel Tov" to the parents after the ceremony.
• The ceremony is brief. The actual circumcision takes only moments. The blessings and naming follow, and then everyone sits down to eat.
• Gifts are welcome but not required. If you bring something, baby items or a donation to charity in the baby's honor are thoughtful choices.

A Link in the Chain

Every time I attend a Bris, I think about the fact that this exact ceremony — a mohel, a baby, a covenant — has been happening since Avraham. Empires have risen and fallen. The world has changed beyond recognition. But Jewish parents are still bringing their eight-day-old sons into the same covenant, saying the same blessings, giving the same cry of "Mazel Tov."

That is what it means to be part of a chain that stretches back four thousand years and forward into a future we cannot yet see. The Bris is where it begins.