Brit milah
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Brit milah (Hebrew: בְּרִית מִילָה) is the Jewish ritual circumcision ceremony performed on eight-day-old male babies.[1] The foreskin is cut off from the end of the penis. The operation is carried out by a person called a mohel, a ritual circumciser, who has been trained and qualified for this task. This ceremony is important for many Jewish people as it is a symbol of the covenant that God made with Abraham.[1] [2] Some mohels then optionally suck the blood out of the area of the circumcision wound using their mouth which is called "metzitzah b'peh" and is a tradition among many followers of Judaism.[3][4] However this is known to possibly cause infectious diseases such as Herpes simplex.[3] Multiple babies have died from the controversial ritual.[5] Some Jews say that limiting the practice would violate their religious freedom.[6]
References
[change | change source]- 1 2 "A Guide to Brit Milah/Bris Milah". milah.net. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
- ↑ "What is the Role of Sandek at Bris Milah?". 22 April 2021. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- 1 2 "Safe Bris - NYC Health". www.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ↑ "What Is Oral Suction Circumcision and Where Does It Come From?". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ↑ Gonen, Yoav (February 21, 2015). "NYC Orthodox Jews in talks over ritual after herpes cases". USA Today. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
- ↑
- "Lawsuit Unites Jewish Groups". collive.com. Oct 24, 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
- "City Urges Requiring Consent for Jewish Rite". The New York Times. June 12, 2012. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
- "Assault on Bris Milah Unites Jewish Communities". CrownHeights.info. October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2025.