Bris Milah on Shabbos

 Courtesy of Ohr Olam Mishnah Berurah

As a rule, a healthy full-term baby who is born202 on Shabbos will have his bris on the following Shabbos. There are, however, some exceptions to that general rule, as detailed below:

• A baby who is born on Shabbos via a cesarean section may not have his bris on Shabbos203. It will be postponed until Sunday. But a baby who is born vaginally but with the assistance of forceps or any other surgical procedure may have his bris done on Shabbos204.
• A baby who is born after sunset and anytime during bein hashmashos205, either on Friday or Shabbos, will not have his bris done on the following Shabbos. The bris will be postponed until Sunday206.
• A baby who is born partially circumcised, will still have the rest of the procedure done on Shabbos207. But a baby who requires only hatafas dam bris many not have the procedure done on Shabbos.
• If a non-Jewish woman gave birth on Shabbos and then converted to Judaism, the baby’s bris may not be done on Shabbos208.
• Some poskim rule that a baby born to a woman who converted to Judaism while she was pregnant may have his bris on Shabbos209. Other poskim maintain that the bris is delayed to Sunday210. Several contemporary poskim rule in accordance with the second opinion211.
• Some poskim hold that if the father of the baby is a non-Jew then the bris may not be performed on Shabbos and is postponed to Sunday212. Many poskim disagree with this ruling213, and the custom follows their opinion214.
• A baby born on Shabbos to a woman who converted to another religion and is halachically classified as a mumar (an apostate), will not have his bris done on Shabbos215. But a baby born to secular parents who are Shabbos desecrators will have his bris done on Shabbos216.
• A baby born on Shabbos to a woman who died immediately before or during childbirth, may not have his bris done on Shabbos217.
• Contemporary poskim debate if a child born from artificial insemination or via IVF has his bris done on Shabbos or postponed218. The custom follows the opinion that the bris is done on Shabbos219.
• If a Shabbos bris will cause a public desecration of Shabbos, e.g., the baby’s irreligious relatives will drive on Shabbos to attend the bris, many poskim advise that the bris should be delayed until Sunday220. A rov should be consulted as to how to handle this sensitive issue221.
• Some poskim maintain that a baby who born on Shabbos via induction (a scheduled birth) will have his bris delayed to Sunday222. The custom does not follow this opinion.
• A physically healthy down-syndrome baby, or any physically healthy baby afflicted with a mental, emotional or developmental issue, will have his bris done on Shabbos223.
• A novice mohel who has never previously done a formal bris should not undertake to do a bris for the first time on Shabbos224, even if he was trained well and practiced for a while, and even if a veteran mohel will supervise him225. Even if he is the only mohel available to do the bris, he should not do the bris unless he is totally confident that he will be able to do it perfectly well226. Consequently, if a baby’s father chooses to cut the orla himself, but has never done so before, he should not do so for the first time if the bris falls on Shabbos227.
• A mohel who was negligent and failed to sharpen the knife for the bris or prepare his nails for the periah before Shabbos, may not do so on Shabbos, even via a non-Jew. Even if there is no other knife or mohel available, the bris will need to be delayed until Sunday228.
• A mohel may not walk outside his techum Shabbos to perform a bris, even if this will result in the bris being postponed229.

202. “Born” is generally defined as when most of the baby’s head is out of the birthing canal. In a posterior birth, “born” is defined as when most of the baby’s body is out of the birthing canal.

203. O.C. 331:5. Same rules apply to Yom Tov, including Yom Tov Sheini.

204. Har Tzvi, Y.D. 248; Shulchan Shelomo 331:11; Tzitz Eliezer 22:55, quoting Sefer Ois Chaim V’shalom.

205. There are many opinions and customs as to when bein ha-shemashos ends and night begins. Each community follows its custom in this area. See CHD to Chapter 261 for a general review of this subject.

206. O.C. 331:5. Same rules apply to Yom Tov, including Yom Tov Sheini.

207. Mishnah Berurah 331:15; Aruch ha-Shulchan 331:5.

208. O.C. 331:5.

209. Maharam Shick Y.D. 249; Igros Achiezer 27.

210. R. Yaakov Emdin (Migdal Oz 7:3) Binyan Tziyon 22.

211. Rav S.Z. Auerbach (Halacha v’Refuah, vol. 5, pg. 81); Rav Y.S. Elyashiv (quoted in Milah Shleimah 7:9).

212. R. Akiva Eiger, Y.D. 266:12; Maharam Shick, Y. D. 249.

213. Pischei Teshuvah Y.D. 266: Maharshag 2:124.

214. Chelkas Yaakov, O.C. 156.

215. Chochmas Adam 149:35.

216. Maharsham 2:156; Igros Moshe, Y.D. 1:156; Minchas Yitzchak 3:35; Ashrei ha-Ish, Y.D. 54:13.

217. Koreis Habris (Ois Habris) 262:10.

218. See Sefer ha-Bris 260:48; 262:96 and Nishmas Avraham, Y.D. 260:2.

219. Ashrei ha-Ish Y.D. 54:4; Shevet ha-Levi 9:209; Lev Avraham, pg. 241.

220. Shevet ha-Levi 4:135, quoting Maharshag 2:124; Tzitz Eliezer 6:3.

221. See Ashrei ha-Ish, Y.D. 54:1, who does not require postponing the bris in this case.

222. Gevuros Eliyahu, Y.D. 125. See also Emes l’Yaakov, O.C. 331:3.

223. Rav M. Feinstein, quoted in Sefer ha-Bris 260:59. See Aishel Avraham, O.C. 329:49 and Nishmas Avraham, Y.D. 260:1, quoting Rav S.Z. Auerbach, who debate this issue and do not issue a clear ruling. A rav should be consulted.

224. O.C. 331:10.

225. Birkei Yosef, Y.D. 266:2; Ksav Sofer, Y.D. 54.

226. Sha’arei Teshuvah O.C. 331:7, quoting Shevus Yaakov.

227. Shevet ha-Levi 4:132.

228. Beiur Halachah 331:6, s.v. afilu and s.v. v’ayein.

229. Achiezer 3:59; Har Tzvi, O.C. 1:203.