Scheduling Your Bris | Nashville Mohel

The Eighth Day

The bris of a baby boy is ideally held on the 8th day of his life. We learn of this first when Isaac, the first person born Jewish, celebrates his bris in Genesis, and then later in Leviticus it is shared as a general rule.

Calculating the Eighth Day

When calculating the 8th day, we count both the day the baby is born and the day of the bris. So a baby born Tuesday morning will have his bris the following Tuesday morning. Because Jewish days change over at sunset, a baby born at night will be counted as the next day, so a baby born Tuesday at 10pm will have a bris the following Wednesday. A bris also always happens during the daytime. These issues can get complicated, especially when Shabbat and Jewish holidays get involved, so reach out to me before booking anything that can't be cancelled.

What About a Baby That Is Sick or in the NICU?

There is a principle in Judaism that saving a life overrides nearly every commandment. So, a baby that is not well should not have a bris until he is healthy enough to undergo the procedure. In some circumstances, even a baby that has recovered from an illness may have to wait a full week from recovery under Jewish law. Because the baby's well-being is so important, we always follow the more conservative opinion — we delay the bris until both the baby's medical team AND Jewish law say it is safe to do so. If either disagrees, we wait. Call me anytime to discuss these issues further.

If the Eighth Day Has Passed

A baby that has not had a bris and the 8th day has passed, the bris can happen anytime at the earliest opportunity.