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Sources for whether one do a Pidyon Haben the night of the 3

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Rabbi Yoel Lieberman

Av 14, 5776
Question
Our great grandson was born at about 2 AM on Monday night after midnight, 22 Sivan, at about, 2AM. The bris was the following Tuesday morning, 29 Sivan. I am back in Chicago. My wife is still in Israel. She is scheduled to fly back Thursday morning, 22 Thammuz. Are there sources that would allow the Pidyon Haben on Wednesday night, 22 Thammuz? Thank you!
Answer
ב"ה Shalom First of all a very hearty Mazal tov. May you have much Nachat. I received your question only yesterday the 13th of Menachem Av. So the question now, from your point of you has been already answered one way or the other. The way I will answer now is only in theory for reference. I wouldn't mind hearing the final decision you received and who received it from. According to the Shulchan Aruch (שו"ע יו"ד סי' ש"ה סעי' י"א,) as soon as the 31st day after birth has arrived , meaning the eve of the 31st day, the Pidyon Haben should take place and this is the Sefardi custom. However the Ashkenazi minhag is clearly in favor of making the pidyon Haben on the 31st day after birth somewhere in the afternoon. This is due to the opinions that what the torah requires is an astronomical month of 29 days, 12 hours, and 793 chalakim from the time of birth and sometimes if the child was born before sunset on a long summer day, doing the pidyon Haben in the morning , would be before 29 and a half days have passed. (ר' עקיבא איגר ד"ה לעשות, ב"ח סי' ש"ה ד"ה אין; ש"ך ס"ק י"ב, י"ט, ’נודע ביהודה בדגול מרבבה על המגן אברהם תקסח, י) However,I can point out, that Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l (אגרות משה יור"ד ח"א סי' קצ"ו) ruled that for the sake of "kvod Habriyot" the pidyon may take place at night. This was in a case that a person already notified everybody the pidyon would be the eve of the 31st and changing the time would cause a great embarrassment. I should further point out that in the Sha'arei Teshuva, mentions the reason for doing the Pidyon Haben during the day is so that there is a possibility of more people participating in the mitzvah- and therefore publicizing the fact that the pidyon Haben took place. It would therefore seem, that in our time when it’s more convenient to come at night it would further publicize the mitzvah, that perhaps the pidyon should be allowed to take place at night following this reasoning. (שערי תשובה תקסח, ח) However, I am not offering my opinion in this matter, only presenting things in theory and depending upon the circumstances a posek will render his decision. All the best and Mazal tov once again.
את המידע הדפסתי באמצעות אתר yeshiva.org.il