An Unusual Circumcision

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Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu

קטגוריה משנית

Family and Society
Brit Mila

One Shabbat, a mohel came to Rabbi Eliyahu with a question. He was supposed to be performing a brit that day, but just an hour earlier, the father of the baby told him that his son had been born by Caesarian section. Because the birth was not natural, according to halachah, the brit could not be done on Shabbat — but the baby's family was not observant and did not realize this beforehand.

The mohel asked Rabbi Eliyahu what to do. Numerous guests had already arrived, including many prestigious personalities. If the circumcision was canceled, the mohel worried, it could cause a hillul Hashem (a desecration of G-d's Name). But, at the same time, he wondered how he could possibly go ahead and perform such a circumcision on
Shabbat.

Rabbi Eliyahu replied, "You're a quick mohel. Here's what you need to do. Make all the blessings out loud, but instead of saying G-d's Name, say 'Hashem' under your breath. Draw out and emphasize the other words of the blessing. Afterward, open the diaper and pretend to be doing a brit until the baby cries a bit. Then quickly dress him with iodine and bandages and close the diaper."
The mohel nodded.

"Then tell the parents not to open the bandages and explain that you'll come to check them tomorrow," Rabbi Eliyahu continued. "Tomorrow, start to take off the diaper and then suggest to the parents that they leave the room so they don't get upset or even pass out from the sight of the blood. When they're outside, do the circumcision quickly and bandage the baby up again."

The mohel did as Rabbi Eliyahu had instructed. The next day he returned to the rabbi and told him that he had done everything according to Rabbi Eliyahu's word. No one had noticed that the circumcision had not actually taken place on Shabbat. They had been so busy with the food and all the goings-on that they never noticed the brit hadn't really been performed. On Sunday, the mohel made the blessings himself — and did the real circumcision.

Brit Mila

Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu