From the Rav’s Desk: Celebrating the day of one’s Bris

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  1. Question: [Monday, 20th MarCheshvan, 5783]

Someone invited me to his home to celebrate his Bris. At first I laughed at him and thought he was joking as he had a Bris decades ago, but he said that he was serious and that he has a family custom to celebrate each year the day of his Bris Mila. Do you know of any source for this custom?

Answer:

Indeed, this is a custom recorded in Sefarim to be followed by some communities, to make a celebratory meal each year on the day in which they had their Bris. The Ben Ish Chaiy records this custom and writes that it is a good custom and he is very fond of it although he personally does not follow it in his family. Nonetheless, he is accustomed annually on the day of his Bris to say a short prayer to Hashem mentioning the fact that he entered the Bris of Abraham Avinu on this day.

Sources: See Ben Ish Chaiy Parshas Reiy 17; Afrasakta Deanya 123 footnote 2 in name of Chasam Sofer

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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