Brit Milah; Circumcision

We read in the Mishna Tractate Shabbat ch. 19. that we perform circumcisions on the eighth day of a child's life, regardless whether it is a weekday, Shabbat, a holiday, or even Yom Kippur. If, however, the circumcision was postponed – for health or other...

Question: Is a convert who is a hemophiliac required to have a circumcision, if it could result in his bleeding to death? Answer: I will answer this question in a theoretical sense. Before making any real-life decisions on the matter, you would need to pr...

Many have the custom to simply make the time and place known, without inviting anyone in particular to attend. Here's why.

During the period when the nation of Israel was split into two kingdoms, Elijah the prophet had a showdown at Mt. Carmel with 450 false prophets of the Baal idol . . .

Regarding Moses’ birth, we read that “his mother saw that he was good.” What did she see? One interpretation, cited in several classic sources, is that she saw that he was circumcised and knew that there was greatness in store for him. Being born circumci...

In kabbalistic teachings, the number seven symbolizes perfection – perfection that is achievable via natural means – while eight symbolizes that which is beyond nature and its (inherently limited) perfection. Some examples: a) G‑d created the world and it...

Tefillin are worn daily by Jewish men and boys aged 13 and older, except for on Shabbat and Torah holidays.

Question: During the summer months, my community begins the Shabbat eve services on Friday afternoon, well before sunset, commencing an "early Shabbat." At that point, is it Friday or Shabbat? If it is Friday how can we make the Shabbat Kiddush before nig...

Question: The average person, like myself, has been taught that Abraham had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. The book of Genesis, however, mentions that Abraham had many sons. Do we know who these individuals are today? Did they carry on the Jewish traditions...