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A very close friend of mine who I work with just had a boy.The bris will be taking place in a few days.We have some non-jewish co-workers who it will be their 1st time attending a bris and they have no clue what its about-how should we explain it to them??any suggestions??thanks
DONT INVITE THEM!!!!
Exactly. This is a purely religious event and they shouldn’t be there.
Most Goyim know what a circumcision is. Explain to them that there is a religious ceremony that comes with it. Focus more on the naming part than anything else.
why not invite them? thats a big chillul Hashem, if only the Jews are invited.
Firstly, they don’t HAVE to walk up to the front and watch and they probably should be warned not to. Have someone stay nearby that can explain the traditions to them as things are happening. As someone said they do know what circumcision is, so that’s not a surprise they just don’t know what the ceremony is about. It is not such a big deal. Don’t worry so much about it.
Everyone knows what a circumcison is, no need to explain.
Tell them you cut the foreskin per our convenent with G-d made by Abraham 3,000 years ago.
I fail to see why this thread title requires an asap or exclamation points. Mazel Tov.
Chayala- many, if not most non Jews circumcise their babies boys.
Dr. Robert Mendelson explains Milah vs. secular circumcision nicely in one of his books . He says we give the baby some wine as anesthesia and a minyan is necessary to make sure the mohel does his work properly. Also, we do it on the eighth day, when the platelet count is highest (IIRC), so the blood clots immediately. They might appreciate such tidbits.
Focus on the food!! Have thame have refills at the smorges table!! (Besides, since they expect to be invited to the bris they obviously know what a bris is).
There is absolutely no excuse for inviting a goy to a bris. I can understand inviting a goy to a chasunah, but a bris? Why do they even have to know about it? There are ways of explaining it metaphorically, but that should be reserved for a yid, frum or frei, not for a goy. It serves no purpose to explain these things to them. Will your friend also invite them over for shabbos and then wonder how to explain why you don’t do melachah? How about invite them for kapparos? Will they also get a kibbud? How about kvattah? I mean, please!!! Let your friend make a separate “celebration” before or after the bris and invite whoever her heart desires, but do not profane the bris shel eliyahu.
why not invite them? thats a big chillul Hashem, if only the Jews are invited.
Oh no, not another “CH” post.
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