Birth
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Blood Test for Jewish Identity
How does one obtain a blood test that establishes Jewish identity? Where can it be obtained and what is the cost? There really isn’t a blood test that establishes Jewish identity. A convert or descendant of one could have very…
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Circumcision
If Leviticus states, “Make no markings upon they body nor cuttings for the dead”, why are Jews circumcised? Thank you It is a separate commandment to circumcise the foreskin from every male Jewish person on the 8th day (Genesis 17:11-13).…
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Obtaining A Second Name
I recently found out my family has Jewish ancestry on my mother’s side but it was kept quiet because of the Holocaust. I was wanting to know how I could go about legally obtaining a second name in “Hebrew”. Out…
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Circumcision and Oral Suction
What are the exact instructions of the rite of circumcision, particularly about Metsitsa Bpeh (oral suction). How is this requirement follow the laws about blood? The procedure is as follows: The proper amount of foreskin is measured that will be…
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People who were Born Circumcised
Which people mentioned in the Bible were born circumcised? The Midrash (Tanchuma 9:7; Avos de-Rabbi Noson 2:5) lists 13 people who were born circumcised: Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Terach, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Rashi on…
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Circumcision and Judaism
Is an uncircumcised person regarded as non-Jewish? Circumcision is a “classical” Jewish practice dating back to Abraham, and the prophets drew strong contrasts between the Jews and their uncircumcised neighbors, but it doesn’t define Judaism. Jews don’t circumcise boys who…
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Celebrating the Birth of a Boy
What is the source of the custom of celebrating on the Friday night after a boy is born? It's an Ashkenazi custom, mentioned by the Rema in Yoreh Deah 265:12. It's done on Friday night because people are available then.…
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Female Circumcision
Does the Torah require female circumcision? The Torah is quite explicit that only males are to be circumcised (Gen. 17:10). Female circumcision is practiced in some cultures, but it is not mentioned in the traditional Jewish sources; it would therefore…
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The Laws of Defective Children
What are the laws regarding the care of defective children? There are lengthy discussions about the institutionalization of children who have severe physical or mental defects in Nishmas Avraham, vol.5, pp.57-60 and 79-82. Regarding life-and-death decisions, such children (or defective…