Berit Milah

It is our custom to make a Limud in the evening before the Berit. More on this can be found elsewhere on this site.

The book ברית יצחק has been reprinted and published in 2019 with some additions. A sheet with the Pizonim, to be used during the Berit, can be downloaded.

We have no clear tradition (lost) about the time of the Berit.
Keter Shem Tob (Gaguine, part 2 page 562) writes that the Amsterdam custom is to do the Berit at 11:00 o’ clock, thus not during tefilla (e.g. before עלינו). This looks in line with Brandon page 214 where he writes that a Berit is announced “em (dag) as (uur) horas” (on day xx at yy o’ clock), and on Shabbat “ao sahir da esnoga” (when leaving the Esnoga).

According to Keter Shem Tob (Gaguine page תקעד) it is our custom to prepare two chairs, one for Eliyahu and one for the Sandak. Unfortunately, there is nobody to confirm this.

Grayed areas indicate parts which are added on specific days. Follow hyperlinks for recordings.

Comments	Tefillot / Berit Yizhak[1]	תפילה
When a son is born, the father says	201/-	ב’א’י’א’מ’ה הטוב והמטיב
Brit ברית מילה
	-/י”ח	בקשה למוהל לפני הברית
	-/כ	תפילה לסנדק
When the baby is brought in, all sing (the last phrase is sung later, see below) reconstructed melody	201/כ”א	ברוכים אתם … עד (לא בכלל) הילד הזה (main voice: HRP)
On Shabbat, all sing (same melody as above) reconstructed melody	201/כ”ב	שבת ומילה
The Mohel says the Berachah and performs the Berit	201/כ”ב	ב’א’י’א’מ’ה א’ק’ב’ו על המילה
Immediately the father says	202/כ”ב	ב’א’י’א’מ’ה א’ק’ב’ו להכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו
The father[2] says	202/כ”ב	ב’א’י’א’מ’ה שהחינו…לזמן הזה
All sing (the last phrase) reconstructed melody [3]	201/כ”א	הילד הזה
All	202/כ”ב	כשם… ונאמר אמן
All sing reconstructed melody	202/כ”ב	יהי דם… אשה ליי
Depending on the day, all sing. The other days can be found in the Moadim (festivals prayer book) for that day.	145/כ”ג -/כ”ג -/כ”ד -/כ”ד -/כ”ד	שבת: אם תשיב, ושמרו יום טוב: שוש אשיש, אלה מועדי שבת ויום טוב: אם תשיב, שוש אשיש, ושמרו, אלא מועדי ראש השנה: וביום שמחתכם שבת וראש השנה: שבת + וביום יום כפור: אם תשיב, כי ביום שבת ויום כיפור: שבת + כי ביום
The father, the Mohel or someone else, on a cup of wine	202/כ”ד	סברי… בורא פרי הגפן ברוך אתה… כורת הברית
The father, the Mohel or someone else, same person as above The Mohel gives the baby wine[4] when saying בדמיח חיי	203/כ”ד	או”א קים את הילד… כי לעולם חסדו
All repeat	203/כ”ה	הודו לה’ … כי לעולם חסדו
The father, the Mohel or someone else, same person as above	203/כ”ו	(פלוני) זה … ונאמר אמן
All sing	-/כ”ו	שיר המעלות (מזמור קכ”ח)
Avel (mourner), or any other	4/-	קדיש יהא שלמא
All give Tzedakah		ונודרים לעניי ארץ ישראל ולפדיון שבויים
Seudat Mitswah סעודת מצווה
Bessam (Bircat Hamazon)	–/ל”ב-מ”א	ברכת המזון

Recordings: HRP & JBS. As the recoding was made during a Berit Milah, the quality is moderate. Further, the part for Shabbat is (of course) missing. From the live recording, JBS reconstructed a ‘clean’ version, including the part for Shabbat.

Above texts are used when a Mohel circumcises a baby with both parents. In other cases different texts are used for certain parts. These can be found in the booklet Berit Yizhak (new edition download)

	When the Berit is done on an adult (page כ”ה-כ”ו)
	When the father is the Mohel (page כ”ו-כ”ח)
	When the baby has no father (page כח”כט)
	When the baby has no mother (page כ”ט)
	When the baby has no parents (page ל’)
	When the Berit is done on a Mamzeer (page ל”א)
	When the Berit is done on a Ger (proselyte, page ל”א-ל”ב)