Seudas Bris Milah
[ב] (halacha 350)
Question: When a bris is held on Friday, is it permitted to set up a large seudah for the bris milah, or are there restrictions on this?
Answer: The Gemara in Maseches Gittin1 states: 'For R. Chiya bar Abba said in the name of R. Yochanan: There were two families in Yerushalayim, one set its seudah on Shabbos and one set its seudah on erev Shabbos, and both were uprooted.'
However, the Rishonim were puzzled how to reconcile this Gemara with the Gemara in Pesachim2: 'For it was taught: A person should not eat on the eves of Shabbos and Yamim Tovim from minchah onward, in order that he enter Shabbos with appetite, the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yosi says: He may continue eating until it grows dark .. And did not Rabbi Yirmiyah say in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, and some say Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Yosi bar Rabbi Chanina: The halacha follows Rabbi Yehudah on erev Pesach, and the halacha follows Rabbi Yosi on erev Shabbos.' And if so, the halacha follows Rabbi Yosi that it is permitted to eat until the onset of Shabbos, so why was the family that set its seudah on erev Shabbos uprooted?
And the Ritva wrote in Gittin there: 'And if it is difficult for you, since we hold that one may continue eating until it grows dark, one may say that this applies only to an occasional case, but to set one's seudah this way regularly is forbidden. And Rabbeinu Chananel explained: on erev Shabbos even in the morning, for it was their practice that the nighttime seudah they would set on erev Shabbos, and this — to set a large seudah on erev Shabbos — is forbidden out of honor for Shabbos, so that he enter Shabbos with appetite.'
And so wrote the Rambam3: 'It is forbidden to set a seudah and feast on erev Shabbos out of honor for Shabbos, and it is permitted to eat and drink until it grows dark; nevertheless, out of honor for Shabbos a person should refrain from minchah onward from setting a seudah, in order that he enter Shabbos while he craves to eat.'
And the commentators explained4 that the Rambam's intent at the beginning of his words is that the seudah forbidden on erev Shabbos at all hours of the day is a large seudah that one is not accustomed to during the weekdays.
And in halacha the Mechaber wrote5: 'It is forbidden to set on erev Shabbos a seudah and feast that one is not accustomed to during the weekdays, and even if it is a betrothal seudah, out of honor for Shabbos, so that he enter Shabbos while he craves to eat; and the entire day is included in the prohibition.'
But the Rema in the gloss wrote: 'But a seudah whose set time is erev Shabbos, such as a bris milah or pidyon haben, is permitted; so it appears to me and so is the widespread minhag.'
On the other hand, the Bach there wrote: 'And it is possible to say that this refers to a bris milah seudah and pidyon haben, for ideally one must begin before the 9th seasonal hour, but if they did not begin before the 9th hour he may begin after the 9th, and this is a matter of necessity of the hour, and so we hold. And the Rav in the gloss to the Shulchan Aruch wrote without qualification that for bris milah and pidyon haben it is permitted, and in my humble opinion it appears that ideally one should be careful not to begin the seudah for it except before the 9th hour.' And so wrote the Magen Avraham, sk 6.
And so wrote the Alter Rebbe6: 'It is forbidden to set on erev Shabbos a large seudah of feasting that one is not accustomed to during the weekdays, out of honor for Shabbos, for through eating and drinking abundantly on erev Shabbos, even in the morning, more than his manner on the rest of the weekdays, he will not be able to fulfill the Shabbos seudah of the night properly. To what does this apply? To an optional seudah, or even a seudas mitzvah but whose set time is not on erev Shabbos, that he can postpone it to another day and make the seudah on that day; but if its set time is today, such as a milah seudah .. and likewise the milah, even if it is not on the eighth day from his birth, it is impossible to postpone it to another day, for it is forbidden to leave him uncircumcised even one day; therefore it is permitted to make the seudah also on that day, and if afterward he will not be able to fulfill the Shabbos seudah of the night, this is of no consequence, since this too is a seudas mitzvah, and he will eat three seudos the next day on the day, as written in siman 274. Nevertheless, it is a mitzvah to begin the seudah ideally before the tenth hour, for from the tenth hour onward it is a mitzvah to refrain from setting even a small seudah that one is accustomed to during the week if it is an optional seudah, as will be explained; if so, also with a seudas mitzvah, since it is possible to advance it before the tenth hour, he should advance it ideally.'
[However, there are among the Acharonim who wrote that one should begin the seudah in the morning7 or at least before midday8, but as stated, the words of the Alter Rebbe are that it is a mitzvah to begin before the tenth hour, and he did not mention that there is a preference for before midday. But see in the Ketzos HaShulchan9 who concluded: 'Nevertheless, it is obvious that the more one advances it the better, out of honor for Shabbos, and so is the minhag to advance the seudos as much as possible.']
If so, a bris held on Friday requires a seudah to be made (even if through this he will not be able to fulfill the Friday night seudah properly), but ideally it is fitting to advance and begin it at least before the tenth hour.
In the next halacha, with Hashem's help, we will learn about a restriction on the number of those dining.
Footnotes:
1 לח, ב ↩
2 צט, ב ↩
3 הל' שבת פ"ל ה"ד ↩
4 מגיד משנה, והובא בב"י, אך ראה ט"ז (ס"ק א) שביאר שהאיסור כל היום הוא על סעודה עם משתה שקובעים עצמן גם לשתות, [וראה לשון אדה"ז מהלבוש, 'סעודה של משתה שאינו רגיל בה בימי החול'] ↩
5 שו"ע או"ח סי' רמט ס"ב ↩
6 סי' רמט סעיפים ה-ז ↩
7 ראה חיי"א חלק ב-ג כלל א ס"ח: 'ומ"מ נכון להקדימו בבוקר'. וכ"כ המשנ"ב סקי"ב ובשעה"צ אות יז ↩
8 ראה ערוה"ש ס"ז (ולכאו' הוא עפ"י דברי הראב"ד על רמב"ם שם: 'דוקא שאסור לקבוע מחצות ולמעלה'). וראה שלחן הטהור סקי"א שאלו שאין שלחנם טהור ומעשנים לילקיס וציגארין ומדברים בדברי הבל יש להם להתחיל לפני חצות, ואחר חצות יפסיקו ↩
9 סי' סט בדה"ש אות ח ↩
[ג] (halacha 351)
We learned that even when a bris milah is held on Friday a seudah must be held (even though it may be that he will not be able to eat the Shabbos seudah properly).
Question: How many are permitted to participate in a bris seudah held on erev Shabbos?
Answer: In the previous halacha we brought the words of the Rema who wrote1: 'But a seudah whose set time is erev Shabbos, such as a bris milah or pidyon haben, is permitted; so it appears to me and so is the widespread minhag.' And the Alter Rebbe wrote2: 'that the implication of the Rema and Levush is to be lenient regarding all those invited, and so ruled the Eliyah Zuta3.'
That is, according to the view of the Rema and his school there is no restriction on the number of people permitted to eat at a bris seudah on erev Shabbos4.
However, the Shlah5 wrote: 'And when I studied Torah in the holy community of Cracow under my master and teacher, the Gaon and Chasid Maharar Shlomo zl"h, it happened that he was a sandak on erev Shabbos, and he did not want to go to the setting of the milah seudah, and he said that it is a kal vachomer from a milah seudah that falls from Rosh Chodesh Av until the fast, when one does not eat meat except for a minyan and no more. Now, the prohibition of eating meat during those days is only a mere minhag6, yet despite all this the practice is that one does not eat more than a minyan7; the setting of a seudah on erev Shabbos, which is a din of the Gemara as above8, all the more so if there is a minyan, that they should not eat more. And I said to him: what kind of proof is this? Granted there, it is possible to find a remedy, to set the seudah on dairy foods, and many may recline as much as they wish; but on erev Shabbos there is no remedy to be found, for the setting of a seudah is a prohibition whether with meat or with dairy — perhaps it is permitted. And he rejected my words, on the grounds that there is no rejoicing without meat9, and this is easy to understand.'
If so, we have seen that the Shlah's master did not want to eat at a bris seudah on Friday because it is fitting that only a minyan eat and no more, and in the end the Shlah agreed with him.
Question: Who is counted in this minyan for whom it is appropriate to be lenient to eat such a seudah on erev Shabbos?
Answer: Regarding a bris in the month of Av, the Sefer HaMinhagim (Tirna), month of Av, wrote: 'But if a seudas mitzvah occurs, such as a betrothal or a bris milah or a pidyon haben or a completion of masechtos, from when Av enters until the 9th of Av, it is permitted to gather there a limited minyan [of] bnei mitzvah, and they eat meat and drink wine.' And on this it was written in the glosses: 'It seems that the practice is to take a minyan apart from all the relatives connected to the hosts of the seudah.'
That is, regarding a bris during the nine days from Rosh Chodesh Av, they wrote that the minyan for whom they permit eating meat is in addition to the relatives connected to the parties of the bris.
And the Alter Rebbe wrote10 that a seudas mitzvah on erev Shabbos is more lenient than eating meat at a seudah in the month of Av, and therefore: 'And all the more so where even during the week of Tishah B'Av we are lenient, such as with relatives, that one should not be stringent on erev Shabbos. And especially since the implication of the Rema and Levush is to be lenient regarding all those invited, and so ruled the Eliyah Zuta.'
And therefore the Alter Rebbe writes there: 'Here too [on erev Shabbos] one should be lenient with relatives, similar to the week of Tishah B'Av11.
And therefore he ruled12: 'And it is good not to eat at this seudah except a limited minyan apart from those connected to the seudah, such as the relatives and the shushvinin at a wedding seudah, and the relatives and the parties of the bris — that is, the mohel and the sandak — at a milah seudah.'
If so, in halacha only a minyan is permitted to dine at this seudah on erev Shabbos, but the minyan is in addition to the relatives13 and the mohel and the sandak.
Footnotes:
1 בסי' רמט ס"ב ↩
2 סי' רמט סוף קו"א א ↩
3 ס"ק ב וכתב 'וכן נוהגין לאכול כל המזומנים לסעודה אפילו יותר ממנין' ↩
4 וכן המשנ"ב לא הביא כלל הגבלה בכמות המותרים בסעודה. ובשלחן הטהור (קאמרנא) סק"ח כתב שדווקא קודם חצות אין הגבלה ↩
5 מסכת שבת פרק נר מצוה ↩
6 או"ח סי' תקנ"א ס"ט ↩
7 ראה בלבוש סעיף י ↩
8 גיטין שם ↩
9 פסחים קט, א ↩
10 סי' רמט קו"א א ↩
11 אלא שרבו של השל"ה החמיר יותר ואפי' שהיה סנדק החמיר לא לאכול ↩
12 בסי' רמט ס"ז ↩
13 אדמו"ר הזקן הביא בקו"א את דברי המג"א בסי' תקנא ס"ק לה: 'ונ"ל דוקא פסולי עדות מקרי קרובים'. [והביא דברי תרומת הדשן סי' רצא אודות מנהגי אבלות בקרובים. וכתב במחצית השקל: 'וכתב בתרומת הדשן דע"כ צ"ל כן. דאל"כ אין לדבר סוף אף רביעים ועשיריים וכל ישראל קרובים זה לזה ע"ש'] ↩
[ד] (halacha 352)
Question: Does the bris milah seudah need to include meat?
Answer: In the previous halacha we mentioned the discussion that took place between the Shlah and his master the Maharash of Lublin regarding the obligation to eat meat at a bris, in which the Shlah argued to his master that 'it is possible to find a remedy, to set the seudah on dairy foods, and many may recline as much as they wish .. and he rejected my words, on the grounds that there is no rejoicing without meat (Pesachim 109a), and this is easy to understand.'
If so, according to the view of the Maharash of Lublin and his student the Shlah, at the bris milah seudah one must eat meat.
And so wrote the Magen Avraham1: 'And in the Olas Shabbos it is written that this, that there is no rejoicing except with meat, applies only in the time when the Beis HaMikdash stood and there was meat of the shalmei simchah; and he did not examine Sanhedrin daf 70.'
And although the Alter Rebbe wrote2 that the rule that there is no rejoicing except with meat was stated specifically regarding the eating of the shelamim in the time of the Beis HaMikdash, nevertheless he writes regarding Yom Tov that even in all eating of meat there is rejoicing, and therefore although there is no obligation, there is a mitzvah to eat. And these are his words: 'How does one gladden them? .. And the men, in the time when the Beis HaMikdash stood, would eat the meat of shelamim for rejoicing, and now that the Beis HaMikdash does not stand, one does not fulfill the obligation of rejoicing except with wine, as it is said, "and wine gladdens the heart of man." But meat there is no obligation to eat now, since we have no meat of shelamim; nevertheless, there is a mitzvah in eating meat on Yom Tov, since rejoicing is stated regarding it, and since it is impossible for us to rejoice in it with the essence of the rejoicing, which is the eating of the meat of shelamim, we should gladden it with all the other kinds of rejoicing.'
And so many poskim held practically, that since rejoicing was set for this seudah, one should eat meat at it, as the Yaavetz wrote3: 'Even though it is written "feast," the intent is not on the drinking of a cup alone, for a large seudah is called a "feast" everywhere on account of the wine, and so "and he made them a feast and they ate and drank," and there is no seudas mitzvah except with meat. And here there is a special support in scripture, "those who cut My covenant over a sacrifice."'
And so wrote the Shut Maharam Schick4: 'Behold, in siman 551 s5 it is explained that at a seudas mitzvah, which is the bris milah seudah, it is a mitzvah to eat meat, for he permitted eating meat even on erev Tishah B'Av, and therefore there is a mitzvah to eat meat. However, the reason of the matter may be said to be on account of hiddur mitzvah, since it is a seudas mitzvah we beautify it, and there is a mitzvah and honor in meat. However, the view of the Maharash, brought in the Magen Avraham siman 249 sk 6, is that it is indispensable, that there is no rejoicing except with meat, and his intent is that since on account of rejoicing our Sages set the seudah, certainly they set it only on the meat, and if so, without meat he nullifies his mitzvah, and the Magen Avraham there agreed to this reasoning .. and for this, at least at the seudos that our Sages set for us in order to rejoice in the mitzvah, one may well say like the Maharash. And according to this, the pidyon haben seudah is lighter in this than the milah seudah, for at a milah it was set in order to rejoice, as explained in Tosfos and Rashi in Shabbos daf 130 and in Yoreh Deah siman 265.. (the continuation of his words will be brought below).'
And many of the great ones of Chassidus brought5 great segulos and merits for the one circumcised when there is meat at the bris seudah.
On the other hand, there are those who brought that they had the minhag to make the bris seudah without meat, and there are those who justified this with various reasons.
1. The Chasam Sofer6: 'It is difficult for them to make a milah seudah on Shabbos with a seudah of meat and fish because of the expense, and it is easier for them to make a seudah in the morning of dairy foods, and it is a seudas mitzvah.'
Shut Maharam Schick there: 'And let us examine: now, if the mitzvah of eating meat at a seudas mitzvah is only on account of hiddur, it is explained in Bava Kamma daf 9b that hiddur mitzvah is up to a third .. and behold, since one need not add more than a third, there would be room to find merit for the minhag that some people practice, to make a bris milah seudah with dairy foods, for if one makes a seudah of meat he would need to add much more than a third. However, according to the reasoning of the Maharash brought in the Magen Avraham siman 249 above, one does not fulfill the obligation at a milah seudah except with meat..'
And so wrote the Aruch HaShulchan7: 'And in our country few are those who make a seudah, and they only eat a bit of sweets, such as lekach and the like, and because of poverty and the burden of livelihood they practiced thus.'
2. The Maharam Schick8: 'Nowadays, in places where they do not make a seudah of meat but of dairy foods, and according to the view of the Maharash and the Magen Avraham siman 249 sk 6 they do not fulfill the obligation of rejoicing, and therefore nowadays they relied on the views of those who say that a bris milah seudah is not called rejoicing, as the Magen Avraham wrote in siman 546 sk 5 according to the view of the Shulchan Aruch'9.
And so wrote in Even HaEzer there10: 'There is some basis to settle the practice of the world, that also at a bris milah they make the seudah with dairy foods, and this is according to what Tosfos wrote in Moed Katan daf 8, that there is no rejoicing in it, and so we hold.'
And practically many wrote11 that one should be careful to have a seudah with meat [there are those who brought that when it is not possible to bring meat, at least one should bring poultry or fish12].
If so, practically it is fitting that the bris seudah be a seudah with meat.
Footnotes:
1 סי' רמט ס"ק ו ↩
2 סי' תקכט ס"ז ↩
3 סידור שער השמים, (הוצאת אשכול) ח"ב ע' תשצו ↩
4 אבהע"ז סי' פט אות ב ↩
5 נלקטו בחקרי מנהגים (גוראריה) ח"ד סי' קיג עמ' פד ואילך. וראה הנסמן בפסקים ותשבות סי' רסה הערה 309 - 310 ↩
6 שו"ת חת"ס ח"א או"ח סי' סט ↩
7 יו"ד סי' רסה סל"ז ↩
8 יו"ד סי' שסו ↩
9 שעל דברי השו"ע סי' תקמו ס"ד: 'מותר לעשות ברגל סעודת ברית מילה וכן סעודת פדיון הבן'. כתב המג"א ס"ק ה: 'מותר לעשות. דלא חשיבי שמחה אלא סעודת נשואין לבד' ↩
10 סי' פט סו, אות ב ↩
11 ראה שו"ת שבט הלוי ח"ג סי' יח אות ב, שו"ת משנה הלכות חי"ג סי' קפז וחי"ד סי' רעב ↩
12 ראה שבט הלוי שם. וראה גם אבן ישראל (ברוין) ח"ב סעודת ברית אות יד ↩
[ה] (halacha 353)
The study of this halacha is dedicated in merit of Nachum ben Esther Sara Nechama for his birthday, for a year of success materially and spiritually
Question: Is a person who was invited to a bris milah and to the seudah permitted not to come?
Answer: The Gemara in Maseches Pesachim1 states: 'Seven are excommunicated by Heaven .. and some say: also one who does not recline at a chaburah of a mitzvah.' And the Rashbam explained: 'at a chaburah of a mitzvah. Such as a feast of a bris milah or of the daughter of a kohen [married] to a kohen.' And so wrote Tosfos there, d"h "and does not recline": 'this is a milah seudah, of which it is said in the Midrash that one is saved from the judgment of Gehinom, and a wedding seudah of a talmid chacham and of the daughter of a kohen [married] to a kohen, and specifically when there are fitting people there, as we say in Zeh Borer (Sanhedrin daf 23a) that the clean-minded of Yerushalayim would not recline at a seudah unless they knew who was reclining with them.'
The Rema2 in the gloss brought the words of Tosfos as halacha, and these are his words: 'And anyone who does not eat at a milah seudah is like one excommunicated by Heaven, and specifically when fitting people are found there, but if people who are not fitting are found there, one need not eat there'3.
And in the Sefer Sod Hashem Sharvit HaZahav4 it is written: 'And I saw my teachers, the geonim of the world, who would protest against the attendants who go around the houses of the children of Yisrael and announce that they are invited to a bris milah seudah, as is customary, that they should not invite them, saying that perhaps they will not go to dine there for reasons that arise, and they would be, Heaven forbid, included in excommunication'. It is brought in the Shut Mekom Shmuel5, and the Pischei Teshuvah6, and so wrote the Mahari Tiktin in his Be'er Heitev7.
If so, we have seen in the words of the Rema that one must eat at a bris milah seudah, and the Acharonim explained his words that this din applies also to one who is invited to the seudah, that he must come and eat.
However, the holy Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, author of the Yismach Moshe, wrote8: 'And also the "some say" mentioned above, one may say applies specifically to one who sits there and does not wish to recline with them, and so the language of the baraisa implies, "and some say one who does not recline," and so is the language of the Rema, "one who does not eat," for but we do not find that he is obligated to go, for it does not say "one who does not go to eat," and this is clear'.
That is, according to his words there is no concern in inviting a person who perhaps will not come to the seudah, since the stringency is only on one who actually participates in the seudah and does not eat. And see the Koreis HaBris9, who was stringent specifically when he was at the bris and was invited to the seudah, sits and does not dine with them.
And practically the minhag has spread according to the words of the stringent ones, that one does not invite to the bris seudah, (as opposed to the bris itself, where it is permitted to invite).
But we find in the words of the poskim several ways to be lenient:
a) If he was not invited and then was invited again:
The Midrash in Eichah Rabbah10: 'The precious children of Tzion, what was their preciousness .. Another interpretation: what was their preciousness — none of them would go to a seudah until he was called and called again'. And we learn from the words of the Midrash that only if he is called and called again is there an obligation to go to a bris milah seudah11.
And the Yaavetz brought this in the Migdol Oz12.
b) When not all are fitting:
As stated in the words of Tosfos and the Rema, that the problem is only if fitting people sit there, and based on this the Aruch HaShulchan wrote13: 'But now, in our many sins, there is no concern, for in most cases there will also be those who are not fitting; but nevertheless it is proper to go, for it is brought in the Midrash that one who eats at a milah seudah is saved from the judgment of Gehinom.'
c) When he is occupied with a mitzvah:
The Shevet HaLevi wrote14: 'And as to what he asked regarding eating at a bris seudah for a mohel whose time is not his own .. behold, to me it is obvious that one who is occupied with the busyness of a mitzvah, or whose Torah is his actual occupation and the like, that this matter does not apply to him, as is brought thus in the name of the Sefer Koreis HaBris. And my own way is to take something from the bris seudah home, and it is obvious that a city mohel who is busy also with other mitzvos is not obligated to eat at all the brisos, and it is also obvious that there is no obligation to enlarge a bris seudah to hundreds of people at the expense of other mitzvos.'
d) When there is a minyan without him:
The Kaf HaChaim wrote15 in the name of the Orchos Yosher: 'I heard people say that what was said, that anyone who does not eat at a milah seudah is like one excommunicated by Heaven — this applies when there is no minyan there, but if there is a minyan one need not be particular. And there is some proof for this, that Mohar"m16 of Lublin was a sandak on erev Shabbos and did not wish to go to the seudah since there was a minyan there without him, end of quote, and the Yafeh LaLev brought this in vol. 3 in Yoreh Deah siman 265 ot 22.'
e) When he was invited only out of honor.
The Kaf HaChaim wrote there in the name of the Orchos Yosher .. who wrote: 'And I have seen many in this time who are invited to a milah seudah and do not go, even though there are fitting people there, and I heard the reason that in this time the host is compelled to invite many people out of honor, and the host is not particular if all those invited come to the seudah, and sometimes the host does not want all those invited to come to the seudah, for he invited them only out of honor.'
If so, we have learned that the practice is not to invite to the bris seudah, but only to announce. And also in a case where a person was invited, we have seen that there are ways in which the Acharonim were lenient that he is not obligated to participate.
Footnotes:
1 קיג, ב ↩
2 יו"ד סי' רסה סי"ב ↩
3 וראה בילק"מ על השו"ע השגת בעל הישמח משה על הרמ"א, ומ"ש להשיב הגר"ח נאה בקצוה"ש הערות למעשה ע' קצג ↩
4 קצת דיני מילה ד"ה נוהגים - הוצאת תשסב עמוד מו ↩
5 סי' פ ↩
6 ס"ק יח ↩
7 ס"ק ה ↩
8 צוין בהערה 3 ↩
9 להרב אליהו פוסק ס"ק ס"ז ↩
10 פרשה ד, ב ↩
11 וראה שו"ת להורות נתן ח"ז סי' עו ↩
12 בריכה עליונה הנחל הי"ג אות טז. ובסידורו - אחרי תפלה לאב אחר המילה ↩
13 יו"ד סי' רסה סל"ז ↩
14 שו"ת ח"ח סי' ריז ב. וראה שו"ת יד אליהו להרב אליהו מלובלין סי' ו ↩
15 סי' תר"מ ס"ק נ"ו ↩
16 לכאורה צ"ל מהר"ש ↩
[ו] (halacha 354)
Question: Is it permitted to delay the bris milah so that it will be with a large gathering, even though "the zealous perform mitzvos early" and it is fitting to perform the bris early?
There is a halachic principle that "the zealous perform mitzvos early," meaning one must strive to hasten to fulfill a mitzvah at the earliest time it can be fulfilled. And there is another principle, "in a multitude of people is the King's glory," whose meaning is that there is value in fulfilling a mitzvah with a large gathering, since this is the honor of the King — the One who commanded the mitzvah. The question arises: what does one do in a case where there is a clash between the principles, that is, in a case where through waiting for the gathering the mitzvah will be delayed but there will be a larger congregation — which is preferable, the zeal or the multitude of people?
Answer: The Gemara in Maseches Rosh Hashanah1 brings the Mishnah: 'The one who passes before the teivah on Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah — the second [= the chazan of Mussaf] sounds the shofar, and at the time of Hallel — the first [= the chazan of Shacharis] recites the Hallel.' And the Gemara discusses this there: 'What is the difference that the second [= the chazan of Mussaf] sounds the shofar — because "in a multitude of people is the King's glory." If so, let us say Hallel also with the second on account of "in a multitude of people is the King's glory"! Rather: what is the difference that Hallel is with the first [= the chazan of Shacharis] — because "the zealous perform mitzvos early."'
And we find that they advanced the recitation of Hallel to Shacharis (even though if they had delayed there would have been more participants, "in a multitude of people") because the zealous perform mitzvos early; if so, seemingly we see that "the zealous perform mitzvos early" overrides "in a multitude of people is the King's glory".
And many of the poskim wrote2 that based on this Gemara we learn that even though delaying the mitzvah would add the merit of "in a multitude of people," this is not a reason to delay the mitzvah since the zealous perform mitzvos early.
And based on this, some wrote3 also regarding bris milah that one should not delay the time of the bris even if through the delay they would gain that it would be with a larger gathering.
But the Rebbe explains4 that it depends on which mitzvah is being discussed, and on how many mitzvos, and so it is that with milah the multitude of people is a hiddur in the essence of the mitzvah, and therefore it takes precedence over the zeal.
And likewise we find that the Rebbe in a letter elaborated to explain: that the rejoicing at the bris is significant5 and therefore it overrides "the zealous perform mitzvos early," [and just as it is ruled that when there is a bris on a postponed Tishah B'Av, the bris is then performed later], and therefore, to delay a bris so that more will participate and thus add to the rejoicing, one may say that this takes precedence over the zeal. And therefore one should not prevent those who have the practice of delaying the bris for the sake of "the multitude of people" that increases the rejoicing of the bris.
And because of the dearness of the matter we will reproduce here the letter of the Rebbe6 which was written in response to the question of Rabbi Sh. Z. Garelik, the rav of Kfar Chabad: 'And as to what you inquired before us, whether to prevent the minhag of those who delay the milah until after minchah so that it should be with a multitude of people.
Behold, "the zealous perform mitzvos early" overrides the matter of "in a multitude of people is the King's glory," as is proven in Rosh Hashanah (32b); but seemingly milah is different, for it is good that it be with rejoicing as they accepted upon themselves (Shabbos 130a), and see also Megillah 16b, Kesubos 8a, and especially Niddah (31b): "all rejoice etc.," and this overrides "the zealous perform mitzvos early," for which reason on a postponed Tishah B'Av they delay the milah until after minchah (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim end of siman 559, and the fact that if it falls on Tishah B'Av itself the din is not so is because the difference in rejoicing is not so great, as opposed to a postponed one, where he ends his fast).
And behold, in the Sdei Chemed, Klalim, ma'areches zayin klal 3, he brought from the Birkei Yosef Orach Chaim siman 1, Chayei Adam klal 68, Re'eh Chaim parashas Lech Lecha, and Lev Chaim vol. 2 sk 27, that one should not delay a pidyon haben for this, and he writes simply that with milah too the din is so.
And in my humble opinion they are distinct, as above (and one cannot say that, on the contrary, with milah there should be even greater and special advancement, for at every moment of delay he remains uncircumcised and the orlah is repugnant etc. (and consequently it would also be difficult regarding the delay on Tishah B'Av above) — for it is different here, since the Torah explicitly said "and on the eighth day" and did not set limits within this day itself; rather, according to this, with a milah not in its proper time there should be advancement beyond the general "the zealous perform mitzvos early" that applies to other mitzvos (and see the Sdei Chemed there), and if so the din of milah on Tishah B'Av above would apply only to a milah in its proper time, and this is not so, and there is more to say but this is not the place to elaborate).
And we see tangibly that the rejoicing depends on the multitude of those gathered, and sometimes there is even sadness when a few are prevented from coming.
And in our case there is yet another matter that depends on this — the gathering of Anash, who will surely speak then of matters of Torah and mitzvos and Chassidus, and after all "Hashem our G-d commanded us to perform all the statutes in order to fear etc."
And in any case these reasons suffice, in my opinion, not to prevent those who practice as above.' End of his holy words.
If so, although it is fitting to advance the bris to the morning of the eighth day since the zealous perform mitzvos early, nevertheless one should not prevent those who practice delaying the bris to after the morning when the additional people will add to the rejoicing of the bris.
--
Footnotes:
1 לב, ב ↩
2 ראה ברכ"י או"ח סי' א ס"ק ז על דברי הגמ' זו: 'אלמא דאי לאו דמשנתינו בשעת הגזרה, תקיעה נמי עבדינן בראשון, ואתי טעם דמקדימין למצות ודחי לטעם ברב עם הדרת מלך'. וראה שד"ח כללים מע' פ אות לט. ובמע' ז כלל ג. וכ"כ רבים הובאו בשו"ת יביע אומר ח"ב יו"ד סי' יח. מאידך רבים הביאו את דברי שו"ת מקור חיים למהר"ש כהן מוילנה (לא מצאנו נדפס) ומצטטים מדבריו אודות ברוב עם לעומת זריזין מקדימין: 'אפשר ששניהם שקולים הם .. ואל תשיבנו מהסוגיא דר"ה .. דשאני התם דמצוות רוב עם הויא ספק שמי יודע אם במוסף ירבו אנשים בביהכ"נ וביטול הזריזות וודאי ואין ספק דוחה וודאי' ↩
3 שד"ח שם גם אודות ברית מילה, וראה הנסמן באוצר הברית ח"א פ"ג סי' ה דין ד. ובשו"ת יביע אומר שם. אך ראה בשו"ת מקור חיים (הנ"ל הע' קודמת) שמבאר ללמד זכות על המאחרים את הברית עד אחר חצות כי מרוויחים את דין 'רוב עם' וכנ"ל לשיטתו שכאשר וודאי יהיה רוב עם, אין הזריזין גובר ↩
4 לקו"ש חי"ט ע' 74 הערה 60. וראה גם בהמשך דברי השד"ח שם מע' פ שבכדי לעשות את גוף המצווה מהודרת יותר לא חיישינן לשיהוי מצווה. וראה דברי החת"ס (ברכות לב, ב מספרו תורת משה (פ' תצוה בריש סוגיא דתדיר ד"ה תנן): 'דאם המצוה נעשית בהדור יותר במאוחר אין זריזין מקדימין .. כשהמצוה עצמה מהודרת יותר .. אז דוחה את זריזין מקדימין', ורק 'כשהמצוה עצמה אינה מתנאה יותר רק מצד ברוב עם הדרת מלך, אז זריזין מקדימין עדיף' ↩
5 ולכאו' הכוונה שהשמחה בברית (שע"י הרוב עם) היא חלק מהמצווה, ולכן אינו ככל ברוב עם שהוא מעלה שאינה שייכת למצווה זו דווקא שאז שזריזין קודם, וראה הע' קודמת ↩
6 אג"ק ח"ד ע' קנד (אגרת תתצו) ↩
From the 'Shoneh Halacha' project — a daily halacha with reasons and sources
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[1] (halacha 349)
The study of this halacha is dedicated to the merit of the newborn son of Devorah Leah on the occasion of his entering into the covenant of Avraham Avinu
Question: What is the source for making a seudah at a bris milah?
Answer: It is written in Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer1: 'And when Yitzchak was eight days old, he was brought for milah, as it is said, "וַיָּמָל אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ בֶּן שְׁמֹנַת יָמִים" ("And Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchak when he was eight days old"). And he brought him up as a minchah offering upon the altar, and he made rejoicing and a feast. From here the Sages said2 that a person is obligated to make rejoicing and a feast on that day when he merited to circumcise his son, like Avraham Avinu, as it is said, "וַיַּעַשׂ אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל בְּיוֹם הִגָּמֵל אֶת יִצְחָק".'
And in Maseches Shabbos3 it is stated: 'It was taught, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Every mitzvah that they accepted upon themselves with joy, such as milah, as it is written, "שָׂשׂ אָנֹכִי עַל אִמְרָתֶךָ כְּמוֹצֵא שָׁלָל רָב" ("I rejoice over Your word like one who finds great spoil") — they still perform it with joy', and Tosafos wrote in the d"h "שש": 'And likewise we say, "ויעש אברהם משתה גדול ביום הגמל את יצחק" — on the day "ה"ג" he circumcised ("מל") Yitzchak, that is, on the eighth day of milah, corresponding to the numerical value of "ה"ג", Rabbeinu Tam.'
And in Maseches Pesachim it is stated4: 'Seven are placed under the ban of Heaven .. and some say also one who does not recline at a gathering of a mitzvah. And Tosafos wrote5 'this refers to the seudah of milah, for it is said in the Midrash that one is saved from the judgment of Gehinnom .. and specifically when there are fitting people there..'.
And the Or Zarua wrote6: 'And that which we are accustomed to make a seudah at a bris milah, as it is said in Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer ch. 31, when Yitzchak was born it is written "וימל אברהם את יצחק בנו בן" etc. — from here you learn that anyone who brings his son for milah is as though the High Priest offered his minchah and his libation upon the altar7 — from here the Sages said a person is obligated to make rejoicing and a feast on that day when he merited to circumcise his son. And we also say at the end of Perek Merubeh that Rav and Shmuel and Rav Asi happened to come to a "bei shevua haben", and some say to a "bei yeshua haben", and Rashi explained "shevua haben" is a bris milah, so called because seven days had passed over him — learn from this that the seudah of milah is a seudas mitzvah, for if not so, Rav would not have eaten there, as we say in Perek Gid Hanasheh that Rav would not eat at an optional feast .. And we also say in the first chapter of Kesubos that Rav Chanina happened to come to a house of a mohel and recited "she'hasimcha bime'ono", and the halacha is not in accordance with him because [the mohel] is preoccupied since the infant is in pain, but were it not for the infant's pain it would by law be proper to recite "she'hasimcha bime'ono" — learn from this that it is a seudas mitzvah'.
And the Abudraham8 wrote: 'And likewise David said (Tehillim 50:5) "אִסְפוּ לִי חֲסִידָי כֹּרְתֵי בְרִיתִי עֲלֵי זָבַח" ("Gather to Me My pious ones, those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice"), and our Rabbis of blessed memory said this refers to the seudah of milah, and they explain "עלי זבח" — "זב ח'", the blood of milah which flows ("זב") at eight ("ח") days. And Harav Moshe Kohen explained that the reason for this is that the Holy One, blessed be He, desires that, just as the other faculties of the soul are drawn and follow after the rational soul in the performance of the mitzvos and in the pursuit of wisdom, they should have a portion in the joy that comes to the rational soul in performing the mitzvah or in attaining wisdom; and this comes about through his making a seudah with food and drink'.
And the Orchos Chaim9 wrote: 'And it is the minhag in all our places that one who circumcises his son .. makes peace with all his enemies and invites them to eat and rejoice with him so that they will bless him and not curse him .. and they also have the minhag to make large seudos on the day of the milah'.
Rabbeinu Bachya10 wrote: 'The mitzvah of milah is like a sort of korban, for a person offers the fruit of his body for the honor of the Holy Name to fulfill His mitzvah, and just as the blood of the korban atones, so the blood of milah atones, and therefore the essence of milah is on the eighth day, in the likeness of a korban, which is not fit until the eighth day, as it is said "מִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וָהָלְאָה יֵרָצֶה" ("from the eighth day onward it shall be accepted"). And just as it is written regarding the korban "וְאָכְלוּ אֹתָם אֲשֶׁר כֻּפַּר בָּהֶם" ("and they shall eat those things with which atonement was made"), that the eating of the korban atones, so it is the minhag in Israel that they make a seudah on the day of the milah and all gather and come there, and it is a fitting minhag, and therefore David, peace be upon him, mentioned "אספו לי חסידי כורתי בריתי עלי זבח". He teaches you that it is fitting for the relatives and the loved ones to gather to rejoice and to make a seudah over this mitzvah'.
The Rishonim alluded to beautiful hints regarding the importance of the seudah; in Sefer HaMinhagim (Tirna) it is written11: '"מילה" is an acronym: "משתה יעשה לכל הקרואים" ("a feast shall be made for all the invited")'. And in Sefer HaMatamim it is written that "מוהל" is an acronym for "מזון וצידה השביע לנפשנו" ("with food and provision He has satisfied our soul").
And as a matter of halacha the Mechaber wrote12 'It is the minhag to make a seudah on the day of the milah'. And the Rema wrote in his gloss: 'And it is the minhag to take a minyan for the seudah of milah, and it is called a seudas mitzvah, and anyone who does not eat at a seudah of milah is like one placed under the ban of Heaven. And this is specifically when fitting people are found there, but if people who are not fitting are found there, one need not eat there'.
And in the Pischei Teshuvah13 it is written: 'To make a seudah, and if some circumstance occurred such that one did not make a seudah on the day of the milah, let it be made on another day. Chamudei Daniel, manuscript'.
If so, we have learned about the source and the importance of the seudah of bris milah, and further that it is like the eating of a korban, and also that if one did not make it in its proper time it is fitting to complete it.
Notes:
1 פכ"ט וראה ילק"ש פר' לך לך רמז פא ↩
2 ובספר חרדים מ"ע מדברי קבלה ומדברי סופרים פ"ד כתב: 'מצות עשה מד"ק ומד"ס התלויות בפה ובושט .. סעודת אירוסין או נישואין או מילה'. ולהעיר ממ"ש השע"ת או"ח סי' תקנא ס"ק לג: 'וע"ש באור נעלם שכתב דסעודת מילה בזמנה היא מצוה דאורייתא .. וליתא דודאי גוף הסעודה אין עיקר בדאורייתא כלל כמבואר בב"י סי' רס"ה בשם הר"ד אבודרהם' ↩
3 קל, א ↩
4 קיג,ב ↩
5 שם קיד, א ד"ה ואין מיסב ↩
6 הל' מילה סי' קז אות יא ↩
7 בגירסתנו פל"א מדבר אודות עקידת יצחק, ולא על הברית מילה, ובפכ"ט שמדבר אודות ברית לא מזוכר שהוא כמקריב מנחה, וראה הגהות הרד"ל פכ"ט הערה מא ↩
8 במילה וברכותיה ↩
9 הל' מילה אות ט ↩
10 בכד הקמח מילה (ופרשת לך לך יז, יג. וירא כא, ח) ↩
11 בהגהות המנהגים חודש טבת ↩
12 בשו"ע יו"ד הל' מילה סי' רסה סי"ב ↩
13 יו"ד שם ס"ק טז ↩