Question: I recently attended a bris where the child’s father had made a shehecheyanu, which I had never witnessed before. I then discovered that Sephardim generally make the bracha, and in Eretz Yisrael, many Ashkenazim do as well. What is the reason for this difference?
Answer by Rabbi Mendel Prescott, Rosh Yeshiva of Machon Smicha:
In the Gemara, Shehecheyanu is mentioned in various contexts such as at a pidyon haben,[1] yet it is notably absent regarding a bris milah. This omission became the source of a major machlokes among the early poskim. Some inferred from its absence that it should not be recited, while others argued that it indeed should.
In the writings of the Geonim, Shehecheyanu does not appear in the order of the bris milah, implying that they were of the opinion that it should not be recited.[2] This opinion is followed by the Rashba,[3] Rosh[4], and many other Rishonim.[5]
The Rambam,[6] however, argues that a shehecheyanu is recited at a bris. His reasoning is that, like a pidyon haben, all Mitzvos that occur occasionally require a shehecheyanu, and bris milah fits this criterion perfectly.
Some Rishonim (such as Ravya, Ohr Zarua, and others) agree with the Rambam in principle but differentiate based on whether the father performs the milah himself or whether it is done by a mohel. They base their reasoning on a general rule established by the Rambam elsewhere, stating that shehecheyanu is only recited when a mitzvah is performed by the individual himself, not by someone else on his behalf. However, the Rambam himself maintains that in the case of milah the father can still make the bracha since the mohel acts as a shaliach on his behalf, following the principle of shlucho shel adam k’moso.[7]
A fourth opinion among the Rishonim[8] holds that shehecheyanu is only recited at the bris of a firstborn son, provided that the father performs the milah himself. In this case, shehecheyanu should not be recited later at the pidyon haben. According to this view, the bracha is primarily intended for the pidyon haben and is recited during milah (when applicable) only because it marks the beginning of the father’s responsibilities for his son. The Rama[9] rules this way.
Various reasons are given for the difference between pidyon haben, where shehecheyanu is always recited, and milah, for which many hold that it is not always recited:
1. Due to tza’arah d’yanukah (pain experienced by the baby). 2. Until thirty days, the baby is still in a state of safek neifel. 3. Milah is much more common than pidyon haben.[10] 4. The mitzvah is not exclusive to the father, as it is ultimately the responsibility of Beis Din.[11] 5. The removal of the orlah is less of a celebration because it would have been better had it not been there in the first place.[12]
The Mechaber[13] writes that in Eretz Yisrael and the rest of the Middle East (known as the eidos hamizrach) where the Rambam’s opinions were widely accepted, shehecheyanu is recited. Following the Rambam, Sephardim rectie shehecheyanu at a bris even if a mohel performs the milah.
In contrast, Ashkenazim typically do not recite shehecheyanu at a bris, following the Ashkenazic Rishonim who oppose the practice. Although the Rama’s opinion is usually adopted by Ashkenazim, later Acharonim (Chayei Adam[14] and Aruch Hashulchan[15]) note that in most communities, the minhag evolved to be that shehecheyanu was never recited at a bris, even in the case of a bechor.
From the language of the Mechaber, it seems that in Eretz Yisrael, even Ashkenazim should recite shehecheyanu, adhering to the long established minhag. The Chayei Adam seems to interpret it this way.
However, the Chazon Ish maintained that this no longer applies as the situation has changed over the past two centuries due to an influx of Ashkenazic immigration to Eretz Yisrael. The Ashkenazic population in Eretz Yisrael has become large enough to have its own identity and maintain its own minhagim.
In a letter,[16] the Rebbe rules the same way but approaches the topic from a different angle. He explains that the idea of minhag hamakom doesn’t apply to our case at all, and the term “minhag” here is more of a borrowed term. A minhag is when people independently adopt a certain practice or stringency. But when a community follows the ruling of its accepted posek or mara d’asra, that is not a minhag per se, but allegiance to psak halachah. For the Middle Eastern communities, the Rambam served as mara d’asra, hence they recited Shehecheyanu. But for an Ashkenazi living in Eretz Yisrael today, this precedent carries no halachic force.
To illustrate, the Rebbe cites another example: Ashkenazim recite a bracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh even in Eretz Yisrael, despite the Mechaber[17] stating that the minhag in Eretz Yisrael is like the Rambam, who holds that no bracha should be made. From here it is evident that“minhag Eretz Yisrael” is often not a minhag in the formal halachic sense, but rather reflects adherence to the ruling of one halachic authority over another.
[1] פסחים (קכא, ב)
[2] כן משמע בדברי הבה”ג (הל’ מילה), וכן בסידור רבי עמרם גאון ובסידור רבי סעדיה גאון, הגם שפירטו כל סדר המילה וברכותיה, השמיטו ברכת שהחיינו.
[3] בשו”ת חלק א (סימן רמה)
[4] בכורות פרק ח (סימן ח)
[5] ביניהם, רבינו ירוחם (נתיב א, חלק ב), הכלבו (סימן עג), הרוקח (סימן קח), הר”ן (סוכה כב, ב מדפי הרי”ף), שבלי הלקט (הל’ מילה סימן ד), ועוד.
[6] הל’ מילה פרק ג (הלכה ג), וראה עוד בשו”ת הרמב”ם (סימן קמא) שמבאר שיטתו.
[7] ביאור הגר”א יו”ד סימן רסה (ס”ק לה)
[8] מהרי”ל, הובא בדרכי משה יו”ד שם (סק”י)
[9] יו”ד שם סעיף ז
[10] ג’ הטעמים הובאו ברא”ש (שם)
[11] שו”ת הרשב”א (שם)
[12] הרה”צ מרוזין, הובא באגרות קודש לכ”ק אדמו”ר זי”ע (המובא להלן)
[13] יו”ד סי’ רסה סעיף ז
[14] בחכמת אדם סימן קמט (סעיף כ)
[15] יו”ד שם סעיף כז
[16] אגרות קודש חלק כ (עמ’ שט)
[17] או”ח סימן תכב סעיף ב
This Q&A is an excerpt from the Olam haHalachah weekly Halachah publication, produced by Machon Smicha. Each edition features pieces from Rabbonim and Maggidei Shiur in Hebrew and English. DOWNLOAD PDF
To subscribe and comment, email: [email protected]
Never seen a baby with such large fingers
Bli Ayin horo 😀