Meeting of Mohalim in Brooklyn

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mohalim-meetingLast Tuesday night, in what has become a yearly Chanukah event, there was a large gathering of mohalem that are certified by the American Board of Ritual Circumcision.  The event was graciously hosted by Rabbi  & Mrs. A. Romi Cohn.  Rabbi Cohn, the world renowned expert mohel and worldwide authority on Milah, serves as the Board’s Chairman. 

The evening was graced by the presence of Harav Binyomin Landau, Tosher Dayan and Harav Yisroel Menachem Greenwald, the Pupa Rebbe of Boro Park.  The purpose of the meeting was to keep all member mohalem apprised of the latest medical issues and developments related to the field of bris milah.

Rabbi Cohn opened the meeting with heartfelt words of divrei chizuk to the mohalem and urged them of the importance to continue practicing bris milah true to halachah and mesorah without bending to outside pressures to compromise metzitzeh b’peh in any way.   He was referring to published pamphlets that were recently circulated by the NYS Health Department.  The pamphlets had a negative impact by alarming many “not yet religious” parents, and caused some hesitation to perform a proper kosher bris for their sons.   

During the course of the evening, many of the latest milah issues and medical updates were discussed.  Guest medical practitioners Dr. Robert Adler and Dr. Jacob Warman answered many questions and clarified medical issues that were posed to them by the mohalem.

The highlight of the evening was a very informative and technical slide presentation to the mohalem by Dr. Richard N. Schlussel the Assistant Professor of Urology at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian.  The presentation focused on children with medical abnormalities and deformities r”l and the way surgeons and mohalem can work together within the structure and framework of halacha

The American Board of Ritual Circumcision was established under the guidance and leadership of Harav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss, Gaavad of the Badatz in Yerushalayim, lhbcl”c Harav Shmuel Berenbaum, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Mir, ybl”c Harav Shaul J. Kassin, Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic community; Harav Reuven Feinstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Staten Island; and Harav Yisroel Belsky, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Torah Vodaath.

The Board is an authoritative body that was established to create, disseminate and administer proper standards for the practice of bris milah in accordance with sound principles, based on the finest current scientific and medical knowledge.  The Board identifies and consults with the most outstanding scientific and medical experts in all relevant fields.

{Yossi Schneider-Matzav.com Newscenter}


10 COMMENTS

  1. This article is troubling and inacurate. Not to mention biased.

    Firstly, the implication that a Bris without Metzitza be Peh is not a Kosher Bris is not only a dangerous assertion to make. It is also Halachikaly wrong. (Chasam Sofer, etc)

    “He was referring to published pamphlets that were recently circulated by the NYS Health Department. The pamphlets had a negative impact by alarming many “not yet religious” parents, and caused some hesitation to perform a proper kosher bris for their sons.”

    Second: those ‘not yet religious parents’ may want a Kosher Bris without Metzitza be Peh, stating that MBP is the only way to perform a Bris may actually discourage them from performing it altogether.

    Third: “The Board is an authoritative body that was established to create, disseminate and administer proper standards for the practice of bris milah in accordance with sound principles, based on the finest current scientific and medical knowledge.”

    I sincerely doubt this is the case, as there is ample ‘Current’ medical evidence that MBP is NOT beneficial but may in fact be harmful and serve as a coundouit for transmission of infection and disease.

  2. In addition there are many Frum ‘chareidishe’ Mohalim who perform Metzitza with a Pipet. Is this article suggesting that those children had an improper Bris?.

    Furthermore the Gemara never requires a ‘do over’ for a Bris without Metzitza. It differs from Periah in which the Bris has to be done over.

    Articles such as these should be thoroghly researched, and not present an opinion if the stated purpose is to REPORT the news and happenings.

  3. To secular. Your name make sense for your post. Gedoile hador have paskened that you must do metzitza. If you are indeed secular as your name states why dont you blog on secular websites. And not of frum torah websites like matzav.com

  4. “Torah Jew”. It never ceases to amaze me how people have no problem expressing opinions on topics they know little about. You write that, “Gedoile hador have paskened that you must do metzitza.” Nobody disputes that. The only question is whether to do it b’peh or with either a gauze pad or a sterile pipette. Like the previous poster alluded to, metzitza b’peh is not an ikur part of the milah (like for example priah) which is why poskim of recent and years past (Chasam Sofer/Kehillas Ashkenaz) have permitted etzitza to be done with means other than b’peh.
    In an nutshell: your comment shows a lack of knowledge of the basic componenets of bris milah. Second, I agree with the previous poster that the article does the Klal at large a disservice by insinuatung that a bris without metzitza b’peh is problematic.

  5. To Torah Jew. I note that you only use the term Metzitzah and not Metzitzah B’Peh

    I assume you therefore agree with Secular who invites various Rabbinic options including the use of a pipet

    To Secular. I suggest you follow your Rabbis. The wonderful thing about Yiddishkeit is that there are 70 ways of learning everything in the Torah- each way is as valid as the next and there is NO chiyuv to only subscribe to one interpretation or set of Halachic rulings. So long as the P’sak is based on the Torah all is good.

  6. I am pleased to see that our esteemed Mohalem are keeping current with medical advancement so that they can continue their Avodas HaKodesh in such a beautiful and “up to date” way. I commend the work of Rabbi Romi Cohn who is Moser Nefesh for the Mitzva of Bris Milah on a daily basis and is an inspiration to all of Klal Yisroel. Also beautiful – is the Achdus demonstrated by these Mohalem – as they show that they are a unified group. Chazak U’Baruch!!

  7. If there is any source that Metzitza is part of the Mitzvah of Milah (as opposed to being only for medical purposes) the Posek Hador, Rav Moshe Feinstein, ZT”L, was unaware of it. See Igros Moshe Y.D. I siman 223 (last paragraph). Thus, it would seem that any source that Metzitza is part of the Mitzvah of Milah is not found in Talmud Bavli, Talmud Yerushalmi, Rishonim, or Shulchan Aruch – otherwise, Rav Moshe would have been very much aware of such source.

    Of course, Metzitza should still be done – if Chazal said it was medically necessary, we should take that seriously. But, the same medical purposes can be fulfilled by using a tube, which is not prohibited by any of the above-listed sources.

  8. To the above post.

    Which ‘Gedoilei Hador’ are you referring to??
    About 50 % of FRUM ‘Brissin’ done here in NY are done without Metzitza Be Pe. (With the Haskamah of Gedoilim)

    Your statement only shows your ignorance in this matter and a complete lack of knowledge of the ‘Sugyas’ involved; Rishonim and Poskim.

    As stated above, the Gemara does not require a Do over for a Bris done without Metzitza, whereas a Bris done without Periah does. Similarly the Rambam and other Poskinm do not say that Metzitza is ‘Meakev’.

    Similarly the Chasam Sofer paskened and stated that the practice is not even necesary if it can be done by another method i.e. absorption with Gauze etc., Certainly if there is a fear/risk of infection in the act of Metzitza. Look it up before you are ‘Motzi La’az’ on people who have had Brissin without MPB.

  9. What is most fascinating about the Teshuva of the Chasam Sofer is his statement ” when dealing with an Issue of Sakana, there is no need to perform those minhagim that are al pi SOD i.e. Metzitza BePeh.” Look it up it’s fascinating.

    Again according to Most, Metzitza is not required and certainly not Meakev!!!

    Tizku LeMitzvos

  10. If Yidden did it for ages THAT is a source! Yidden were Moser Nefesh throughout the she’s to follow hayliger minhagim -minhagim that are and will always be “OUR” sacred customs. How dare anybody even attempt to tamper with the things that have set us apart! We are the Am Kadosh and Bris Kodesh is our seal and insignia as stated in Zohar. How dare anybody tamper with it?

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