Mishneh Torah, Circumcision 2

Hook

Imagine the quiet, intense focus of a brit milah in the heat of a Mediterranean courtyard: the smell of olive oil, the sharp glint of an iron blade, and the ancient, rhythmic silence that falls over a community as they welcome a new soul into the Covenant of Abraham.

Context

• The Locus of Tradition: This text finds its home in the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides (the Rambam), composed in 12th-century Egypt. It represents the quintessential Sephardi legal architecture—rational, structured, and deeply anchored in both the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds.
• The Era of Synthesis: The Rambam wrote during the Golden Age of Sephardi intellectualism, a time when the legal precision of the Geonim was being synthesized with the philosophical rigor of the North African and Andalusian schools.
• The Community of Practice: This is the bedrock of the Sephardi and Mizrahi experience of brit milah. While Ashkenazi practice often leaned into the specific customs of the Rema (Rabbi Moses Isserles) and Central European medieval authorities, the Sephardi tradition remains steadfastly committed to the Rambam’s prioritization of the mitzvah’s essence over the aesthetic embellishments of later centuries.

Text Snapshot

"Any utensil may be used for circumcision, even a flint, glass, or any article that cuts... The optimum manner of performing the mitzvah is to use an iron utensil—either scissors or a knife. Throughout the Jewish community, it has become customary to use a knife. How is the circumcision performed? The foreskin that covers the crown of the penis is cut off until the entire crown is revealed. Afterwards, the soft membrane that is beneath the skin should be split along the mid-line with one's nails and peeled back to either side... After one has performed metzitzah, one should apply a bandage."

Minhag & Melody

In the Sephardi and Mizrahi tradition, the brit milah is not merely a clinical procedure or a private family affair; it is a public liturgy of survival and identity. The piyutim—the liturgical poems—recited during the ceremony reflect this pride. When we speak of the "melody" of this tradition, we refer to the Maqamat (the melodic modes) of the Middle East and North Africa. In many Sephardi communities, the Sandak (the one who holds the child) is treated with the reverence of a high priest, and the room often resounds with the chanting of Eliyahu HaNavi—the Prophet Elijah, the "Angel of the Covenant"—who is believed to preside over every circumcision.

The Rambam’s insistence on the three phases—milah (cutting), pri’ah (tearing/peeling back the membrane), and metzitzah (suction)—is the gold standard of our practice. Unlike some later, more cautious interpretations, the Sephardi mohalim (circumcisers) have historically held to the direct, hands-on methodology described by Maimonides. This is a practice rooted in halachah leMoshe miSinai (an oral tradition from Sinai), which treats the pri’ah not as an optional add-on, but as the very crux of the commandment. Without pri’ah, the milah is considered incomplete, a view so central that it defines the Sephardi commitment to uncompromising ritual accuracy. The "melody" here is one of unwavering continuity; it is the sound of the same blade and the same prayer that moved through the generations in Cairo, Baghdad, Tetouan, and Damascus, linking the infant on the lap of the Sandak directly to the covenant of the patriarchs.

Contrast

One of the most respectful points of divergence between Sephardi and Ashkenazi practice lies in the performance of metzitzah. While the Rambam and the subsequent Shulchan Aruch (authored by the Sephardi giant Rabbi Yosef Karo) maintain the necessity of metzitzah as a health-protective measure derived from the Talmud, the modern implementation has shifted significantly. In many Ashkenazi circles, particularly in the Diaspora, there has been a move toward using a glass pipette (a metzitzah b’tzipor) to avoid direct oral contact, often influenced by public health concerns and the rulings of later Acharonim. By contrast, many traditional Sephardi mohalim continue to perform direct metzitzah with a sanitary cloth or specialized, traditional techniques that emphasize the direct, personal, and vital nature of the act. Neither side questions the obligation of metzitzah; they differ only on the modality of safety and tradition. The Sephardi approach tends to view the mohel as a practitioner whose physical involvement is a necessary component of the "blood of the covenant," whereas other traditions have adapted the form to accommodate contemporary medical sensitivities without abandoning the core requirement.

Home Practice

You can bring the spirit of this Sephardi tradition into your home by adopting the practice of Kiseh Shel Eliyahu (The Chair of Elijah). Even if you are not currently celebrating a brit, set aside a specific, beautiful chair in your home or synagogue dedicated to the concept of the "Messenger of the Covenant." Before any major family milestone or moment of transition, sit in or near this chair and offer a prayer of gratitude for the continuity of the Jewish people. Reflect on the idea that the "covenant" is not a static object from the past, but an active, living commitment that requires our constant, physical, and emotional participation—just as the mohel must physically engage with the milah, pri’ah, and metzitzah to complete the mitzvah.

Takeaway

The Sephardi and Mizrahi tradition of circumcision, as codified by the Rambam, reminds us that the Covenant is not an abstract idea—it is a physical, tactile, and precise commitment. It teaches us that to be "in the covenant" requires a willingness to engage fully, to be precise in our practice, and to never let the ritual become a mere formality. Whether in the desert of the 12th century or the modern metropolis, the Sephardi approach encourages us to stand firmly in the tradition of our ancestors while meeting the challenges of our time with clarity and courage.