Meaning & use
brit milah
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Meanings
nouncountablereligion
The Jewish religious ceremony in which a baby boy is circumcised on the eighth day after birth.
Grammar: Countable, but usually used in the singular with the definite article: the brit milah.
Patterns
- the brit milah
- a brit milah ceremony
- perform the brit milah
The family gathered for the brit milah eight days after the baby was born.
A mohel, trained in the procedure and in Jewish law, performs the brit milah.
Guests brought food and gifts to the brit milah.
noununcountablereligionformal
The rite or custom of circumcision itself, as practiced in Jewish tradition.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the practice in general rather than one ceremony.
Patterns
- the practice of brit milah
Brit milah has been practiced by Jewish communities for thousands of years.
He wrote a short article explaining the meaning of brit milah to non-Jewish readers.
Word forms
| Hebrew plural | britot milah |
|---|
Common combinations
- perform a brit milah
- A qualified mohel performs a brit milah according to Jewish law.
- attend a brit milah
- Relatives traveled from abroad to attend the brit milah.
- the brit milah ceremony
- The brit milah ceremony was held at the family's synagogue.
- on the eighth day
- A brit milah is traditionally held on the eighth day of the boy's life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- circumcision
- The general medical or neutral term for the procedure; brit milah specifically names the religious ceremony and its ritual setting.
- bris
- The common Yiddish-derived word used especially by Ashkenazi Jews; brit milah is the Hebrew term and sounds more formal.
Word family
- mohel noun
- The person trained to perform a brit milah.
Commonly confused: brit milah or bar mitzvah?
brit milah vs bar mitzvah
A bar mitzvah marks a boy's coming of age at thirteen; a brit milah happens when he is eight days old.
Practice
In Jewish tradition, when is a brit milah normally held?
Choose one answer.
The brit milah takes place on the eighth day after the boy is born, so option 1 is correct. Thirteen is the age of a bar mitzvah, and the other options are not part of the tradition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “brit milah”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.