I would like to discuss some of the halachic details of this special mitzvah of milah, as we read about it in the upcoming parshios.
It is customary to have a festive meal after a bris. In fact, the Gemara in Shabbos (130a) tells us that the mitzvah of bris milah is a mitzvah that klal Yisroel accepted on themselves with joy, and we still continue to show joy when a bris is performed. Rashi explains that this is referring to the festive meal after the bris. Tosfos quotes the Pirkei D’R’ Eliezer who finds an allusion to the festive meal in the pasuk, after Yitzchok’s bris took place. In the pasuk in parsha Vayiera, the Torah tells us: “וַיַּעַשׂ אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל בְּיוֹם הִגָּמֵל אֶת יִצְחָק – Avraham made a grand party on the day Yitzchok matured.” Rashi says this is referring to the age when he stopped nursing. The Pirkei D’R’ Eliezer, however, explains that he made the big feast: בְּיוֹם ה' ג' מל – on the 8th day (the letters ה' and 8 = 'ג), when there was a milah, an allusion to the festive meal that took place after Yitzchok’s bris.
The Midrash Tanchuma discusses how a person will even borrow money to celebrate properly for the occasion. The Beis Yosef also quotes the Rishonim, who explain the pasuk in Tehillim (50:5): “אִסְפוּ לִי חֲסִידָי כֹּרְתֵי בְרִיתִי עֲלֵי זָבַח – Gather for me my righteous ones, who make my bris, with a sacrifice,” as a reference to the festivities following a bris. In addition, the word זָבַח – can be read as זָב ח' – the blood flowing on the 8th day.
Another source that a festive meal was common is brought in the Avudraham as well as the Shibalei Haleket, from a story in the Gemara of Rav Chaviva, who joined a seudas bris, and wanted to recite: “שהשמחה במעונו – the joy is in His abode” at the beginning of bentching, as we do at a chasuna or a sheva brochos. The Gemara ends off that we do not recite this joyful expression, since there is pain involved for the baby. The Shibalei Haleket points out that it seems that the festivities of a bris were similar to those done at a chasuna, and another source for making a seuda.
This custom of having a meal after the bris is brought in Shulchan Aruch (Y”D 265:12). So we have seen the sources for the seuda and that the custom is to have it, but we still have not seen if it is a chiyuv, something required, and if it is considered a seudas mitzvah.
SEUDAS MITZVAH
The Rama adds that the seudas bris is, indeed, considered a seudas mitzvah. The poskim also write that even if the bris did not take place on the 8th day, the seuda is a seudas mitzvah. However, a seudas bris is not the same level as a full-fledged seudas mitzvah, such as a chasuna or sheva brochos. We see this in hilchos sukah, where the Shulchan Aruch writes that when there is a sheva brochos taking place on Sukkos, the attendees are not required to sit in the sukah, if the sukah is not big enough to hold everyone. But when it comes to a seudas bris on Sukkos they are not exempted. As the Magen Avraham explains, although it is a seudas mitzvah, since there is no mention in the Gemara of a requirement to have a seudas bris, it does not exempt a person from the mitzvah of sukah.
A REQUIREMENT
Not only is it a mitzvah to make a seuda after the bris, according to some, it is a bona fide requirement.
The Gra points to the aforementioned Pirkei D’R’ Eliezer, where it states one is required to make a seuda, just as Avraham did after Yitzchok’s bris took place. The Sefer Chareidim, in his list of mitzvos, has a compilation of rabbinical mitzvos one does with the mouth and throat, and counts the seuda after a bris as a rabbinical mitzvah.
The sefer Ohr Ne’elam takes this a step further and writes that making a seuda may actually be considered a Scriptural mitzvah. He bases this on a Gemara that asks why the bris is done on the 8th day and not right after birth. The Gemara answers that this is so that the father and mother can also rejoice along with everyone at the festivities that take place after the bris. We see from here that the festive meal is already alluded to in the Torah. The Shaarei Teshuva, however, takes issue with this, and asserts that it is not considered a Scriptural mitzvah.
So, we see that the seuda is a mitzvah, at least rabbinical in nature, and possibly even Scriptural.
SUMMARY
There are many sources for the seuda after a bris. Some say that it is a requirement, but all agree it is a seudas mitzvah.
There is a Kuntres of shiurim on the topic of milah available. If you would like a copy of any of these shiurim, or for any comments and questions, please send a request to: [email protected], or call 845 372 6618.
Rabbi Scheiner
