Life Events
What are the major life events in Judaism and how are they celebrated/observed? From birth until death, Judaism is filled with rituals and celebrations that mark the different stages of our lives.
Brit milah, which means "covenant of circumcision," is a Jewish ritual performed on a baby boy eight days after he is born.
Pidyon HaBen refers to the ancient custom of dedicating a firstborn son to the service of God.
Learn more about the origins of the brit milah (bris), which is an important Jewish ritual that takes place eight days after a baby boy is born.
A mohel is a Jewish man who performs the ritual of brit milah on a baby boy after he is born.
In Judaism, a baby's circumcision is much more than surgery. A Jewish baby's circumcision marks his entrance into the covenant with God.
As opposed to a brit, circumcision, of a boy on the eighth day, there are no explicit rituals for a girl. Instead, there are customs for a Simchat Bat, celebration of a birth of a daughter.
Bar Mitzvah literally translates to "son of commandment" and implies "responsible male." According to Jewish Law, every Jewish boy becomes a bar mitzvah at age 13.
According to Jewish Law, every Jewish girl becomes a bat mitzvah at age 12 - a year earlier than a Jewish boy becomes a bar mitzvah due to the fact that girls mature earlier than boys.
Judaism views marriage as the ideal human state. Both the Torah and the Talmud view a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, as incomplete.
