Question of the Week: By what name is Norman Levinson

(

better known?

*ZZ6I III pall) DH •suilij luaus JO *CID QL13 ur sail
saLpop Su!uS!sap .1a3JED siq uuSaq uosu!nal
c _IDLIMO Qicos-Sunpop E JO LIOS atLI •llawN SE umotni .1auS!sap
uorqsuj E aturDaq cutrelpui u! 0061
tuoci ‘uosulnal :Aanksuv

poomAijoH

E

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor

What is a
Tidyon Haben?

fight days after birth, a
Jewish boy has his
first Jewish ceremony
a brit.
Just as he completes his first
this matter because exactly what constitutes
month of life, he may already be set for yet another
a miscarriage can be tricky in this case.)
ceremony, though this one is much less complicated
• Any boy born through Caesarian sec-
and not especially well known in the Jewish com-
tion. According to Halachah (Jewish law),
munity. It's called a pidyon haben, or "redemption of
the child must have "naturally exited from
the firstborn son."
the womb," Exodus 13:1).
The ritual has its roots in the Torah, in the Book
• Newborns whose fathers have died, if
of Exodus (13:1-3), which states that the firstborn
the mother is facing financial difficulties. The
boy is obligated to a life of service to God, and
rabbis regarded it cruel to impose the required
specifically helping serve a kohen, or priest.
five shekelim payment upon a grieving,
. (Initially, this meant spending much of
impoverished widow. Consequently,
one's life aiding the kohen in the Temple
u've
they postponed the pidyon haben,
service — a privilege, but also a great
always wondered ...
making it the boy's responsibility
deal of work.)
now you know.
when he reaches maturity.
Or, he can pay his way to get
Here is your chance to learn all
The redemption of the
out of it.
kinds of compelling and unusual facts
first born is regarded primari-
According to Numbers 18:16,
about Jewish life throughout the years.
ly a father's responsibility,
for a mere five shekels (today,
Now You Know introduces you to famous
and it is his duty to find
this usually translates to five
scholars and infamous gangsters, considers
a kohen willing to per-
silver dollars) the boy's par-
decisions and incidents that continue to shape
form the ceremony.
ents can redeem their child
the way we live today, and tells you the story
Observant fami-
from a life of service to a
behind everything from classic Jewish texts to
lies still practice the
kohen. They simply give the
Hollywood feuds — all on a single page.
pidyon haben,
money to the kohen (any one
It's history, and it's fun; sit down and
which is usually held
will do) and the child is free.
learn a little (best of all, there are no
on the 31st day after
The ceremony sounds simple
homework assignments).
the boy's birth (day
— and it is — but there are a
one occurs when the
great many details surrounding
child is born). This date
exactly who has a pidyor haben and
was chosen because many
when this is done.
years ago, long before modern
The first thing to know is that not every boy
medical cures, a new baby was almost as
will be required to have a pidyon haben.
likely to die as to thrive. The rabbis
Who is excused?
Five of
believed it was reasonable to believe that
• Male children of kohenim themselves and any
these one-
the child would survive if he lived
born to Levites, because these boys were obliged to
shekel
through the first month.
participate in the Temple service no matter what.
coins
The exceptions to holding a pidyon
There was no getting out of it, period.
would
haben on the 31st day are when this falls
• Those boys who are not the first to be con-
redeem the
on Shabbat or Jewish holidays, in which
ceived. If the child's mother had a previous miscar-
firstborn
case the ritual is simply postponed for one
riage, the son — although he is the first child born
son.
day,
because
the
ceremony
involves
alive — is still not regarded a firstborn. (A woman
money.
(This
is
not
purely
a
ceremonial
should, however, always consult with her rabbi on
event. The parents really are obligated to

4/ 27
2001

47

