When the Mohel is also a Synagogue Rabbi

In old Jewish towns there was often one person who was a Jewish know-it-all. He was the sofer (Scribe), Shochet (ritual slaughterer), and Mohel. 

Despite the fact that this person held several positions, there is actually indication in Jewish law that the shochet shouldn't also be a mohel. Why? Not because anyone is afraid he'd do anything wrong to the child! It's actually something which is a serious concern to devout Jews, but not because of whatever you might be thinking.

The assumption is that any shochet will be busier than any mohel. Every family needs to eat daily, while even if a family might have had a baby once a year, it's not always a boy. And of course some have babies far less frequently than that.

So here's the reason: When a shochet finds himself in a situation where he has a knife in his hand (even though it's a much smaller knife than usual, and he is looking at a baby and not a bird or animal slated for slaughter), he might accidentally say the wrong blessing before commencing the job.

You read right. The wrong blessing. Now the blessing a shochet makes (Blessed are You God... Who has commanded us to slaughter animals) might not sound good before circumcising a baby. But no one thinks he'd go and slaughter the baby. Everyone is moi confident that the bris will go just fine.

I finally understood this on a very deep level this week. As I am also a rabbi of a synagogue, this time of year is somewhat dedicated to people appointing me to be their agent to sell their chametz in advance of Pesach. When we meet, I always tell them, "Please appoint me to be your shaliach/agent to sell your chametz."

As I do brisses a lot more often than I sell chametz, you can probably guess what happened. 

One night this week, I was a little distracted as a person came to make the transaction with me, and I told him, "Please appoint me to be the shaliach to do your son's bris!"

Like in the example above, I did not circumcise anyone at that time, and the error was quickly corrected and our transaction went without a hitch. But it just goes to show how we can train ourselves to say things. After all, every time the father is not doing the circumcision himself - which is his mitzvah - I remind him "You have to appoint me to be your shaliach to fulfill this mitzvah on your behalf."

AND THAT is an honor that I cherish anew every time I receive the call!

Thank you, as always, for your trusting your baby's bris needs to my hands.