Besides the mohel and the sandak certain functions are entrusted to people in an honorary capacity. These functions are necessary for the smooth conduct of the ceremony.

Carrying the baby from his cradle to the chair of Eliyahu hanavi

– Carrying the baby from the place where the mom entrusts him, to the room where milah is made – This is a woman, who is honored in this by the mom. She is often incorrectly called “godmother”. The Ashkenazim call her: Kvatterin. The newborn is laid on a beautiful cushion and dressed in a beautiful (often white) outfit. The honored woman brings the baby to the room where the circumcision is to be done (Note that in environments where the standards of modesty –tsniout- are strictly observed this woman stops at the entrance to the room where the men are in order to avoid attracting more attention than necessary).

Carrying the baby from the place where the carrier-Kvatterin entrusts it to her, to the place where the father is.

Once she arrives, a man takes over. The parents of the baby sometimes choose a couple who do not yet have a child, this function being a segula in order to have one (some forbid a pregnant woman to be Kvatterine). Often the Kvatterine entrusts the baby to her husband (named Kvatter according to the Ashkenazi minhag). Sometimes the mom entrusts the baby to her mother or mother-in-law who will entrust it to the Kvatter. After that, the Kvatter makes his way into the men’s room where the Father, the Mohel, the Sandak and the assembly are already gathered.

Transmission of the baby from hand to hand

The minhag of the “‘Heyke” – In the majority of Sephardic communities, this minhag does not exist and the main carrier (the first one who brings the baby) advances to the place where the father is located. In some communities (some Ashkenazim and Eastern Europe), the main Kvatter (mentioned above) after traveling a certain distance with the baby in his hands, entrusts the latter to another person who himself advances a few steps and in turn entrusts him to another person … This happens again until the arrival near the place where the father is. These people are usually chosen by the father or by the Mohel (or someone else with a list that the father has entrusted to him). These carriers are called one after the other nominally. The advantage of this practice is to be able to honor several people who take part in the mitzvah concretely since each of them brings the baby closer to the place where the brit-milah will take place. Some let the main Kvatter (the first man who brings the baby) get to the place where the father is, and only after that the baby passes from hand to hand. If this custom certainly has a source, some denounce its uselessness since these carriers do not help in any way with the unfolding of the brit-milah, the baby has already arrived at the place where the father is. Those who would like to respect this custom will therefore, if possible, prefer the first variant of the “‘Heyke”.

Transmission of the baby from the carrier to the one who puts it on Eliyahu’s chair (“Kissé-Kissé”)

Arrived near the father, the carrier transmits the baby to a person called by name. The latter places the baby on Eliyahu Hanavi’s chair (the sandak is not yet sitting on it in case Eliyahu’s chair is the one where the sandak sits)[1]. In the event that Eliyahu’s chair is different from the chair where the sandak sits, the latter will be able to sit in his place at the beginning of the ceremony, if he wishes. All the time the baby is laid on the chair, it will be necessary to make sure of his safety. Although having dropped the baby, the person who put it down will therefore stay next to the chair or put a hand on it in order to keep it in place on the chair.

Recovery of the baby from the chair of Eliyahu (“Me-hakissé”) and transmission to the father

Another person is called to take the baby from the chair of the Prophet Elijah and to hand it over to the father. Sometimes the father entrusts these two missions (“Bé-kissé” and “Mé-kissé”) to the same person whom he wishes to honor in particular.

Transmission of the baby by the father to the sandak sitting on Eliyahu’s chair

After reading the texts and customary blessings (according to customs, see part “Seder of circumcision”), the father himself puts his son on the lap of the sandak. This is equated with a person offering a korban to the temple in Jerusalem.

Honorees during the Return of the Child

See: https://brit-milah.com/en/return/

Honorees during the Seuda

See: https://brit-milah.com/en/reception/

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NOTEBOOK

[1] In Algeria, the custom is to circumcise the child on the chair of the Prophet Elijah –

R’ Simon Darmon (1995), The book of our customs (about the custom of Algiers), p. 417.