– A man is in charge of taking care of the comfort of the baby – He holds a glass of sweet water; he dips a compress (or a pacifier) in it and gives it to the baby to suckle if necessary.
– A man can be assigned to ensure that the crowd does not come to disturb the mohel – Curious people with good intentions often try to get as close as possible to the mohel. The risks of mohel stampedes are real. It is necessary to anticipate this risk and to require that sufficient free space be provided behind the mohel. You can also post to his right and left family members responsible for ensuring that this free space is maintained.
– A man is in charge of the instruments of the milah – The mohel, after having disinfected his hands (antiseptic solution), can appoint someone to ensure that no one approaches the instruments: two stainless steel trays where he will have deposited maguen and scalpel in one; bandages and other objects in the other. Trays and instruments are placed on a table arranged nearby
– A man is given the task of reciting the kidush
– A man is given the task of announcing the child’s name (after asking the father what the given name is) – This honor is often entrusted to the Mohel or Sandak. It can also be entrusted to the rabbi of the community if he does not have the function of Mohel.
– The most widespread Sephardic custom today is that the baby remains on the lap of the sandak. However, some entrust the baby to another man in charge of holding the child in his arms (“‘amida ba berakhot”). This man usually remains standing; but according to some customs, he is asked to sit instead of the (first) sandak in his chair during the appointment of the child. We even speak of “second sandak” in the custom of Algiers [2]. In the Ashkenazi community, in general, the sandak rises from the chair as soon as the circumcision is completed after passing the baby on to the one who will remain standing holding the baby during the appointment.
(c) Eliyahu Bakish.