Honours Bestowed at a Bris

HONOURS BESTOWED AT A BRIS

 

Kvatterin  and kvatter The couple who carry the baby into the room and, after the bris, back to the mother. 

In many communities the baby is passed from woman to woman (eg the grandmothers and aunts etc.), before he reaches the kvatterin.

The Kvatterin and Kvatter should be a Jewish, married couple and the Kvatterin should not be pregnant. Often, the Kvatterin and Kvatter are a couple seeking to have a child, as this honour is deemed propitious for this purpose.
       1) name of Kvatterin ________________________________
       2) name of Kvatter ________________________________

Many choose to add more honours to the bris service by passing from man to man, each bringing the baby closer (Hagashos - see below)  to the bris area.

3) Kisei shel Eliyahu the one who takes the baby from the kvatter, and puts him on the Chair of Elijah.

        Kisei shel Eliyahu ________________________________

4) Miyad Hakisei the person who lifts the baby from the Chair of Elijah

         Miyad Hakisei ________________________________

5) Sandak Holds baby during bris.
Highest honour at bris. Many single out the grandfather or the Rabbi for this honour. (It is customary for the parents to offer this honour to a different person for each bris)

         Sandak ________________________________

 
6) Min Hakisei Takes the baby from sandak at conclusion of circumcision and gives him to the Sandak Meumad (see 8) below.)

         Min Hakisei ________________________________

7) Mevareich unosein es Hashem Recites two blessings following bris and names the child. This honor is often bestowed on the mohel or the local Rabbi.

         Mevareich unosein es hashem ____________________ 

8) Sandak meumad (Standing sandak) Holds baby while abovementioned blessings are recited and name is given. 
This is the 2^nd highest honour of the bris.

        Sandak meumad ________________________________

 
Order of Service: Any number of female relative and/or friends may be honoured by passing the baby from the mother into the room where the bris will be performed. The final lady should be the (1) Kvatterin who takes the baby and gives him to the (2) Kvatter, who brings him into the room**. He is then (3) given to a man to be placed on the Chair of Elijah, and then (4) taken off, and given to the Father. The Father formally appoints the Mohel to perform the bris and the child is placed on the (5) Sandak's lap. The Father says one Hebrew Blessing while the Mohel performs the Bris. Afterwards the baby is (6) lifted off the sandak's lap and given to the (7) Standing Sandak for naming*, and then is brought back to mother by the (2) Kvatter and (1) Kvatterin.
(it is possible to amalgamate many of these jobs and honour one individual with several stages of the bris)

If you need to find more kibbudim/honours, some have a custom of hagashos as mentioned above between the (2) kvatter and (3) kissei shel Eliyahu. 

        Hagasha 1 _______________________                                         
        Hagasha 2 _______________________                                                
        Hagasha 3 _______________________                                                
        Hagasha 4 _______________________                                          

 

 

*Some communities have the custom to invite a Cohen/Cohanim to recite the Priestly blessings post-bris.

** At this juncture many Chabad Chassidim honour someone to read a copy of the letter that the Lubavitcher Rebbe would routinely send to the parents of a newborn boy on the occasion of his bris