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Female Mohelet?
I have no intention or designs on this, it just surprised me as I had never thought of a woman as a mohel. Would the bris be considered legitamite?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rabbi Joshua Waxman on
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See here
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Permalink Reply by rav chaim on -
However, the Shulchon Aruch in YD 264:1 writes that a male always takes preference. The Pischai Tshuva in the name of Tshuvas Beis Yaakov says that even if a woman starts the Mila and a qualified male Mohel walks in, she should stop cutting and allow the male to finish.
The Rama writes that some Rishonim say that the Halacha is like Rav that a women cannot do Mila (since the Braisa of R' Yehuda Hanasi is like Rav.) Therefore one should try to find a male Mohel, and this is our custom. Shach questions what is the Rama adding, since the Mechaber agrees that we should try to have a male. The Makne writes that maybe he thought the reason that the Mechaber holds that a male should take preference since he can make a Bracha, but a women is Aina Mitzuva V'Oseh doesn't make a Bracha. But the Rama holds women should make a Bracha on Mitzvos they're not Chayiv in, therefore maybe they can L'Chatchila do it? KM"L that they can't even to the Rama.
Bottom line, there is no practical use of female Mohalim, since there is an abundance of male Mohalim that always takes precedence.
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