[Avodah] Beris Milah with Metzitza 6 days of the week

[Meir Rabi]

R Micha responded to my earlier post - Since we practice Metzitza today as
a tradition, unlike the Halacha that requires it as a matter of life and
death...

R Micha suggests that,

It's NOT a given that halakhah only requires Metzitza as a matter of life
and death. This is the very topic under machloqes!

 MR; I am unaware of even one argument that can explain the Gemara in any
other manner. It is beyond any doubt that the Mishna and Gemara impose
Metzitza for health reasons.


As proof R Micha offers,

And if it were, then why would it continue even as a minhag?

MR; That’s about the weakest proof that was ever offered.



R Micha also mentions that:
We don't do bloodletting in general as a minhag. All the other refu'os in
shas (with 1 exception) are neither halakhah nor minhag. And the one
exception --fish and meat -- is about tzora'as. Not your usual teva
illness. So I would need proof that we consider this particular piece of
medical advice more enshrined as minhag than any other.

 MR; This is irrelevant. We have no objection to Minhag unless it violates
Shabbos. In this case Metzitza may be performed 6 days of the week, but not
during Shabbos.


R Micha says, One might argue that it's a derabbanan whose cause for
legislation was medical (and apparently was never real). But then it would
still be on the books, and therefore would outrank a melakhah derabbanan.


MR; Pikuach Nefesh is a Torah obligation. Metzitza – as is any other
medical procedure that relates to life and death - is a Torah obligation.
The Gemara is clear, Metzitza is required for medical reasons only. One who
shirks performing this procedure is not permitted to be a Mohel, even
though the Beris is performed perfectly [and this is why the Gemara needs
to emphasis this ruling] simply because the baby’s life is endangered.

Best,

Meir G. Rabi
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