JHM Responsa 12 a

JHM Responsa 12 a

Cohen

V1172A

1940-04-01

Ets Haim – Livraria Montezinos, Foundation Stichting Cultureel Erfgoed Portugees-Israëlietische Gemeente.
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Meyer Cohen de Lara

de Lara

Orah Haim

TRUE

Circumcision (Brit Mila) festivities of a baby born to a Cohen is marred on Shabbat by the presence of a corpse

In a city where people people in the community did not get along, a son was born on Shabbat to one of the members who is a Cohen. On the Friday before the Brit Milah, the Mohel who was an uncle to the baby, prepared the knife and other materials needed [the next day] for the Brit Milah to his brother's house. They also prepared the food for the festive meal, which was covered properly [to keep it warm]. After nightfall on Friday night the Jewish neighbor who lived upstairs passed away. Now they came to the Rabbi to ask how this would affect the Brit Milah. Is it permissible to take the corpse outside? if the relatives do not allow the corpse to be removed could they ask a gentile to make an Ohel [i.e. a proper separation] in front of the entrance to the dwelling? Would it be allowed to move the baby and the utensils, and the warm food to another house? At the other house there is no hot water, but there is an electrical "Shabbat oven" which is setup so that the food and water are placed on it before Shabbat and at a preset time the oven turns on by itself, based on the settings which they prepared before Shabbat. Or is it necessary to delay the Brit Milah to Sunday, but there is no other Mohel in the city.