What is Brit Milah and to whom was it first given?

Brit milah is circumcision as the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:10–14). Abraham was ninety-nine when circumcised (Genesis 17:24). For a Jewish baby boy, the Torah prescribes the eighth day (Leviticus 12:3); Shulchan Aruch identifies the father’s obligation to arrange his son’s circumcision (YD 260:1).

A healthy infant’s brit is performed in daylight on the eighth day, normally after sunrise, with prompt morning performance preferred (YD 262:1). A child’s health takes precedence: circumcision is postponed when the child is ill. After an illness affecting the whole body, seven complete days of recovery are required; minor local illness has different timing (YD 262:2). Parents should have the doctor and qualified mohel assess the actual case, not apply an oversimplified waiting rule themselves.

For a male conversion candidate, milah is part of conversion. Someone circumcised before conversion ordinarily requires hatafat dam brit, drawing a small drop of covenantal blood (YD 268:1). This must be arranged through the Orthodox Beit Din and qualified practitioner; infant scheduling does not describe adult conversion scheduling.

A Beit Din may ask whether previous medical circumcision completes conversion. It does not by itself: the conversion process also involves acceptance of mitzvot and immersion under the prescribed supervision (YD 268:2–3). A common mistake is assuming the eighth-day rule means an unwell baby must still be circumcised on schedule.