Q&A: Hiring a Mohel for the Sabbath Without Metzitzah?
Hiring a Mohel for the Sabbath Without Metzitzah?
Question
Is it preferable to hire a mohel who will not do metzitzah [apparently he bends down and only pretends, but he is God-fearing and would not desecrate the holy Sabbath for no reason at all], or can one hire a regular mohel, and I appoint him as an agent for the circumcision and the uncovering, but not for the metzitzah?
Answer
I didn’t understand the question. Do you want him to do metzitzah or not? The accepted practice is to do metzitzah even on the Sabbath. Although in my opinion there is no necessity for it, since today it is generally accepted that it has no medical value (I know that Rabbi Halperin holds that it does, but as I understand it he represents a tiny minority view).
So what exactly is the question now?
Discussion on Answer
There is no Gehinnom for anyone. You can hire whichever mohel you want, and he will do what he thinks is right. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not come with excessive demands against His creatures. That mohel is no different from all our forefathers throughout the generations who did this on the Sabbath as well. And if he finds himself in their company in the World to Come, he is in good shape. May my portion be with him.
To the extent that apparently this is desecration of the Sabbath for no need. Should one make an effort to hire a mohel who in practice does not do metzitzah [just pretends…], or not make the effort? Hire any available mohel, and let the mohel do whatever he wants. The Gehinnom is on him, not on me.