After the plague of the firstborn on the eve of the Exodus, which afflicted the firstborn sons of Egypt but spared the firstborn of Israel, the Torah states: “Sanctify to Me every firstborn; the first issue of any womb among the children of Israel, from man and animal, is Mine” (Exodus 13:2). This means that a special sanctity applies to firstborn males, similar to the status of priests. They were designated to perform the divine service in the Temple in future generations.

Later, in the wake of the participation of the firstborns in the sin of the Golden Calf, the status of the priesthood was taken away from them and given instead to the descendants of Aaron, but their sanctity was to remain intact. In order to release a firstborn son from this status of holiness, he must be redeemed on the thirtieth day after his birth, as it is stated: “However, the firstborn of man you shall redeem…and its redeemed, from one month old shall you redeem them with a value of five shekels of silver” (Numbers 18:15–16). The redemption money (see below for the modern equivalent) is given to the priest as a gift for the fulfillment of the former role of the firstborn by himself and his fellow priests.

Further reading: The source for the mitzva of the redemption of the firstborn can be read in A Concise Guide to the Torah, pp. 165, 385.

The obligation of redeeming the eldest son depends upon a number of conditions:

He must be the firstborn of his mother. If he is the firstborn of his father alone, as for example, when the mother already has a child from a previous marriage, he is not subject to redemption. Consequently, it is possible for a father to need to redeem two or more of his sons, if they were born to different mothers and they were all the firstborn sons of their mothers.

In a case where the mother had experienced a miscarriage prior to the birth of her first child, a rabbi should be consulted, as the question of whether this negates the firstborn status of the later child depends on the stage of pregnancy in which the miscarriage occurred.

The firstborn must be born naturally, not by caesarian section. If the first son is born by caesarian, the son that is born after him is also not redeemed.

If the father is a priest or Levite, the child is not redeemed. Likewise, if the mother of the child is the daughter of a priest or Levite, the child is not redeemed.

The obligation of redemption applies to the oldest son of a woman convert, whether she converted before she became pregnant or during the pregnancy. If the woman had given birth already before converting, the first son born to her after she converts is not redeemed.

A baby born by vacuum extraction is redeemed. With regard to a child born with the aid of forceps, there are opinions that he is redeemed without the recitation of a blessing, but nowadays it is the custom to redeem such a child with a blessing.

The redemption is performed after the passage of thirty days since the son’s birth. There are two disputing opinions about how to calculate this timeframe:

According to one opinion, the day of the baby’s birth counts as the first day, regardless of when during the day the baby was born. Upon the completion of twenty-nine additional days, the thirty days have passed, and the redemption can take place even at night, which is the beginning of the thirty-first day.

According to the second opinion, the waiting period is twenty-nine days, twelve hours, and approximately forty-four minutes from the time of birth. This corresponds to the duration of an astronomical month, the time it takes the moon to complete a full circumnavigation of the earth. According to this opinion, apart from the twenty-nine intervening days, one must also wait a further twelve hours and forty-four minutes from the time of birth. Accordingly, if the baby is born in the afternoon, the redemption may not be carried out immediately upon nightfall after the thirtieth day, but only in the morning hours of the following day.

To ensure that the calculation is done properly, it is recommended to consult with a rabbi before setting the date of the redemption. This consultation will also help the parents determine the time of the ceremony, as some communities refrain from performing the redemption at night, while others actually prefer the nighttime.

When the day of the redemption falls on a Shabbat or festival, the ceremony is postponed until the following day.

The ceremony involves drinking a cup of wine and holding a celebratory meal in honor of the performance of this mitzva. Thus, if the day of the redemption falls on a fast day (the Fast of Gedaliah, the Tenth of Tevet, the Fast of Esther, or the Seventeenth of Tamuz), instead of holding the ceremony during the day, when it is forbidden to eat, it is brought forward to the night before the fast, when eating is permitted. But if the day of redemption falls on Tisha BeAv, in which case eating is forbidden on the previous night as well, the ceremony is postponed until the conclusion of the fast. In such a case as well, it is recommended to consult a rabbi.

The primary aspect of the redemption ceremony is the father’s giving a sum of money to a priest. How much is this sum in modern terms?

It is stated in the Torah (Numbers 18:16) that the father must give the priest “five shekels of silver.” The weight of five shekels is estimated at about 100 g of silver, which means that the sum to be paid is the value of 100 g of pure silver, according to the market value of silver on the day of the ceremony.

The simplest way to find the exact amount is to ascertain how much a gram of silver is worth on the day of the redemption. Silver is evaluated in terms of an ounce, which is 31 g. Hence, the value of an ounce of silver should be divided by 31 to get the value of a gram, which is then multiplied by a hundred. Some maintain that one must add to this amount the relevant taxes or other fees one might incur if one were to actually purchase 100 g of silver.

It is important to clarify that this sum should not be given to the priest in the form of banknotes or a check. The redemption fee must be given in pure silver coins or in the form of an object equal in value to 100 g of pure silver.

Experienced priests will often have in their possession five coins of pure silver, each weighing 20 g, which together amounts to 100 g. Before the ceremony, the father buys the coins from the priest according to the price of silver on that day, and during the ceremony he gives the coins back to him.

In principle, the priest is permitted to return the redemption fee to the father. Therefore, if the father of the boy has difficult financial circumstances and the priest is willing to perform the ceremony for free, he may return the money. However, the father must give the priest the money wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

In an even more extreme case, when the father wishes in advance to condition his giving of the money on the priest returning it to him, he may do so, but he must tell the priest that the money is being given to him as a “gift given on the condition that it be returned.” It is necessary to adhere to this formula precisely, as only in this manner is such a transfer considered a full-fledged “gift”; otherwise the precondition would negate its legal status entirely and the baby would not be considered redeemed.

The main participants in the redemption ceremony are the father, who redeems his son, and the priest, who receives the redemption fee. It is not necessary for the child himself to be present at the event, although if the ceremony is conducted in the absence of the son there are certain differences in its performance (see below).

The obligation of redeeming the son applies solely to his father, and therefore he alone can and must redeem his son. If the firstborn does not have a father, or if the father has neglected to perform the redemption, the obligation of redemption passes on to the son himself, and as soon as he becomes an adult, he will be obligated to redeem himself. In such a case, there is a dispute between halakhic authorities as to whether the redemption has to be done by the firstborn himself when he reaches adulthood or whether a religious court can also perform the redemption on his behalf as a child. In such a situation, a rabbi should be consulted.

One should choose a priest who has a definitive family lineage of priesthood.

The redemption of the son can be performed only by a Torah-observant priest who is also careful to observe the laws of the priesthood, such as not marrying a woman who is forbidden to a priest and avoiding becoming ritually defiled by contact with the dead. A priest who was born from a union prohibited by the Torah is classified as a ĥalal, an illegitimate priest, and cannot redeem firstborns.

The redemption ceremony is performed during a festive meal. The occasion is considered a great celebration, as it marks the performance of a mitzva that is not commonly performed due to the conditions stated above. In Ashkenazic communities it is customary to begin the event by starting the meal with the recitation of the HaMotzi blessing and eating some bread, and then to proceed with the redemption ceremony itself.

This is the procedure of the ceremony according to the Ashkenazic custom: The father presents the child to the priest. It is customary to place the child on a cushion and to decorate him with the jewelry of the women who are present.

The father says:

“My Israelite wife has borne me this firstborn son. This is my firstborn son; he is the first issue of his Israelite mother, and the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that he be redeemed, as it is stated: ‘And its redeemed, from one month old shall you redeem them with a value of five shekels of silver in the sacred shekel; it is twenty gera’ (Numbers 18:16) and it is stated: ‘Sanctify to Me every firstborn; the first issue of any womb among the children of Israel, from man and animal, is Mine’” (Exodus 13:2).

The priest then asks:

“Which do you want more, this firstborn son of yours or the five sela (another name for shekel) that you are obligated to give for his redemption?”

The father holds the five pure silver shekels (the five sela) or their equivalent and replies:

“I want to redeem my son, and here you have the redemption money that I am required by the Torah to give.”

The father, while still holding the money, recites the blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the redemption of the son.”

The father recites another blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”

At this point, the father gives the redemption fee to the priest. The priest holds the coins, circles them over the baby’s head, and says:

“This shall be instead of this; this shall be a substitute for this; this one shall be forgiven through this. May this boy enter into life, to Torah observance and to the fear of Heaven. May it be [God’s] will that just as he has entered [the precept of] redemption, so may he enter into Torah observance, the wedding canopy, and good deeds.”

After the redemption, the priest places both hands over the baby’s head, and blesses him with the priestly blessing, adding several other scriptural blessings:

“May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh” (Genesis 48:20). “The Lord shall bless you, and keep you. The Lord shall shine His countenance to you, and be gracious to you. The Lord shall lift His countenance to you, and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:24). “The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade by your right hand” (Psalms 121:5). “The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your life” (Psalms 121:7). “For they will add length of days, years of life, and peace to you” (Proverbs 3:2).

Further reading: For more on the verses of the priestly benediction, see A Concise Guide to the Sages, p. 178.

To conclude the ceremony, a cup of wine is poured for the priest, who recites the blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates fruit of the vine.”

After the priest has drunk from the cup, he passes it to the other congregants to partake of the wine.

At the end of the ceremony, the guests continue with the festive meal.

According to the Sephardic tradition it is customary to first hold the ceremony, and only afterward to sit down for the meal. The ceremony according to Sephardic custom proceeds as follows:

The priest asks:

“Is this son of yours a firstborn?”

The father answers, "yes" (ken)

The priest asks:

“Which do you want more, this firstborn son of yours or the five sela [another name for shekel] that you are obligated to give for his redemption?”

The father replies:

“My firstborn son.”

Now the priest turns to the mother of the baby and asks:

“Is this son of yours a firstborn? Did you perhaps give birth to another child before him, or did you perhaps have a miscarriage [before he was born]?”

The mother answers the priest’s questions:

“This is my firstborn son; I did not give birth nor have a miscarriage before [giving birth to] him.”

The priest recites a formula which includes the Torah verses that pertain to the redemption of the son:

“This son is a firstborn, and the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that he be redeemed, as it is stated: ‘Its redeemed, from one month old shall you redeem them with a value of five shekels of silver in the sacred shekel; it is twenty gera’ (Numbers 18:16). When you were in your mother’s womb you were in the possession of your Father in heaven and in the possession of your father and your mother; but now you are in my possession as I am a priest, and your father and mother wish to redeem you, for you are a sanctified firstborn, as it is written: ‘And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Sanctify to Me every firstborn; first issue of any womb among the children of Israel, from man and animal, is Mine’” (Exodus 13:1–2).

The father holds the redemption money, the five pure silver shekels or their equivalent, and declares:

“I want to redeem him, as it is written in the Torah: ‘However, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of the impure animal you shall redeem. Its redeemed, from one month old shall you redeem them with a value of five shekels of silver in the sacred shekel; it is twenty gera’” (Numbers 18:15–16).

The father then recites the blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the redemption of the son.”

The father further recites:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”

At this stage the father gives the redemption fee to the priest, and says:

“This is the redemption of my firstborn son.”

Further reading: For more on the partnership between the parents and God, see A Concise Guide to the Sages, p. 407.

The priest holds the coins and says:

“I have received from you these five sela for the redemption of this son of yours, and he is hereby redeemed through them in accordance with the law of Moses and Israel.

After the redemption procedure, the priest places both hands over the baby’s head, and blesses him with the priestly blessing, adding some other scriptural blessings:

At the end of the ceremony, the festive meal is held.

The following are various laws related to the observance of the mitzva of redeeming one’s son:

In any case of uncertainty with regard to the obligation to redeem the baby (for instance: there was a prior miscarriage; there is doubt as to whether the father or mother is of priestly or Levite lineage; the calculation of the proper date for redemption is uncertain), a rabbi should be consulted.

If the parents do not personally know a suitable priest, they can ask a rabbi to help them find one to perform the redemption ceremony.

When it is not possible to bring the baby to the redemption ceremony, it may be performed without his being present. In such a situation, the wording of what the father says to the priest at the beginning of the ceremony is adjusted from: “My Israelite wife has borne me this firstborn son. This is my firstborn son….” to: “My Israelite wife has borne me a firstborn son. I have a firstborn son….”

According to Sephardic halakhic authorities, the redemption of the son may also be performed by means of an agent appointed by the father to act in his stead. This can be useful in a situation where the father is abroad or otherwise unavailable on the date of the redemption. In such a case, a rabbi should be consulted.

The redemption may be held on the intermediate days [Hol HaMoed] of Sukkot and Passover, but not on Shabbat or festivals.

If a woman gives birth to twin boys, who are her first children, the firstborn twin is redeemed. If the twins are a boy and girl, and the girl was the first to emerge, her twin brother is not redeemed. When there is uncertainty as to which baby was born first, a rabbi should be consulted.