A child is circumcised (either) on the eighth day, the ninth day, the tenth day, the eleventh day, or the twelfth day — not before and not after. How so? Normally, he is circumcised on the eighth day. If he were born ben hashmashoth (at twilight), he is circumcised on the ninth day [the eighth day from the day following (his birth)]. If he were born ben hashmashoth on Sabbath eve, he is circumcised on the tenth day. [It is possible that ben hashmashoth is day, so that if he (the child born ben hashmashoth) were born on Sabbath eve, he could not be circumcised on the following Shabbath, for that might be the ninth day and milah out of its time, which does not override Shabbath. Therefore, he has to wait until after Shabbath, until the tenth day.] If yom tov (a festival) fell out after Shabbath, [milah out of its time does not override it, so that] he is circumcised on the eleventh day. If the two days of Rosh Hashanah (fell out after Shabbath), he is circumcised on the twelfth day, [for the two days are of one sanctity and milah out of its time does not override the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, he is circumcised on the twelfth day.] A sick child is not circumcised until he recovers [and seven full days have passed from the time of his recovery.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
If he was born during twilight, he is circumcised on the ninth day as it is the eighth day from the morrow; if twighlight is still considered day, he is thus circumcised on the ninth day. If the day (preceding the twighlight during which he was born) is Friday, he can't be circumcised on the following Shabbat in case it is the ninth day and it is a postponed circumcision which does not supersede Shabbat, he must wait until after Shabbat and be circumcised on the tenth day.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
Introduction
As we have already mentioned, circumcision is done on Shabbat only if it is done on the eighth day. If it is done on any other day besides the eighth, then the circumcision must wait until after Shabbat. Our mishnah shows that sometimes this will delay the circumcision by several days.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
חל יום טוב להיות אחר השבת – no circumcision which is [not performed] at its [appropriate] time may supersede it, and he is circumcised on the eleventh day [after his birth].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
An infant is circumcised on the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth [days], neither before nor later. How so? In the normal situation, on the eighth. Normally, a child is circumcised on the eighth day.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
שני ימים טובים של ראש השנה – for they are one level of sanctity and a circumcision [performed] not at its appropriate time does not supersede the Festival observance of the Second Day of Rosh Hashanah; he is circumcised on the twelfth day [from the day of his birth].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
If he is born at twilight, on the ninth; Twilight is a halakhically doubtful time we don’t know whether to consider it still the previous day or the day after. Therefore, if a boy is born at twilight, he is circumcised on what might be the ninth day. In other words we act as if he was born on the next day.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shabbat
עד שיבריא – and seven complete days in astronomical hours should pass from the day that he is healed, and afterwards, we circumcise him (i.e., the child).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
At twilight on the eve of Shabbat, on the tenth. If he is born on twilight on the eve of Shabbat, he can’t be circumcised on Shabbat because only circumcision on the eighth day overrides Shabbat, and Shabbat may be the ninth day. Therefore he is circumcised on Sunday, the tenth day.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
If a festival follows Shabbat, on the eleventh. If Sunday is a festival, we must delay his circumcision until the eleventh day. Just as circumcision does not override Shabbat unless it is the eighth day, so too it does not override a festival unless it is on the eighth day.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
If the two days of Rosh Hashanah [follow Shabbat], on the twelfth. Finally, if the two days of Rosh Hashanah follow Shabbat, then he will be circumcised on the twelfth day. We should note that even in the land of Israel Rosh Hashanah was observed for two days. In the Diaspora the same would hold true for the second day of festivals.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shabbat
An infant who is sick is not circumcised until he recovers. Healthy infants can be circumcised on the eighth through twelfth days, but sick infants must wait until they recover from their illness to be circumcised. Their health overrides their need to be circumcised.
