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How does one spell BRIS?
There are so many ways to refer to this most sacred and meaningful commandment and further to spell it. Milah, bris, briss, milah, brit, brit milah, bris mila... and which is correct?
There is no right or wrong way to spell a word in English that is not and English word. Brit means literally, covenant. Bris is a Yiddish or Ashkenazic pronunciation of the same Hebrew word. Brit Milah means literally the covenant of circumcision and the more full reference to this rite. When one says bris milah, it is once again, the Yiddish or Ashkenazic pronunciation of the same Hebrew words.
Like wise there is no correct or incorrect way to spell 'mohel' but m-o-h-e-l is by far the most common. On the other hand, 'moyel' or 'moyal' is the most common way that people pronounce this word, which is the title for a person trained in Jewish ritual circumcision. I use emoyel as my e-mail address because when you e-mail me I will e-moyel you a response!!
What about bris humor?
Comics have an easy hit when they poke fun of intimate things.
We are already squirming a bit, so laughter is a relief from the discomfort even when the joke isn't that good. This having been asserted, there are great jokes, TV episodes and stories that involve our ancient ritual. I am trying to compile a list of the references. Feel free to e-mail me additions (emoyel@comcast.net) to this partial list of just the ones I have seen.
M*A*S*H The General Flipped at Dawn
Episode 49 Season 3 First Aired: Tuesday, September 10, 1974
Thirtysomething Prelude to a Bris
Episode 63 Season 4 First Aired: Saturday, September 22, 1990
Seinfeld The Bris
Episode 69 Season 5 First Aired: Thursday, October 14, 1993
South Park Ike's Wee Wee
Episode 17 Season 1 First aired: Wednesday, May 27, 1998
Early Edition A Bris is Just a Bris
Episode 33 Season 2 First Aired: Saturday, December 20, 1997
Cheers For Real Men Only
Episode 176 Season 8 First Aired: Thursday, November 16, 1989
Some are in good taste, even educational. Several, in fact a few I have not listed, are not only in poor taste, they are not accurate in their portrayal of what should be a spiritual, albeit tense, event.
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