“Q) Is there an obligation for a man to have an aliya after his wife has given birth?
A) We find various minhogim mentioned in the Poskim (Levush Orach Chayim end of Siman 282; Magen Avraham end of Siman 282; Bi’ur Halocho Siman 136) regarding aliyos for a husband after his wife has given birth:
• Shabbos preceding a bris – the Levush (Orach Chayim end of Siman 282) writes that the father of a newborn baby boy receives an aliya on the Shabbos preceding the bris, as well as the mohel and sandek. The Magen Avraham (end of Siman 282) infers from this that in a situation where the baby is unwell and consequently the bris is delayed, there is no obligation for the father to receive an aliya until the Shabbos preceding the bris. (However, if it was assumed that the bris would occur on time, and consequently the father received an aliya, and then the bris was subsequently delayed, there is no further obligation for the father to receive an aliya on the Shabbos before the bris.)
• Day of the bris – the Levush (ibid) continues and says that if the bris milah occurs on Shabbos then the father of the baby, the mohel and sandek should receive an aliya on that Shabbos, even if they are do not “”belong”” to this Shul, and even if they do not have the status of residents of the town. [The Levush does not clearly discuss a situation where the bris occurs on a weekday where there is keriyas hatorah; ostensibly the same would apply and the father, mohel and sandek should all receive aliyos.]
• First time one’s wife goes to Shul following a birth – the Levush (ibid; see also Bi’ur Halocho ibid) also writes that the first time one’s wife goes to Shul following a birth (of a boy or girl) her husband is obligated to receive an aliya as this is “”in lieu of a korbon””. The Magen Avraham (ibid) comments that if the mother is unwell and unable to go to Shul, there is no obligation for her husband to receive an aliya until she recovers and goes to Shul.
[The Betzeil Hachochma (Rav Betzalel Shtern, volume 6 responsa 8) raises an obvious question:
A yoledes is only obligated to bring a korbon yoledes after 40 days following the birth of a boy, and after 80 days following the birth of a girl. How then can an aliya before this time be considered “”in lieu of a korbon”? He answers that actually the aliya is only a commemoration of a korbon yoledes. He explains that since ladies have the custom that the first time they leave the house following a birth should be for a spiritual purpose [i.e. going to Shul] in order to give thanks to Hashem and not for mundane reasons; the minhag developed that the husband is a chiyuv aliya on that Shabbos, in order that the aliya and tzedoko that he pledges should be in place of a korbon yoledes. And since this is merely a commemoration of a korbon yoledes it is of no consequence if this occurs before the actual time that she is obligated to bring the korbon.]
• After 40 days following the birth of a boy and after 80 days following the birth of a girl – although the Levush does not make mention of this date, the Magen Avraham (ibid) writes that although until one’s wife goes to Shul there is no obligation for her husband to receive an aliya, if it is 40 days following the birth of a boy and 80 days following the birth of a girl (and one’s wife has not yet gone to Shul because she is unwell) there is an obligation [for her husband to receive an aliya] because “”it is the time of bringing the korbon”” [i.e. korbon yoledes].
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