Question:
What are Halachos relevant to the meal of a Pidyon Haben and when should it be performed?
Answer:
The practice is to make a meal on the occasion of a Pidyon HaBen. This meal is considered a seudas mitzva and eating at a meal of a pidyon haben is like fasting for 84 days. Even if it is done late, the meal is still considered a seudas mitzva.It is not necessary to have bread at this meal.Some have the custom to do the meal before the pidyon, while others do the pidyon and then eat the meal.
The custom is not to recite Shehasimcha Bimono at a pidyon haben.Ideally, the father should choose a kohen who is a talmid chacham. However, if he cannot find one he should use any kohen and should not wait for a talmid chacham. Furthermore, if one has a relative who is a Kohen, he may be given preference over a Torah scholar, even if he is ignorant in Torah, in the interest of avoiding strife and hard feelings.
The child should be redeemed from a male kohen.The poskim differ as to whether a kohen under bar mitzvah can receive the pidyon. All agree that a kohen who is unmarried is still eligible. Some poskim say that you may not use a kohen who desecrates shabbos publicly.
Pidyon HaBen may not be performed before 30 days from the baby’s birth have passed and should be done on the 31st day without delaying. This includes the day of the birth and day of the pidyon, meaning that the pidyon should take place 4 weeks plus 2 days after the birth. Ashkenazim wait until 29 days and 12.75 hours have passed from the moment of the birth. This is usually accomplished by having the Pidyon Haben during the day.Sephardim hold that the Pidyon is on the 31st day even before 29 days and 12.75 hours have passed. The pidyon cannot be done before the 31st day, even if 29 days, 12 hours, and 793 chalakim have passed.
The Ashkenazic minhag is not to perform a Pidyon HaBen at night. On the other hand, the Sephardic minhag is to even perform it at night.In the unfortunate event that the baby is in the hospital when the pidyon should take place, they should not delay the pidyon for that. Rather, they should perform the pidyon on-time without the baby being present.
A Pidyon HaBen shouldn’t be performed on Shabbos or Yom Tov. Even if one uses an item that isn’t muktzeh to redeem his son, it is forbidden. However, if one did so, albeit inappropriately, it is still a valid redemption, and they need not do another pidyon.If the 31st day falls out on Shabbos, the pidyon is pushed off until Motzaei Shabbos.
If the 31st day falls out on Yom Tov, the pidyon should be pushed until after Yom Tov, as the pidyon cannot be done on Yom Tov Sheni either.Some say that if the 31st day falls out on a fast day it is pushed off until the nighttime, whereas others say that it is performed in the daytime and only the meal is delayed until the nighttime.
If the pidyon falls out on Erev Pesach, it should ideally be done at night, or early in the morning before the hour that Chametz becomes prohibited so that a full meal can be eaten.Since a pidyon is a seudas mitzva, firstborns, who are supposed to fast on Erev can attend a pidyon and eat there to exempt themselves from the fast. It is permissible to eat at a pidyon, even if it is being celebrated late.
It is permitted to perform a pidyon haben on Chol Hamoed, even if it is not being done on-time.Some poskim allow music during sefiras haomer in celebration of a pidyon haben because it is for a mitzva.
Even though meat is customarily not eaten during the Nine Days, if a pidyon haben falls out during that time, meat may be eaten. However, people shouldn’t go just so they can eat meat. They certainly cannot push off the pidyon haben until the Nine Days just to enable eating meat.Even those who have the custom of not shaving or getting a haircut during the three weeks, the father of the baby boy who is performing the pidyon haben, may shave for the occasion. However, during the week of Tisha B’av, one should not be lenient.
Even those who refrain from wearing Shabbos clothing during the week of Tisha B’av, the parents of the child may wear Shabbos clothing for the pidyon haben.If the pidyon haben falls out on Tisha B’av, some say to do the pidyon near the end of the day, and the meal following the fast. Others say to do the whole thing after Tisha B’av.
If the pidyon haben falls out on Tisha B’av, the father still recites shehecheyanu.A pidyon haben can be done on Purim. |