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The pidyon haben () or redemption of the first-born son
is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is "redeemed" with money.
The redemption is attained by paying five silver coins to a kohen (a patrilineal descendant of the priestly family of Aaron), on behalf of one's firstborn son. Another object of equivalent value may also be used.
Pidyon haben is a relatively rare ceremony. A family does not perform the ceremony if their firstborn is either a girl, or born by caesarian section, or preceded by a miscarriage (although some early miscarriages do not count as miscarriages), or if either grandfather is a Kohen or a Levite.
The redemption price for firstborn non-Levites was set at 5 :
The arakhin laws set the redemption price of different classes of people whose "value" was consecrated; the price for a male child under five years is similarly five shekels.
The Torah describes the tribe of Levi (to which the priests belong) as having inherited the role of divine service which previously belonged to the firstborns:
According to the traditional rabbinic interpretation, even before the Exodus the priestly duties were reserved for the oldest son in each family.Bereishis Rabbah 63:13; Zevachim 112; Bechoros 4;
The priesthood was given specifically to the kohanim (Aaron and his descendants), and at the same time, it was instituted that the firstborn should be redeemed. The replacement of firstborns with Levites occurred following the golden calf episode; during that episode the Levites remained loyal to God.
This redemption ceremony is performed when at least thirty days have passed since the child's birth. If the 31st day falls on Shabbat or a Jewish holiday, the redemption is delayed, because any sort of business transaction is not allowed on those days. Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 305:11 The elapsed days are counted from sunset to sunset, and the day of birth counts as the first day. While the redemption could be performed immediately after dark on the 31st night, it is usually done the next day; but if the 31st day is a fast day, it is done the previous night, so that it can be accompanied by a festive meal.Shach 305:12 It is also possible to hold the ceremony on the 30th day itself, if it will be impossible to perform it the next day, so long as at least one synodic month has passed since the moment of birth.Shach 305:19, at the end, citing the Bach.
If a first-born son reaches bar mitzvah age without having been redeemed, he is responsible for arranging the mitzvah himself as soon as possible.Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 301:15
The procedure does not apply when the father is a kohen or Levite, and does not normally apply when the mother is the daughter of one. Shulkhan Arukh Yoreh De'ah 305:18 The reason is that the Levites, as substitutes for the first-born, are pledged to minister and assist the kohanim in divine service, and cannot be redeemed from this service obligation.
The first-born son from a Levite's daughter is not redeemed (whether or not the father is Jewish). Shulchan Aruch 305:18 Similarly, the first-born son of a kohen's daughter, as long as the father is Jewish.If the father is non-Jewish, pidyon haben is required. Timing may require the boy to await Bar Mitzvah. See Igros Moshe Y.D. 195;
The ceremony traditionally takes place before a minyan of 10 men. The child is sometimes presented on a silver tray, surrounded by jewelry lent for the occasion by women in attendance. This is to contrast with the golden calf, when gold and jewelry was used for a sinful purpose.
The event starts by beginning a festive meal (unlike a brit milah or Jewish wedding where the meal comes after the ceremony). If the family is Sephardic, the event starts with the ceremony. Guests in some places are given cloves of garlic and cubes of sugar to take home: these strongly flavored foods can be used to flavor a large quantity of food which will in some sense extend the mitzvah of participation in the ceremony to all who eat them.
The Israeli Mint has minted two sets of coins for this purpose: an edition of 20.57 gram silver commemorative coins, five of which would come to 102 grams of silver,
Moreover, it is not mandatory to redeem the son in silver coins, and the ceremony can be held using any movable object worth the same value as five silver coins in the same day, other than promissory notes, which is not acceptable for the ceremony.
Although the silver coins are the payment to the kohen according to the 613 commandments and are one of the twenty-four priestly gifts, they are sometimes returned by the kohen to the family as a gift for the child, although halachic authorities stipulate that, for the pidyon to be valid, the choice of returning the coins as a gift rests upon the kohen whereas pressuring the kohen to do so would render the redemption invalid.Responsa "Chsam Sofer", to Yoreh Deah, Chap. 291
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