I am all for tradition and observance of religious laws

But if I were a parent wanting a bris for my infant son, I'd have some questions for the mohel (the man who performs the ritual circumcision in Judaism).

N.Y. health chief calls for end to metzitzah b’peh rite in circumcisions

Health Department investigations of newborns with the herpes virus from 2000 to 2011 have shown that 11 infants contracted the herpes virus when mohels, or ritual circumcisers, placed their mouths directly on the child’s circumcision wound to draw blood away from the circumcision cut, according to a statement from the department. Ten of the infants were hospitalized, at least two developed brain damage and two babies died.

The metzitzah b'peh, or placing the mouth on the circumcision wound to draw the blood away, is mostly still practiced among the very Orthodox. In Judaism, there are laws, and then there are traditions that grow up around the laws. I'm not sure which this is, but if it is a tradition, then perhaps it is time for a change. In interpretation of the law, rabbis often come down on the side of health and wellness, as evidenced by the fact you can use a telephone to call for a medical emergency on the Sabbath or the decision by some rabbis that abortion is allowed if the foetus is deemed to be too much for the woman's health, something that can be interpreted strictly or widely depending on the rabbi. Since circumcision is at the very heart of what makes a boy or man Jewish, representing the covenant with G-d, then I don't know how this will work out, especially among the Ultra-Orthodox. Still it's disturbing to think of such a needless death or in the case of some, brain damage, no matter how small the percentage overall. It's a tragedy for each family, and even more so because it was preventable.