pidyon haben

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Pronunciations

pidyon haben (peed-YON hah-BEHN) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A ceremony performed on the 31st day after the birth of a firstborn son, in which the father symbolically 'buys back' his son from a Kohen with five shekels.

Example Sentences

  • "The mitzvah of pidyon haben - redeeming of the firstborn- applies only to the firstborn male Israelite child who is peter rechem – opens his mother's womb." (source)

  • "Oh, the baby will look so sweet in that blue suit for his pidyon ha-ben!" (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • פדיון הבן, lit. 'redemption of the son'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      pidion haben

Notes

  • The ceremony originates from ancient times when first-born sons were required to enter the priestly service unless they were the sons of Kohanim or Levites. To avoid one's son being entered into priestly service, one could pay five shekels to a Kohen or Levite.

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