For those who want only the general idea

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The Brit Mila involves removing the foreskin from the baby's penis. 

 

The anatomy of a baby boy's penis consists of two layers of skin, the "Priyah" and the "Orlah" different from what we are used to seeing. Both are removed as necessary to make the baby "Mahul", circumcised.

 

In order to be kosher, the Brit Mila should reveal the head of the penis entirely.

 

The baby will be left with a bandage which will last 24 hours and then removed. The open wound will heal fast and the baby will remain with the head of his penis revealed for the rest of his life.

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For those who want to know the details

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And I mean, don't go further if you're faint of heart

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To understand the detailed explanation, you must know an important piece of information: In addition to the Orlah, there is another layer of skin underneath it that also surrounds the glans. This is called Or HaPriya, or the inner prepuce. It is not visible until after the cut. This, however, is different from the Orlah. It does not need to be removed by a Bris, but it must be folded back and pushed completely below the head of the penis, and it must stay and heal there, leaving the glans completely revealed. From a technical aspect, since the Or HaPriya is usually quite a tight membrane of skin, it must be torn open in order to remain below the glans, otherwise, its tendency is to go back up and recover the glans.

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The Steps of the Bris are as follows:

#1 Sandak: Before the Bris starts, the baby will be placed on the Sandak's lap, the Mohel will open the diaper and the Sandak will hold the baby's legs open. The baby might cry, but this is probably because he is uncomfortable without a diaper, cold, and most probably uncomfortable with the way the Sandak is holding his legs open.

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#2 Sterilization: The first step of any Bris is to clean the penis and sterilize the area. This is completely painless for the baby.

#3 Hafrada: The second step is called Hafrada, or Probing. The Or HaPriya on a newborn is usually attached very tightly to the glans. This complicates the Bris, and to make it easier, the Mohel will stick a probe into the hole of the Orlah (not the hole of the actual penis!) and will separate the Or HaPriya from the glans. This is somewhat uncomfortable for the baby, but it only takes a few seconds.

#4 Tfisa: At this stage, the Mohel will decide where he would like to cut, and will pull up the skin he would like to cut between his fingers, over the glans. He will then slide a Magen (Shield) along the area where he will cut. The Magen will protect the glans from getting cut. This part is probably the most painful part of the Bris, but it usually only takes a few seconds.

#5 Chituch: This is where the Mohel cuts the Orlah along the Mogen, and the Orlah comes off completely. There is obviously some pain, but this part literally takes less than a second.

#6 Priya: After the cut, the second layer of skin, the Or HaPriya, becomes visible. It surrounds the entire circumference of the glans. The Mohel will tear that membrane open on the dorsal side of the penis, which is the side closer to the baby's stomach. The Mohel will tear this membrane with his fingernails. This is the proper way to do the Mitzvah. After the Or HaPriya is torn open, it is much looser on the glans. It now can be folded back and pushed down all around the glans, revealing the glans completely. It is unclear how painful this is for the baby, but it should only take a few seconds.

#7 Metzitzah: This is where the Mohel will suck blood from the wound. Most mohalim do this directly with their mouth, without a glass tube. The Halacha is very insistent that this step be performed and in our first meeting I will explain why. The prevalent minhag is to do it without a tube.

#8 Bandaging: The Mohel will bandage the wound, which performs several functions. It stops the bleeding, protects the wound, and holds the Or HaPriya below the glans so that it will heal there and not re-cover the glans. Most mohalim dress the bandage with a liquid anesthetic. I use a special (and quite expensive) powder developed here in Israel with better effects stopping the bleeding and anesthetizing the region.

It is important to note that there are many techniques and ingredients that can be involved in stopping bleeding. Some of these are unhealthy and dangerous. To read more about this, read Choosing a Mohel carefully. You will find invaluable information on the matter there.

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