Pidyon haben
| Halakhic texts relating to this article | |
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| Torah: | Exodus 13:12–15 Exodus 22:29 Exodus 34:20 Numbers 3:45 Numbers 8:17 Numbers 18:16 Leviticus 12:2–4 |
| Shulchan Aruch: | Yoreh De'ah 305 |
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Priestly covenant |
The pidyon haben (Hebrew: פדיון הבן), or redemption of the first-born son, is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is "redeemed" with money.
"Redemption" is achieved by paying five silver coins to a Kohen, a descendant of the priestly family of Aaron, on behalf of the firstborn son. Alternatively, an object of equal value can be used. Pidyon haben is a relatively uncommon ceremony. Families do not perform it if the firstborn is a girl, born by caesarian section, preceded by a miscarriage (though some early miscarriages are not considered miscarriages), or if either grandfather is a Kohen or a Levite.