Circumcision

Can a baby boy be born circumcised??

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

Let us being the answer with a famous Midrashic text.

The Avot D’rabbi Natan (2:5) says:

…Job emerged [from the womb] already circumcised. Adam also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 1:24), “And God created the person in His image.” Seth also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 5:2), “He had a child in his likeness and image.” Noah also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 6:9), “A just and pure man in his generation.” Shem also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 14:18), “Malkitzedek, king of Shalem.” Jacob also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 25:27), “Jacob was a pure man, who sat in tents.” Joseph also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Genesis 37:2), “This is the progeny of Jacob: Joseph.” Moses also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Exodus 2:2), “She saw that he was good.” And what did his mother see in him that was lovelier and more praiseworthy than any other person? That he emerged circumcised. Bil’am the wicked also came out circumcised, as it says (Numbers 24:4), “The word of him who hears God’s speech.” (Samuel also emerged circumcised, as it says [I Samuel 2:26], “Young Samuel continued to grow and was good.”) David also emerged circumcised – as it says (Psalms 16:1), “A mikhtam of David. (Protect me, for I seek refuge in You).” Jeremiah also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Jeremiah 1:5), “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you; and before you came out of the womb I consecrated you.” Zerubbabel also emerged already circumcised, as it says (Haggai 2:23), “On that day (I will take,) [declares the Eternal of Hosts, I will take] Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the Eternal.”

There is a similar but different list in Midrash Tehillim 9.

The famous Munkatcher Rebbe, known as the Minchat Elazar, who was also a Mohel writes in Ot Shalom (263:4) that there is no such thing as a person being born fully circumcised but it is possible to be born “somewhat circumcised.” Nevertheless, the late Rabbi Yisrael Belsky (Brooklyn, NY) claims to have presided over a bris of someone born completely circumcised. Indeed, the Talmud (Shabbat 135a) entertains the idea that someone can be born fully circumcised, though the Talmud may have been referring to “hypospadias” (see below).

Even if one would be born completely circumcised, they would still require what is known as “hatafat dam brit.” This is when a mohel or rabbi draws a drop of blood from just under the glans of the male organ.

In modern medicine, the term for someone born partly/fully circumcised is “hypospadias” but this is almost always a medical condition that requires some type of repair. After the repair is done the hatafat dam brit is performed. I myself have presided over such a procedure.