Rabbi Zachary Hepner
Planning Your Pidyon HaBen
A Pidyon HaBen is a beautiful and relatively rare mitzvah celebrating the birth of a firstborn son. The ceremony takes place when the baby is about a month old and brings family and friends together for a joyful and meaningful occasion.
Not every firstborn son requires a Pidyon HaBen, so the first step is simply determining whether the mitzvah applies to your family and, if it does, when it should take place. The tools below will help you get started, and I am always happy to help with any questions along the way.
Is My Baby Eligible for a Pidyon HaBen, and When Should It Take Place?
Use the tool below to determine whether the mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen applies to your son and, if it does, the date it should take place. A Pidyon HaBen is generally celebrated on the 31st day of the baby’s life.
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Pidyon Haben Calculator
Based on Chabad.org’s guidance on when the pidyon haben should take place. Jewish calendar and holiday dates from Hebcal.com.
Enter your son’s birth details below to find the appropriate day and time for the pidyon haben, for both Ashkenazi and Sephardic custom.
Pidyon HaBen eligibility
To determine whether the rare mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen applies to your baby, please answer the following questions:
1a. Was the baby’s maternal grandmother born Jewish?
There are exceptions to this rule. If you are unsure, please ask Rabbi Hepner.
1b. Is the baby’s mother a Bat Yisrael (meaning she is neither a Bat Kohen nor a Bat Levi)?
There are limited exceptions to this rule. If you are unsure, please ask Rabbi Hepner.
2. Is the baby’s father either not Jewish or, if Jewish, a Yisrael (neither a Kohen nor a Levi)? If you are unsure, you may ask Rabbi Hepner.
3. Is this the mother’s first pregnancy to continue beyond 30 days?
If there was a previous pregnancy that continued beyond 30 days, please consult Rabbi Hepner before answering, as the circumstances and duration of the previous pregnancy may affect eligibility. Rabbi Hepner understands that questions about previous pregnancies can be deeply personal and sensitive and approaches these conversations with the utmost respect, sensitivity, discretion, and modesty.
4. Was the baby delivered vaginally (rather than by Cesarean section/C-section)?
Pidyon HaBen requires a peter rechem (“the first to open the womb”); therefore, a baby delivered by C-section does not qualify. There are no exceptions to this requirement.
Please select one:
Enter the details above and select Calculate to see the appropriate day and time.
מחשבון פדיון הבן
הפדיון חל ביום ה-31 ללידת הבן.
The rules this calculator follows
| Normal case | Day 31 = 4 weeks and 2 days after the Hebrew date of birth. |
| Ashkenazi custom | Afternoon of day 31. |
| Sephardic custom | The night preceding day 31 (earliest opportunity). |
| Day 31 = Shabbat / major Yom Tov | Moves to the next weekday. Once postponed, both customs converge on the Sephardic date and time. |
| Day 31 = Friday | Meal scheduled early afternoon, smaller group. |
| Day 31 = minor fast day | Ashkenazi: right before sunset. Sephardic: at nightfall. |
| Day 31 = erev Pesach | Held in the morning, early enough for the meal to include bread. |
This tool provides information based on Chabad.org’s published guidance, not a personal halachic ruling. Please confirm your specific date with Rabbi Hepner or your rabbi.
Silver Requirement for Pidyon HaBen
To ensure that the correct type and amount of silver is purchased, please purchase (at least) four (4) one-troy-ounce .999 fine silver coins or rounds. Each piece should be clearly marked “1 TROY OZ .999 FINE SILVER.” Four such pieces contain approximately 124.4 grams of fine silver, which comfortably exceeds the amount required according to the mainstream halachic measurements used for Pidyon HaBen.
Please do not purchase ordinary U.S. “silver dollars,” such as Morgan or Peace dollars, as these contain less than one troy ounce of pure silver per coin. There is no need to purchase rare or collectible coins; what is important is that each piece contains one troy ounce of .999 fine silver.
(For those interested, the Chazon Ish followed a more stringent measurement of the required amount of silver, for which five one-ounce coins would be used. This is a minority view and is not the standard practice followed here.)
The calculator automatically takes into account Shabbat, Yom Tov, Friday, fast days, Erev Pesach, and differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardic practice.
The calculator is intended as a planning tool. Please confirm the final date and time with Rabbi Hepner or your own rabbi.
What Do I Need for the Ceremony?
Fortunately, very little.
The principal item the family needs to obtain is the silver used for the redemption.
Silver Requirement for Pidyon HaBen
Please purchase (at least) four (4) one-troy-ounce .999 fine silver coins or rounds. Each piece should be clearly marked:
“1 TROY OZ .999 FINE SILVER.”
Four pieces contain approximately 124.4 grams of fine silver, comfortably exceeding the amount required according to the mainstream halachic measurements used for Pidyon HaBen.
You do not need expensive or collectible coins. Please avoid ordinary U.S. “silver dollars,” such as Morgan or Peace dollars, because they contain less than one troy ounce of pure silver per coin. What matters is simply that each piece is clearly identified as one troy ounce of .999 fine silver.
(For those interested, the Chazon Ish followed a more stringent measurement for which five one-ounce coins would be used. This is a minority view and is not the standard practice followed here.)
The Kohen
A Pidyon HaBen is performed with a Kohen (priest). The family is welcome to provide a Kohen, or I can arrange to bring one for the ceremony.
It is important to note that having the last name Cohen, Kohen, Kahn, Katz, or any similar spelling does not, by itself, establish that a person is a Kohen. The Kohen should be someone who has a preserved family tradition, passed down through his father and paternal lineage for generations, that his family is descended from Kohanim.
For a number of technical halachic reasons, it is preferable and generally simpler for the Kohen to be Shomer Shabbat (Sabbath observant). However, this is not an absolute requirement. If the Kohen you would like to use is not Shomer Shabbat, or if you are unsure, please discuss the matter with Rabbi Hepner beforehand.
What Happens to the Silver?
Some Kohanim choose to keep the silver coins received at a Pidyon HaBen, while others choose to return them to the family as a gift after the ceremony. Either practice can be appropriate.
What is essential is that at the time of the Pidyon HaBen, the silver genuinely belongs to the person performing the redemption and is given to the Kohen with the intention that it become the Kohen’s full and unconditional property. In the usual case, the father performs the mitzvah. In circumstances in which the father is not Jewish and the mother is performing the redemption on behalf of her son, the silver should likewise be in her full ownership before it is given to the Kohen.
If the Kohen subsequently chooses to return the silver, he does so as a new and voluntary gift. The original transfer cannot be conditional upon the coins being returned, nor should their return be understood as part of a transactional arrangement made in advance.
If you have a relative or friend whom you would like to serve as the Kohen, or have any questions about the Kohen or the silver, please discuss them with Rabbi Hepner before the ceremony.
Planning the Celebration
A Pidyon HaBen is a wonderful opportunity for a family celebration, and it can be as intimate or festive as you would like.
Unlike a Bris, there is no medical procedure, so the atmosphere is generally relaxed and celebratory. Some families host a meal at home with immediate family and friends; others plan a larger brunch, luncheon, dinner, or reception at a synagogue, restaurant, or event space.
The ceremony itself is relatively short, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the occasion with your family and guests. Once we establish the date, I can help you think through the timing and flow of the celebration so that the ceremony fits naturally into your event.
The Ceremony
During the Pidyon HaBen, the father formally redeems his firstborn son from a Kohen with the required silver. The ceremony includes a traditional exchange between the Kohen and father, blessings, and the redemption itself.
There is nothing you need to study or memorize beforehand. I will guide you through each step and explain what to do and say.
Since many guests may never have attended a Pidyon HaBen, I can also explain the ceremony and its meaning as we go, allowing everyone present to understand and participate in this special occasion.
Rabbi Hepner as Officiant & Emcee
I am happy to officiate the Pidyon HaBen and, if you wish, serve as emcee for the celebration as well. I can welcome your guests, introduce and explain the ceremony in an accessible way, guide the parents and Kohen through each step, and help the event flow naturally from the Pidyon HaBen into the celebration.
My goal is to make the occasion meaningful and traditional while also warm, comfortable, and engaging for family and friends who may be experiencing a Pidyon HaBen for the first time.
For families whose Bris I performed and who live within my approximately 60-minute tri-state service area, my officiating and emceeing of the Pidyon HaBen is offered at no additional charge. For families who were not previously my Bris clients and would like me to officiate and emcee their Pidyon HaBen, my fee is the same as my fee for a baby-girl naming ceremony.
A Little About Pidyon HaBen
Pidyon HaBen—the Redemption of the Firstborn Son—is a biblical mitzvah rooted in the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The Torah gives the firstborn a special sanctity and later instructs us to redeem a qualifying firstborn son from a Kohen.
At its heart, Pidyon HaBen is another opportunity to pause and thank God for the extraordinary gift of a new child. Judaism teaches us that God is intimately involved in our lives and that the arrival of a baby is not something we take for granted. This special occasion gives parents, family, and friends another moment to express gratitude for the blessing they have received.
Pidyon HaBen also connects the birth of an individual firstborn son to the larger story of the Jewish people. Before the Exodus, God describes Israel as “My son, My firstborn, Israel” (Beni Bechori Yisrael — Exodus 4:22). The redemption of the firstborn reminds us of God’s providence over His firstborn people—from the protection of the Israelite firstborn in Egypt through the generations that followed.
It is also part of a larger group of “first” and “firstborn” commandments found in the Torah. Immediately following the Exodus, Exodus 13 connects the sanctification of the firstborn with remembering God’s redemption of Israel from Egypt. Throughout the Torah, we repeatedly dedicate our “first” to God—our firstborn, first fruits, and other first offerings—as a way of recognizing that ultimately our blessings come from Him.
At the Pidyon HaBen, this ancient idea becomes deeply personal. The father redeems his son from a Kohen with the Torah’s prescribed value of five silver shekalim, linking the birth of this particular child with a tradition stretching back thousands of years.
Because the circumstances required for Pidyon HaBen occur relatively infrequently, many people have never attended one. If your family has the opportunity to celebrate this mitzvah, it is a particularly special milestone—a chance to celebrate your new baby, express gratitude to God, and connect another generation to the continuing story of the Jewish people.
Have a question or think your baby may qualify?
Please feel free to contact Rabbi Hepner. I am happy to help determine whether a Pidyon HaBen is appropriate, confirm the date, and help you plan a meaningful and joyful celebration.