סדר פדיון הבן
REDEMPTION OF THE FIRSTBORN
A firstborn male child, must be redeemed on the 31st day of his birth – unless the father is a Kohen or Levi, or the mother is a daughter of a Kohen or a Levi. If the 31st day falls on Shabbat or Yom Tov, the ceremony is postponed to the following weekday.
The father, presenting his child to the Kohen, declares:
Hebrew
זֶה בְּנִי בְּכוֹרִי הוּא פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם לְאִמּוֹ
וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא צִוָּה לִפְדּוֹתוֹ
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
Sephardi
Zeh beni bechori hu peter rechem le'imo
Vehakadosh Baruch Hu tzivah lifdoto
shene'emar
English
This is my firstborn son, the first issue of his mother's womb. The Holy One, blessed be He, has commanded us to redeem him, as is said,
Num. 18
Hebrew
וּפְדוּיָו מִבֶּן־חֹדֶשׁ תִּפְדֶּה, בְּעֶרְכְּךָ כֶּסֶף חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים
בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ, עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה הוּא:
Sephardi
Ufduyav miben-chodesh tifdeh, be'erkecha kesef chameshet shekalim
Beshekel hakodesh, esrim gerah hu:
English
"Those who are to be redeemed, you must redeem from the age of one month, at the fixed price of five shekels of silver by the sacred standard, which is twenty gerahs to the shekel."
Ex. 13
Hebrew
וְנֶאֱמַר
קַדֶּשׁ־לִי כָל־בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר כָּל־רֶחֶם בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָדָם
וּבַבְּהֵמָה, לִי הוּא:
Sephardi
Vene'emar
Kadesh-li chol-bechor peter kol-rechem bivnei Yisrael ba'adam
Uvabehemah, li hu:
English
And it is also stated, "Consecrate to Me every firstborn; the first of every womb among the people of Israel, whether of man or beast, belongs to Me."
The Kohen checks with the mother that this is her firstborn, and then asks if she has miscarried before this child. If her answer is no, he asks the father:
Hebrew
מַאי בָּעֵית טְפֵי
לְמֵתַן לִי בִּנָךְ בְּכוֹרָךְ שֶׁהוּא פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם לְאִמּוֹ
אוֹ בָּעֵית לְפָדוֹתוֹ בְּעַד חָמֵשׁ סִלְעִים
כְּדִמְחַיַּבְתְּ מִדְּאוֹרַיְתָא.
Sephardi
Mai ba'eit tefei
Lemetan li binach bechorach shehu peter rechem le'imo
O ba'eit lefadoto be'ad chamesh sila'im
Kedimchayavt mid'oraita.
English
Which do you prefer: to give me your firstborn son, the first birth of his mother, or to redeem him for five selas as you are bound to do according to the Torah?