The Bris

"**The Bris**"
"The Bris"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 5; Episode 5
Directed by	Tom Cherones
Written by	Larry Charles
Production code	505
Original air date	October 14, 1993
Guest appearances
	Charles Levin as Mohel; Debra Mooney as Mrs. Sweedler; Tom Alan Robbins as Stan; Jeannie Elias as Myra; John Gegenhuber as Resident; Tia Riebling as Woman; Frank Noon as Patient;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Sniffing Accountant"	Next →; "The Lip Reader"
	List of episodes

"The Bris" is the 69th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the fifth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on October 14, 1993.^[1] The story centers on the bris for the newborn child of two of Jerry and Elaine's friends. Jerry and Elaine struggle in the role of godparents, while Kramer objects to the entire concept of the bris and attempts to prevent the baby from being circumcised.

Plot[edit]

Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer go to meet friends Stan and Myra, who have just had a baby. George gets a parking spot right in front of the hospital. A mental patient jumps from the roof and lands on George’s car. George attempts to get the hospital to pay for the damages, but the director refuses and insinuates that George is running a scam. Meanwhile, Kramer stumbles into the wrong room at the hospital (1937 instead of 1397) and becomes convinced that he has seen a "pig man" (half-pig, half-man). He espouses a conspiracy theory concerning the government and genetic mutation leading to pig-men armies.

Jerry and Elaine agree to be the newborn baby's godparents. Jerry uses the role as a prompt to perform impersonations of Marlon Brando's character from The Godfather, but his friends are severely unimpressed. They are obligated to arrange the bris, which involves Elaine booking a mohel and Jerry holding the baby during the circumcision. Kramer, disturbed by the concept of the bris, upsets the mother with descriptions of circumcision and seizes the baby in an unsuccessful rescue attempt. The mohel is extremely irritable and high-strung and implies that he was charged with malpractice due to a botched circumcision on at least one previous occasion. Made increasingly nervous by this, Jerry flinches as the circumcision gets underway, and the twitching mohel cuts Jerry's finger, which causes George to faint. The four go to the hospital, where the baby's circumcision is performed and the parents have to break up a fight between Jerry and the mohel. Jerry's finger is stitched up. Kramer finds the "pig man" and "liberates" him from the hospital. The "pig man" steals George's car, which was again conveniently parked. A sheepish Kramer admits that the "pig man" is actually "a fat little mental patient".

Stan and Myra strip Jerry and Elaine of their role as godparents, deciding they prefer Kramer due to the concern he expressed for the baby. Pleased, Kramer performs an off-the-cuff impersonation of The Godfather which far eclipses Jerry's.

Production[edit]

Jason Alexander, who is Jewish, considered the portrayal of the mohel to be offensive and hated the characterization. He argued with Larry David, threatening to boycott the episode if he did not rewrite the character. David softened the portrayal, but Alexander refused to appear in any scenes with the character.^[2] Alexander ultimately does appear in the bris scene with the mohel character and even converses with him before passing out.

References[edit]

^ "Seinfeld Season 5 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
^ Armstrong, Jennifer Keishin (June 6, 2017). Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1476756110.

External links[edit]

"The Bris" at IMDb

[tvguide-1] "Seinfeld Season 5 Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2 December 2021.

[2] Armstrong, Jennifer Keishin (June 6, 2017). Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1476756110.

[1]

[2]

v t e Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy"
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend"† "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip"† "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"†
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats"† "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100"† "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac"† "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit"† "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode