There are three steps that each Jewish family is required to take after the birth of a son, especially if this is the first son. On the eighth day, the child is circumcised. At this time the child is named. Then, after the child is 40 days old, he is ransomed. As the first born, he is dedicated to God, in a reflection on the Passover experience in Egypt. The final step is the purification of the mother after forty days.
