Editing Pidyon haben (section)

==Ceremony==
[[File:Presentation of the first-born, 1724, from Juedisches Ceremoniel.jpg|220px|right|thumb|''Redemption of the First-born'' (1724), from ''Juedisches Ceremoniel'']]
In the traditional ceremony, the father brings the child to the kohen and recites a formula, or responds to ritual questions, indicating that this is the Israelite mother's firstborn son and he has come to redeem him as commanded in the Torah. If the family is [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]], the kohen asks the mother if the child is indeed her firstborn son and if she did not miscarry in the past. The kohen asks the father which he would rather have, the child or the five silver [[shekel]]s which he must pay. The father states that he prefers the child to the money, then he recites a blessing and hands over five silver coins (or an equivalent amount of total silver). The kohen holds the coins over the child and declares that the redemption price is received and accepted in place of the child. He then blesses the child. (Note: The kohen would not receive the child if the father would refuse to redeem the boy. The function of the question is merely to formally endear the mitzvah to the father.<ref>{{cite book
 |title=Siddur Nachlas Shimon
 |series=The Artscroll Weekday Siddur
 |year=1997
 |publisher=Mesorah Publications
 |isbn=0899066682
 |page=220
}}</ref>)

The ceremony traditionally takes place before a [[minyan]] of 10&nbsp;men. The child is sometimes presented on a silver tray, surrounded by jewelry lent for the occasion by women in attendance. This is to contrast with the [[golden calf]], when gold and jewelry was used for a sinful purpose.<ref>{{cite web
 |title=What are some customs observed at a ''pidyon haben''?
 |series=Life cycle pidyon haben mitzvot
 |website=askmoses.com
 |url=http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/197,2068468/What-are-some-customs-observed-at-a-Pidyon-Haben.html
 |access-date=17 March 2018
}}</ref>

The event starts by beginning a [[se'udath mitzvah|festive meal]] (unlike a ''[[brit milah]]'' or [[Jewish wedding|wedding]] where the meal comes after the ceremony).<ref>{{cite web
 |title=The Halachos of Pidyon Haben
 |website=Rabbi Kaganoff (rabbikaganoff.com)
 |url=http://rabbikaganoff.com/archives/251
 |access-date=2014-05-05 |url-status=live
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505212509/http://rabbikaganoff.com/archives/251
 |archive-date=2014-05-05
}}</ref> If the family is Sephardic, the event starts with the ceremony. Guests in some places are given cloves of garlic and cubes of sugar to take home: these strongly flavored foods can be used to flavor a large quantity of food which will in some sense extend the mitzvah of participation in the ceremony to all who eat them.