- Object Name:
- Pidyon Ha-Ben Plate
- Place Made:
- Lwów (Lviv, Ukraine)
- Date:
- 1825
- Medium:
- Silver: repoussé and engraved
- Dimensions:
- 10 3/16 × 13 15/16 in. (25.9 × 35.4 cm)
- Credit Line:
- The Rose and Benjamin Mintz Collection
- Accession Number:
- M 249
Not On View
A month after birth, the ceremony of pidyon ha-ben—during which a firstborn son is redeemed from serving in the Temple—traditionally takes place. Originally a duty of every firstborn male, the sacred service was later restricted to members of the tribe of Levi and is redeemed with five shekels. These coins are sometimes presented on decorated plates. Larger trays are frequently used to present the baby during the ceremony.
Information may change as a result of ongoing research.