**Yes, in a specific traditional practice called *metzitzah b'peh* (or metzitzah b'peh, "suction by mouth"), performed by some mohels during a *brit milah* (bris).**
### What Happens in the Ritual
A standard *brit milah* involves three main steps (from traditional sources like the Mishnah and Talmud):
- **Milah**: Cutting off the foreskin.
- **Periah**: Tearing back the inner mucosal membrane.
- **Metzitzah**: Suction to draw blood from the wound, believed in ancient times to promote healing and reduce risk.
In *metzitzah b'peh*, the mohel (ritual circumciser) places his mouth directly on the infant's genital wound and sucks blood away. This is the step that matches the phrasing in your question.
### Context and Prevalence
- **Not all brises**: This is a minority practice today, mainly among certain ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) communities. Most Jewish denominations (Reform, Conservative, many Modern Orthodox) and even many traditional mohels use alternatives like a sterile tube, pipette, gauze, or no direct oral contact. Leading rabbis in the 19th century already permitted non-oral methods.
- **Historical rationale**: Ancient texts saw it as a medical precaution in an era before germ theory. The Talmud states a mohel who doesn't perform metzitzah "creates a danger." Modern understanding views direct oral suction as unhygienic.
- **Health concerns**: Public health authorities (e.g., NYC Department of Health) link it to risks of transmitting viruses like herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) from the mohel to the baby, with documented infant infections and deaths in rare cases. Some communities require consent forms; others defend it as protected religious practice.
In short, **yes, it does happen in some traditional brises**, but it's far from standard across Judaism and is highly debated for safety reasons. The mohel is typically a trained specialist (not always a rabbi per se). For more details, sources like Wikipedia's Brit Milah page or official health department info provide balanced overviews.