ThingsIDidn'tWantToKnowAbout

 

The pidyon haben, (Hebrew: פדיון הבן‎) or redemption of the first born son, is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is redeemed by use of silver coins from his birth-state of sanctity. The redemption is attained by giving five silver coins to a Kohen (a patrilineal descendant of the priestly family of Aaron).  

          It says in Numbers:

And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites ... And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

The Shulkhan Arukh states that when a Jewish woman gives birth to a firstborn male by natural means, then the child must be "redeemed". The father of the child must "redeem" the child from a known Kohen representing the original Temple priesthood, for the sum of five silver Shekels, or equivalent in country's currency (if it has silver currency of the correct weight).

Well this is awkward...