The Rishonim and Achronim (from the Sforno and Gra, to Rishonim at the start of Kiddushin) have a general machlokes about the nature of pidyon haben; what exactly is this transaction thing? Some hold that pidyon haben is simply one of the presents due to the Kohannim. Just like Terumah must be given to the Kohen when one has produce, as does a firstborn donkey/its replacement sheep, so too when one has a firstborn baby boy (conditions apply) one must give a certain amount of money to the Kohen. Thus, like all other mattanos keuhunah, pidyon haben ensures that we recognise the work of the Kohannim and support them for their working in the Mikdash and teaching Torah to the people, thus also maintaining our all-important social structure. Others, however, hold that piydon haben is a form of real transaction whereby the child is bought back from the Kohen. Before the pidyon haben, the baby has a certain connection to the Kehunah - one which might even result in various restrictions on the baby doing certain things (if the pidyon does not take place) - but the pidyon haben sees him bought back to his parents to become a normal non-Kohen Israelite.
One early source which seems to indicate the celebration of a shalom zachor is a comment of Rabbeinu Tam which can be found in Tosafos Bava Kamma 80a ‘lebei.’ There, Rabbeinu Tam writes that the custom was to make a se’udah soon after the birth of a baby boy as a show of gratitude to HaShem for the baby’s surviving the ordeals of birth. A doctor’s son told me that his father commented that the most dangerous journey one will ever undertake is the journey coming from the womb into the world. Every move and second is fraught with potential mishaps chas ve’shalom, and it is a huge miracle each time a baby comes out alive and healthy.
Often we take things for granted and we don’t realise that the biggest miracles in life are the ones which happen every day. Moreover, if we were continuously aware of the amazing gifts of even the most ‘basic’ things in life - like the fact that we have working senses of sight, touch, speech, hearing, etc. - then we would always be grateful, happy, and appreciative. For example, if we were cognisant of the amazing gift of sight then we’d never let anything get us down in life - any tragedy would pale into significance in the face of the gift of sight. [Picture how much a blind person would give for the ability to see for even just one day]
One of the reasons why the bris milah takes place on the eighth day is because there is an angel teaching the baby Torah in the womb, but just before the baby is born, the angel that was teaching him taps him on the mouth and causes him to forget all the Torah that he learned (so that he will have the reward for re-learning it).
Because of the loss of Torah, there is a seven day mourning period (shiva)and therefore, the bris milah takes place the next possible day, the eighth day.
The honor of kvater is given to a married couple to hint at the fact that the bris milah is compared to marriage, through the milah the baby becomes betrothed to Hashem
After spending nearly an hour just typing up a vort only to be told my session had expired, i must now write quicker and more to the point in the hope it doesn't happen again! Boruch Hashem i was blessed with a beautiful little girl a few weeks ago. Boruch Hashem mother and baby were prefectly healthy. Despite having the baby on a wednesday evening and even though everything was compltely fine Thank G-d, we were only released from the hospital at 5Pm on erev Shabbos.
After enduring Manchester's rush hour traffic leaving the city centre on a friday afternoon we eventually arrived at my Parents in law at 5:45 when Shabbos commenced at about 6:15. Thank G-d my parents in law were able to have us so that my wife and i could quickly prepare for shabbos before the time. In all the rushing i forgot about the baby and forgot the amazing miracle Hashem had granted to us. As soon as i was ready i gave my little girl a kiss and said good shabbos and left for shul (only a few minutes late) then i realised that coming up would be a chance to spend a few quality seconds with my daughter, little did i know that it would be the most emotional few seconds of my life...
Man is commanded to teach his children Torah. It is not enough that he learns Torah, goes out to shul and keeps mitzvos – he must verbally express his love for Hashem and His Torah in order for his message to get across. Women are different. The woman’s entire being emanates her emuna. Emuna is represented by the letter “mem” and we see that in every language, the word for mother always contains the letter “mem” – mummy, ima, mere, mama…etc. Whatever she is will be passed on into her children. And that is why Judaism is always passed on through the mother.
At the beginning Parshas Tazria we are told that a woman who gives birth will be tamei (spiritually impure - for none of a better word). Why is this? One answer is as follows: When something kodosh (holy) leaves the world, there becomes a void and a vacuum that is filled with tumah (spiritually impure)- this is perhaps a reason why one says Kaddish for a Jew that departs this world -ie. to fill the void from their passing with the kedusha of Kaddish...
