When Rav Shlomo Kluger, obm , was accepted to his position as a new Rav, one of the first events he was invited to was a Bris Milah/circumcision. At the bris, instead of starting promptly as is the custom, he noticed that everybody was waiting around and the bris was not proceeding. He inquired about the delay and was told that the father of the baby was sick in the next room, on his death bed. The people told him they were waiting to see if the father was indeed going to expire that day, so that they could then name the baby after the father. Rabbi Kluger was aghast. He ordered that the bris take place immediately and without any further delay! They asked Rav Kluger why he insisted on performing the bris so quickly. He explained, I have two reasons. Firstly, there is a concept of Zerizim Makdimim LMitzvos, that one should always do a mitzvah as soon as possible. Naming a baby after a father does not justify a delay in performing a mitzvah. Secondly, the merit of the mitzvah will serve as a zechus/merit to heal the father. I want this particularly with the mitzvah of Bris Milah, because Eliyahu HaNavi comes whenever a bris is performed. Once Eliyahu HaNavi is here, I can ask him to step next door and heal the father as well. At the Ravs urging, the bris was performed immediately, and shortly thereafter, the father made a miraculous recovery!
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:59:41 +0000
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