Just the Beginning

“Whoever has built a house… planted a vineyard… is engaged to be married… Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man… [will complete it].” (Devarim 20:5–7)

ASa nation, we’re used to celebrating beginnings. We’re enjoying the first course at a chasunah, accompanied by light music  and conversation. Suddenly the band pumps up the music and the new couple is escorted into the hall: “Introducing for the very first time….” The volume is deafening, and the dancing starts with excitement.

At a bris, everyone stands around schmoozing until the mohel shouts: “Baruch Haba!” A hush immediately follows, as this eight-day-old baby is welcomed into the Jewish community.

And let’s not forget a bar mitzvah! This boy is finally an adult — counted as part of the community.

Each event celebrates the beginning of reaching a milestone (Rabbi Yaacov Haber, TorahLab).

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve attended a pidyon haben. My mother’s a bas Kohein, which nixed any cousins’ pidyons, and my siblings and I all had girls first. So it was with tremendous hakaras hatov that we were zocheh to celebrate the pidyon haben of our grandson a few weeks ago.

It was a late summer Motzaei Shabbos affair, as the actual day had come out on Shabbos. I was rushing, pressured, trying to get everything ready in time.

Then the moment came, and we placed the baby on the grand silver tray, a family heirloom a friend had lent me.

There he lay in all his splendor, surrounded by the jewelry that had been handed over graciously by all the female guests.