Jonah's Bris

Jonah's Bris was this morning, here is the speech Mandy and I made to our 150 guests.
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Mandy and I would like to thank everyone for being here today to join us in this simchah. The fact that so many people came out to participate in our fulfilling the mitzvah of Brit Milah, is an indication of the amount of love and warmth that will be with Jonah his entire life.

We’d like to thank out parents, for being such great role models. You’ve set the bar for parenting, and we’ll do our best to live up to it… and when we miss the mark, I’m sure one of you will be there to set us straight. We love you all very much, and it’s with great pleasure that we were able to make grand parents out of you. To the four of you, and all the uncles, aunts, cousins and friends, thank you in advance for the many hours of free baby-sitting that we’ll be taking advantage of as soon as possible.

Jonah arrived in a month full of simhahs. We just celebrated our 5^th anniversary. Mandy’s parents are about to celebrate their 40^th, my parents, their 35^th, and my sister is absent this morning, because she is preparing for her wedding, taking place this evening. Mazal Tov to everyone, and may we share many more together.

Naming a child is one of the most important decisions new parents make. The Talmud (Berachot 7b) teaches that a Hebrew name has an influence on its bearer. Hence, it was extremely important to name our baby after individuals with positive character traits who have led fortunate lives and have helped bring goodness to the world. Mandy and I had many such people to choose from. All of our grand parents would have been worthy choices. We all miss them dearly, and we know that while they are no longer with us in body, they are with us today in spirit, and their memory will now be passed on to a new generation.

It is said that parents are actually blessed with prophesy when naming their newborn babies so that they will choose names which aptly describe their children's personas and their destinies in life.

We named our baby Yosheph Aharon. Yoseph, after my Zada Joe (Z”L”), my father’s father, and Aharon, after Mandy’s Zada Harry (Z”L”), her father’s father. The tallis that my father wore while the Brit was performed, belonged to my Zada Joe, and has now been passed on to Jonah.

When a child is named after the deceased, the latter's soul is elevated to a higher realm in heaven and a spiritual affinity is created between the soul of the departed and the soul of the newborn child.

Master of the universe, may your spirit and the souls of Zada Joe, Zada Harry, and all of our loved ones watch over Yoseph Aharon ben Yerachiel Mayer and guide Mandy and I with strength and wisdom so that we may raise our son according to your will… Amen.

L’chaim!