By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
SAN DIEGO–Avraham was visited by three angels, one of whom was there to heal him after his recent bris milah (ritual circumcision). This brings to mind the following story:
Rav Shlomo Kluger ztz”l accepted a new position as Rav. Shortly thereafter, there was bris (ritual circumcision) to which he of course was invited. When he got there he saw 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 in the next room dying. In that place it was the minhag that if the father of the baby was on his deathbed on the day of a son’s bris, they would wait 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 the bris to take place immediately for two reasons:
First there is the concept of Zerizim makdimim l’mitzvos – 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 to heal the father. Particularly the mitzvah of bris milah, because when a bris in performed the malach (angel) Raphael comes down to heal the baby. Once Raphael is healing the baby he can also heal the father.
At the Rabbi’s urging the bris was performed immediately and that minhag was officially abandoned. Shortly thereafter the father made a miraculous recovery. [The foregoing true story was told by Rabbi Feivel Wagner, o.b.m.]
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Rabbi Lederman is spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah in San Diego