High Fiving the Sandak

I have never done this before. But today, before the baby was on the sandak's lap, I let out a whoop and gave the sandak a high-five.

Here's the background.

Before the baby gets put on the sandak's lap, and after the baby is on his lap, I speak with him briefly, giving him instructions for how he is to hold the baby, etc.

When his legs are in the position they will remain in for the circumcision (remember, baby will be on a pillow which will be resting on sandak's lap), often with at least one pillow on his lap, I typically ask the sandak, "Are you comfortable?"

It's both a serious question, and the set up for an old Henny Youngman punchline you'll find at the end below the line.


Most sandaks are not fully paying attention, or the question catches them off guard, and they simply answer "Yes. I'm good."

At which point I tell him, "You're supposed to say, 'I make a nice living.'"

TODAY, I had the sandak in position with the first pillow - the baby was still being held by his father. I said to the sandak, the baby's maternal grandfather, "Are you comfortable?"

He hesitated for half-a-second and said, "I make a nice living."

BAM! No one has done that before, and he nailed it. Made my day!

So I gave a whoop and gave him a high-five, because he and I were so in SYNC.

He told me afterwards that he wasn't sure if I was being serious (I was, but also setting up a joke for him if he caught it, and he did!), hence the hesitation. But he decided to go with it, in case I was looking for a laugh.

I'm STILL chuckling about it.

Good times.

___________________________________
A Jewish man got hit by a car: “A policeman comes over and places a blanket over him and asks: ‘Are you comfortable?’ The man replies: ‘I make a nice living.’ ”