A few Random Items With One Common Theme

The Importance of Bedside Manner

 Thank God, I had several brisses this week, and along with them had a few unique experiences, beyond dealing directly with the parents and the baby - which is of course run-of-the-mill (though always a different dynamic).

1. First Story

At one bris, a couple who had their son circumcised a few months ago on a Shabbos (with a different mohel) asked me about something the mohel had done on Friday. He used a Probe to separate the foreskin from the glans, somewhere between 16-20 hours before the bris. They wanted to know if this is normal. (a few things emerge from this: a. it is (in my opinion) unnecessarily uncomfortable to the baby, b. it causes swelling, c. it might cause the baby to bleed)

While there may be different feelings about this, I'll tell you how I answered.

Post October 7

 Since that Holocaust-like day, when over 1200 Jews were slaughtered in a single day, there has been a sense that every Jew born since that day should serve as a replacement for someone whose life was snuffed out.

Until now, all the babies born were conceived before that fateful day, but soon the babies born will have been conceived after that time. 

Some of the names I have been introduced to in these new babies clearly were chosen to reflect the situation - one baby was named Ami Yisrael - and others have been named in a manner that suggests a deep connection to the experience of the Jewish people. 

It is always a privilege to be the mohel, and even moreso to see how deeply Jewish people living in Florida identify with Jews across the globe. 

Earlier on, everyone wanted to do something to acknowledge the plight of the hostages and to memorialize the dead. Sadly, much of that hasn't continued (most likely because being a distance away prevents us from seeing it as part of our life every day), even though we are still aware of many hostages being held and the reality of war which brings a continued rising count of fallen soldiers.

May we see better times soon. And may we all merit to perpetuate the memory of those lost as the Jewish people emerge from this challenging time with a more secure future outlined in the land.