Shalom Zachor

SHOLOM ZOCHOR SOURCE AND REASON A meal of thanks since the Established on Friday (Shabbos) night child was saved and born since that is a common time that all alive people are available to gather together One should not make an offering to the King without The Milah is on the eighth day; thus, a seeing the Queen first; Shabbos must occur within the prior Shabbos Queen prepares seven days the child for the Milah Visit the child since he is The word Zochor means remembering like a mourner due to the (does not mean male); blessing child loss of the Torah that was to remember the Torah in the future learned in the womb Segulah for the child to fulfill the oath First Mitzvah of the new to do mitzvos taken by the soul at child is Shabbos the time of birth ‫לזכור את בוראו‬ The child is called a chasan Celebrate and wish blessings with the (bridegroom) ‫;חתן דמים‬ chasan on the Shabbos prior to the also free from sins like a marriage, so too with the child chasan ‫שמח – שבת מילה חתונה‬ ‫זכר גמט' ברכה‬ Preparation for the mitzvah Tenth of Nisan in Egypt (Shabbos) to occur during the started preparations for 2 bloods following week (Pesach & Milah) of following week

‫)'תוספות )ב"ק פ‬ ‫תרומת הדשן‬ ‫)ט"ז )יו"ד סי' רס"ה סקי"ג‬ ‫ע"פ המדרש וזוהר‬ ‫הדרישה‬ (‫)יו"ד סי' רס"ד סוף אות ב‬ ‫ע"פ מגדל עוז‬ ‫מגדל עוז להיעב"ץ‬ ‫לחם הפנים‬ ‫ספר מטעמים‬ ‫אות שלום‬ ‫ספר חסידות עורך שבת‬

DIFFERENT CUSTOMS When on Shabbos? Most have a custom to have the Sholom Zochor on Friday night. However, some have a custom to do this Shabbos afternoon. Others have a custom to have an event both at night and again by day. Where? Most have the custom for the Sholom Zochor at the place of the newborn. However, this is not necessary. The event can also occur without the presence of the newborn, i.e. Shul, etc. Which Shabbos? If the baby is born on Shabbos, or if the bris does not occur on-time, then this event could occur on the first Shabbos (‫ )רמ"א ופרי מגדים‬or on the Shabbos closest to the bris (‫)אות הברית‬. For the latter opinion, they bring two reasons: one, the father does not have enough time to have the event on the same night as the birth; and two, the night prior to the bris has the additional matter of a special night known as ‫וואך נאכט‬. What type of meal? Differing opinions if this is considered a seudas Mitzvah. Thus, differing opinions if this should be a full meal or just serving tasty food. The custom is to just serve tasty food items. Special types of food - since one of the reasons for this event is to “comfort” the newborn as if he is a mourner, then the custom is to serve “mourner” types of food, such as beans, These foods are round (having no beginning or end) thus, indicating the cycles of life (Torah learning will return), and they have no “mouth” since a mourner (and new born) does not initially speak (‫)פה גמט' מילה‬. Garbanzo beans (‫ )ארבעס‬are a special sign "‫ )"ארבה אותך‬I will increase your children through your using the sign of the bris Milah). Fruits, cakes and nuts are also served to indicate the reason of joyous celebration (nuts have two shells, so too the mitzvah of milah has two parts, ‫ )מילה ופריעה‬and Avrohom (after Milah) served under the (fruit) tree rolled cakes. www.practicalhalachos.blogspot.com