Last week Fraida and I were blessed with a son. Thank G-d everyone is well and healthy. The plan was to have a Friday morning bris. One of the halachic requirements for a proper bris is that it is done on the eighth day. However, the bris can only be performed if the baby is healthy enough.
The Mohel will often ask about the baby’s bilirubin level. Whilst our son had a normal level while in the hospital, it kept climbing, and therefore needed to be monitored daily.
At the moment of this writing, I do not know if he will have his bris on time (tomorrow), leaving us little time to prepare!
Which brings me to a thought on the parsha and on life. This week’s Torah portion is called Chukas - which translates as decree.
There are mitzvot that make sense for society, i.e., don't kill, don't steal. There are mitzvot that commemorate which also makes sense, i.e., Passover and Chanukah. Then there are mitzvot that are beyond logic, i.e., not mixing wool and linen, kosher etc.
One of the purposes of the mitzvot that are beyond comprehension is to follow them in an act of commitment and subservience to G-d. To accept that G-d is greater than us.
The most self-serving act we can do is one of being selfless. To stop worshiping at the altar of "I" and start worshiping something greater than ourselves.
It's not easy to plan a bris when you don't know the plan. However, Parshas Chukas tells us (and the bris saga is teaching me) that G-d is the One who is really in charge. The more I serve him the way He wants, the more I become a vessel to express G-dliness in the world.
I am not holding there yet, but I am going to work on getting out of G-d’s way to allow G-d in. As they say in the recovery community: to let go and let G-d.
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman
P.S. Bris is not tomorrow, info will be emailed when it is available...
Special thanks to the Mohel Rabbi YC Sufrin for his assistance https://www.traditionalbris.com/