nothing but a bris

The entire morning was a mad rush to set up the tables, arrange the chairs, cut up the fruit, and slice the bagels. There was no time to think, no time to wonder what this was all for. Not a second to worry and not a moment to anticipate the arrival of this beautiful child. Yes, I have already held him in my arms and stared for long periods of time into his face, so perhaps in a sense he has already arrived. But today is a different type of arrival. Today he will finally be able to join our nation. It is nothing but a bris, but a bris is really everything isn't it. Just the thought of the miracle I am about to witness makes me smile.
I am standing in the back when it finally starts. The loud voice of the mohel bellows out, "bruchim habaim" to the couple chosen to carry the baby. The passing of the baby from the arms of one loving person into the arms of another. His mother is standing by me, tears leaking down her eyes, her shoulders shaking silently as she watches her baby travel farther and farther away from her to a place that seems more spiritual than physical. I am shivering, shaking, smiling, tearing, laughing all at once. He is about to become a Jew. He is about to connect with G-d in a way that brings spiritual and physical together. How do you put that into words?
I look at his mother. She sacrificed so much to join this nation, for her it was not an accident of birth, not so simple as being laid on a pillow and involuntarily carried away to be marked as a believer of HaShem. She gave so much to be here and gained more than any o fus understand. She is now zocheh to have another son join this beautiful nation. She is now zocheh to hear the cry of her baby as the bris is performed and to welcome her child back into her arms with the shouts of mazel tov ringing all around her. With song she welcomes him back to her arms, with love and with faith she takes him in, with G-d she holds him tightly and keeps him safe. With all of her heart and her mind and her soul she comforts him until the tears cease and sleep comes, until the pain is just a dream. With everything she has to give she begins the beginning of his life as a Jew.
His name has the blessing of determination linked to it. It has the gift of tefillah, of torah, of strength, and of leadership. It also has the joy of dance in it, as I have found all good names do. It suits him. This baby, who a moment ago had no name at all so smoothly slides into these characteristics and into all of the power that his name holds. Suddenly his face looks a little stronger, he seems to hold his arms differently. Maybe I am just imagining it but it seems to be that he has changed just a little bit. They are now both Jews, both part of this nation. Through this they will have a home everywhere they go, they will be connected to people they have never met, suddenly everyone in the room is a brother or a sister. Suddenly everyone around me is family. We are all one. One nation, one strength. For a moment united to welcome this child to join our miraculous existence. We are zocheh to so much beauty. We merit so much good. For centuries they have tried to destroy us and yet we are still here. We walk and talk and live and breath with the name of HaShem on our lips and in our hearts. Our outside and our inside, from our minds to our feet, are focused on this one entity. This one and only G-d. I am zocheh to belong to this nation, I am zocheh to belong to this family, I am zocheh to be part of something so true and so real, and I am zocheh to see how lucky I am.
Once again I find myself zocheh to say, "Baruch she'asah lee et hanes hazot."