SHOLOM ZOCHOR

SOURCE AND REASON

A meal of thanks since the Established on Friday (Shabbos) night
‫)'תוספות )ב"ק פ‬
child was saved and born since that is a common time that all
‫תרומת הדשן‬
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
‫)ט"ז )יו"ד סי' רס"ה סקי"ג‬
seeing the Queen first; Shabbos must occur within the prior
‫ע"פ המדרש וזוהר‬
Shabbos Queen prepares seven days
the child for the Milah
Visit the child since he is
The word Zochor means remembering ‫הדרישה‬
like a mourner due to the
(does not mean male); blessing child (‫)יו"ד סי' רס"ד סוף אות ב‬
loss of the Torah that was
to remember the Torah in the future ‫ע"פ מגדל עוז‬
learned in the womb
Segulah for the child to fulfill the oath ‫מגדל עוז להיעב"ץ‬
First Mitzvah of the new
to do mitzvos taken by the soul at
child is Shabbos ‫לחם הפנים‬
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 ‫ספר מטעמים‬
also free from sins like a marriage, so too with the child ‫אות שלום‬
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 ‫ספר חסידות עורך שבת‬
following week (Pesach & Milah) of following week

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.
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