On this Shabbat it is with great joy that we welcome Yoav Zvi, our beautiful healthy baby boy, into our family and into the Jewish people.
The first parsha read in the month of Elul is Parshat Shoftim. Moshe speaks to B’nei Israel primarily about the setting up of a system of Judges.
Parshat Shoftim’s haftorah is the fourth of a series of seven "Haftarot of Consolation." These seven haftarot commence on the Shabbat following Tisha b'Av and continue until Rosh Hashanah
The haftorah comes from Isaiah and features Hashem, speaking through Yishayuhu the Navi, contrasting the situation of Israel while in exile to the way things will be at the time of the redemption. In many ways it continues the Parsha's theme of justice. Ultimately, Israel will be returned to the Land and our oppressors will be punished.
In the last section of the Haftorah (52:7-9) the Navi prophesies the coming of Eliyahu Hanavi who will herald the arrival of Mashiach and the rebuilding of Yeruyshalayim.
Specifically in perek 52, pasuk 7 Hashem tells B’nei Israel, and through extension, to each of us: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that announcer of peace, the harbinger of good tidings, that announcer salvation; who says to Israel: 'Thy God is King!”
The comfort afforded B’nei Israel at the time of Yishayahu comes to comfort us as well between the time of Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah, the hardest time in our history and the day of judgment. Hashem is our King and will redeem us with Mashiach, please speedily and soon.
The theme of Hashem as king is fundamental in the coming months of preparation for and the observance of the High Holidays. As we learn here, Hashem, as our king, will send Mashiach. We learn during this time of year that Hashem is also our loving father.
Elsewhere in the Navi King David’s nephew and army general, Yoav, whose name means “the Lord is our Father”, can teach us many things.
In the case of our naming our son after this Biblical Hero we focus both on the meaning of his name and on his relationships with his siblings and his relationship with Hashem as his Father.
Yoav is first introduced in the Navi with his mother’s name (thus letting us know his relationship with King David) and with the names of his two brothers, Avishi and Asahel.
Asahel loves his oldest brother so much that he risks and ultimately gives his life for his brother Yoav. Yoav, in turn, revenges his brother’s death, and in that act, some say, kills unnecessarily. Yoav, it is clear, is forgiven by Hashem, his Father, for loving his brother with such vehemence.
Yoav’s relationship with his other brother, Avishi, is one of love and mutual respect. While Yoav is army general he uses Avishi, on multiple occasions, as his second in command.
Our new born son, Yoav, comes to us in the month of Elul, reminding us that Hashem is our Father, who loves us, just as the Haftorah read during the week of his birth reminds us that Hashem is our King.
We pray that just as King David’s nephew has a special and loving relationship with each of his two younger siblings our son Yoav will have a special relationship with each of his two old siblings.
Yoav should always remember that Hashem loves him as a father. We know Yoav will always love each of his siblings as a sister, as a friends, as someone special in his life and as some one to respect and love always.
Yoav’s middle name Zvi is from David’s great- uncle Harry Potter, whose Hebrew name was Zvi. While David did not know his great-uncle well one famous story we hope Yoav Zvi will learn from and strive to emulate.
When Harry was sick and in the hospital just prior to his death he would go to visit the children’s ward to try to cheer up the children who were there. He was often found giving out autographs to the children, signing: the original Harry Potter. This got to be such a big thing that at one point he receive a letter from Scholastic telling him he was going to be sued if he continued. Of course, once Scholastic truly knew what Harry was doing any lawsuit was dropped and he continued giving autographs to sick children until his death. We pray that Yoav Zvi learns to love and care for others from his great great uncle Harry Zvi Potter.
We thank Hashem, on this special simcha, for sending to us Yoav Zvi as a young man who will bring to B’nei Israel the love of Hashem as our father, the love of a brother to his sisters, and the love of children to their heroes.
Thank you, Hashem, for being both our Father and our King and we pray that as we prepare for the holidays of Tishre we are deserving of your judgment and your love.