Is A Pidyon Haben a Zchus or Not?

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Seraph

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 5:12 am

People say "I was zoche to have a pidyon haben".
Why is it a zchus? The reason people make a pidyon haben is because bechorim were mekudash to serve Hashem, but they lost the zchus during the chet ha'egel, and kohanim and leviim got to be Hashem's helpers instead.
So the fact that a bechor yisrael has to have a pidyon is just a reminder that bnei yisrael sinned with the chet ha'egel but shevet levi didn't.

So I'd say Baruch Hashem, no pidyon Haben here- my ancestors didn't sin with the chet ha'egel.

Marion

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 5:23 am

It's a zchut for the child, at the very least. That his parents know enough, care enough, and are makpid enough, to make sure it's done. And any mitzvah you do is a zchut; why should this one be different?

Last edited by Marion on Thu, Jan 27 2011, 5:33 am; edited 1 time in total

Strawberry

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 5:26 am

It is a zechus to do a mitzvah.

Sherri

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 6:34 am

Strawberry wrote:

It is a zechus to do a mitzvah.

Inspired

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 7:17 am

Strawberry wrote:

It is a zechus to do a mitzvah.

YEP.

Isramom8

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 7:22 am

Good point, Seraph!
And good point, everyone else!
In this case both parts are true.

Grandmama

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 8:45 am

I am a bas levi, so my bechor had no pidyon haben. In our family, we hardly heard of one, because whenever there was a birth it was usually a girl, and if a boy, we were all unable to make one.
So Pidyon Habens were quite rare.
It is said that if you eat by a pidyon haben, it is as though you fasted 80 full fasts.
It is a very special simcha.

So when my son was having his first, I was already shopping for a pidyon haben, not even knowing what he was having. I was so excited to have the possibility to make one, and he told me later that when he drove his wife to the hospital, the only concern on his mind, was what will I tell my mother if I have a girl?
Well BH he had a boy, and we made the most amazing pidyon haben ever!
We had over 250 people, and we made it very memorable for everyone.
I am still hearing about it ten years later.

Yes it is a zchus.

Seraph

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 11:37 am

Lehavdil, burying a meis is a mitzva. Do you say "B'h I was zoche to bury my parent" ch'v? No way! Something can be a big mitzva and still not a "special zchus".

Ruchel

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 11:39 am

Some use zoche in weird ways. After I gave birth someone on Imamother said I was sick but "zoche to a lot of help" Rolling Eyes

zoche shmoche...

saw50st8

Thu, Jan 27 2011, 12:25 pm

It was much nicer than the bris IMO. Its a month after birth, not a week. You feel and look better. The baby isn't being sliced and diced. You get to socialize with family and friends.

Like I mentioned in the other thread, this was a huge deal in my family because it had been 60 years since the previous one. My grandmother gave us silver coins she had brought with her from Germany to redeem our son. The whole thing was very special.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Jan 31 2011, 10:22 am

There is a misconception here, BTW.

If the mother or the CHILD is a kohein or levi (or bas one), there is no pidyon. NOT if the father is one.

Where does this apply? Let's say the father married someone he was not allowed to because of his kehuna status-- the child does not have a pidyon.

The mitzvah was given AFAIK before cheit haegel, and it has to do with makas bechoros.
The mitzvah itself is not a genai.

After the cheit haegel, bechorei yisroel lost their status to serve in the BHM"K and that's why they redeem to a kohein.

I think it's silly to use the argument that you are lucky not to make one because your ancestors didn't sin. You DID have ancestors who sinned -- through other parents. The father might be a yisroel, and the kid himself is still a yisroel. Unless only kohanim/leviim intramarried throughout your entire lineage, you have ancestors that sinned.

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