Ziv, you were born at home, so peacefully last saturday. Your mom went into labor in the morning and by the afternoon, you were here. Quiet, alive, peaceful. It was shabbat just in time for third meal.

You follow your older brother Remez Chayim and your older sister Shiraz Adamah as our third child. In great blessing, our family has grown in both people and in prosperity. With your arrival, we are reawakened to the grace of new life and the blessings of established relationships. Your peaceful countenace reinspires our gratitude for our blessings of health & wealth as well as family & friends.

Being both born and brought into the bris on Shabbat, your mother and I wanted to connect you to the holy day of your arrival. Given the peculiar nature of your siblings names, we also wanted to connect you to the letter Z.

So we name you Ziv Olam – radiance eternal. This name comes from yedid nefesh, the song sung at Seudat slishit. It’s a poem about yearning for closeness with G-d. Your name appears in some form, the line “hadur na’e tziv ha’olam nafshi holat ahavatecha Majestic Beautiful Radiance of the Universe, My soul pines for your love”. You are an illumination of our family’s future, of the time both before and after your birth.

So Ziv Olam, we welcome you into our family, to grow up with your brother and sister, and we welcome into the covenant, to be steadfast in your values.

Ziv, son, Shine love in our lives.

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this.