The Yoke of Heaven Before the Bris

The Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz once took part in a vacht nacht, the gathering held to guard a baby boy on the night before his bris, with divrei Torah and the reciting of Krias Shema. After all those present had said Krias Shema as is customary, the Rebbe told the following story.

Rav Pinchos of Koritz once approached Rav Mordechai, the chazzan of Zaslov, and asked him, "You sing at many simchos and say Shema at many vacht nachten. Tell me, why do we recite Krias Shema on the night before the bris?"

The chazzan answered, "Chazal ask in Berachos 13a why the parshah of Shema comes before the parshah of Vehayah im shamoa. They answer that first we accept the yoke of the Kingship of Heaven, and only afterward the yoke of the mitzvos. So too here. Tomorrow this baby will enter the covenant of mitzvos, so first we accept the yoke of Hashem's Kingship, by reciting Shema on the night before the bris."