Summary

G'd told Abram that He wanted to make a covenant with Abram and his descendants for all future generations. One may influence a Heavenly decree of punishment by changing one's name, one's deeds and one's place of residence. G'd told Abram that he should circumcise himself and with this new deed his name would be changed into "Abraham". As long as the foreskin is present it is as if one has a blemish. The wicked Roman Emperor Turnus Rufus cunningly asked Rabbi Akiva: "Whose work is superior, G'd's or man's?" Every commandment has a purpose, and when we observe them we become more refined and better equipped to fulfill our purpose in life. Just like it is incumbent upon the parents to bring their son's body to perfection, in the same way they are obligated to educate their child and bring his character traits and deeds to perfection. Turnus Rufus' battle has been reinvented by modern-day humanists who claim that they want to protect the new-born babies from parents mutilating their bodies. Circumcision is a special stamp that G'd has instructed His chosen people to imprint on the organ of reproduction for all generations. The Prophet Jeremiah issued a strong statement that serves as a warning against those who try to tamper with G'd's commandment to Abraham and his offspring to circumcise themselves.

Covenant for future generations

Towards the end of this week's parasha, the Torah relates how G'd told Abram that He wanted to make a covenant with Abram and his descendants for all future generations. But in order to enter this covenant, Abram would have to make several changes.

Change Heavenly decree

The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16b) teaches that if there is a Heavenly decree of punishment against a person, there are several ways one can try to change the decree. First of all, one must constantly pray and cry out to G'd for mercy, as well as dispense charity generously. Besides that, says the Talmud, one may influence the Heavenly decree by changing one's name, one's deeds and one's place of residence.

Abram's many changes

In the beginning of this week's parasha, G'd had already instructed Abram to change his residence and leave his birthplace and paternal home and go to the Land of Israel. Now G'd told Abram that he should circumcise himself and with this new deed his name would be changed into "Abraham". At the same time, his wife's name would be changed from Sarai to Sarah. These changes would have a major impact on their life. For till then, they had not been able to have children together. But now they would have a son despite their advanced age.

Blemish of the foreskin

Before G'd instructed Abraham with the details of the covenant, G'd said to him (Bereishis 17:1): "Walk before Me and be perfect." Rashi quotes the Midrash Rabbah (46:4) that explains that as long as the foreskin is present it is as if one has a blemish. Only after it has been cut away is the person perfect.

Wicked Rufus

This raises an obvious question. If a male is only perfect without the foreskin, why did G'd create males with a foreskin? The Midrash Tanchuma (Tazria 5) relates how the wicked Roman Emperor Turnus Rufus cunningly asked Rabbi Akiva: "Whose work is superior, G'd's or man's?" Rabbi Akiva understood what the emperor was getting at and answered, "man's work is superior." As if to prove his point, Rabbi Akiva brought the emperor some raw kernels and fresh baked bread and said, "Do you not agree that the bread is superior to the raw kernels?" Now that his ruse had been outsmarted by Rabbi Akiva, Turnus Rufus asked straight out, "If G'd wants that a boy shall be circumcised, why is he not born that way?" Rabbi Akiva responded, "And what about the fact that the baby is born with the umbilical cord attaching it to its mother, that needs to be cut after the birth?" With this Rabbi Akiva indicated that just like no one would suggest that, since a baby is born attached to its mother, it means that G'd wants it to stay like that. In the same way, there is no reason to suggest that because boys are born with the foreskin, it means that G'd wants it to remain. Rabbi Akiva concluded and said that G'd does not give us commandments because He needs our help. He does so in order to purify and elevate us to reach our purpose.

Every commandment has a purpose

Rabbi Akiva's final words teach us an important lesson that applies to all commandments in the Torah. We have two kinds of commandments. Some we can understand, such as the prohibition against murder and stealing. Others are beyond our comprehension, for example the dietary laws prohibiting mixing meat and milk, or the prohibition against wearing garments made of wool and linen. But every commandment has a purpose, and when we observe them we become more refined and better equipped to fulfill our purpose in life.

Parent's obligation to educate

The Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 2) explains how we can understand the rationale why G'd left it for the parents to circumcise their new-born son. Just like it is incumbent upon the parents to bring their son's body to perfection through circumcision. In the same way, they are obligated to educate their child and bring his character traits and deeds to perfection.

Rufus' battle reinvented

Turnus Rufus was part of the Hellenistic and Roman culture that idolized the human body and therefore strongly opposed circumcision. This is directly antithetical to the Torah's teaching not to let the body run supreme but to subdue it to the mind. Turnus Rufus' battle has been reinvented by modern-day humanists who claim that they want to protect the new-born babies from parents mutilating their bodies. However, the truth is that any attack against the commandment of circumcision, and the way it has been performed since G'd instructed our patriarch Abraham, is an attack against G'd and His Torah.

Special stamp

The commandment of circumcision has been observed right up till today by the vast majority of the Jewish people, often with great sacrifice and under difficult situations. Even people who otherwise are somewhat slack in their observance have always been scrupulous in making sure that their son is circumcised. We know intuitively and understand that this is a very fundamental commandment. It is a special stamp that G'd has instructed His chosen people to imprint on the organ of reproduction for all generations.

Strong warning

The Prophet Jeremiah (33:25) says in the name of G'd: "If not for My covenant day and night, the laws of [nature of] heaven and earth will discontinue." The Midrash Tanchuma (20) explains that this covenant refers to circumcision. These are powerful words, and they stand as a strong warning to those who try to tamper with G'd's commandment to Abraham, that he and his offspring shall circumcise themselves according to G'd's instruction.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett