Circumcision A Sign of the Covenant

The information in this learning piece about brit milah was gleaned from Carl Astor's chapter "The Jewish Life Cycle" in the Rabbinical Assembly's book, The Observant Life.

The beginning of the Torah tells two distinct stories.  The first is the story of the “universal history” of humankind.  It begins with the story of creation, moves on to the story of Noah, and ends with the story of the Tower of Babel.  The second story is the patriarchal history of the Jewish people.  It is largely a biographical history of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  It begins with Abraham’s call in Haran to found a nation that will enter into a covenant with G-d.  According to the Torah point of view, the call was to establish a moral order in the world that had so sorely failed to “walk with G-d” in past generations.

In today’s Torah portion, we read about the introduction of circumcision as a ritual act by which the covenant between G-d and man is acknowledged by Abraham and all his male relatives.  The commandment to circumcise all Jewish male offspring is very specific.  “Every male among you shall be circumcised.  You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between me and you.  At the age of eight days every male among you shall be circumcised throughout your generations…he that is born in the household or purchased with money from any stranger who is not ofyour off spring.  He that is born in your household or purchased with your money shall surely be circumcised.  Thus My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.  An uncircumcised male the flesh of whose foreskin shall not be circumcised…that soul shall be cut off from its people; he has invalidated My covenant.”

The purpose of Brit Milah is to mark the covenant with G-d in a physical way and it is part of our obligation to fulfill mitzvoth.  On G-d’s part, His part of the covenant was a promise made to protect and watch over us.

Brit Milah, circumcision, is indeed a Toraitic commandment found in Lech L’cha.  It is repeated once again in Leviticus 12:2-3 which states, “when a woman gives birth to a boy….his foreskin shall be removed on the eighth day of his life.” 

It might be asked, why would the sign of the covenant be one that is rarely seen by anyone other than the individual bearing the sign?  The answer that has been found most compelling is “simply that the penis is the organ of generation- the Torah reflects an understanding of the human reproductive process that was current in antiquity- and the covenant, for it to be historically and spiritually meaningful, must be passed on from generation to generation.  Therefore, the organ of generation is the ideal place to bear its sign.” (The Observant Life)

Fathers are obligated to circumcise their sons, but as you know, that obligation is usually designated to a moheil who acts as the agent of the father.   There of course are individuals one of whom I know intimately who have had the moheil set up the shield prior to the cutting and have done the actual cutting themselves.  If a Jewish father is not present in the life of the child, it is the Jewish mother’s obligation to ensure that brit milah occurs.  Even if a Jewish father is present, but he does not want to fulfill his obligation, then a Jewish mother is obligated to step in fulfill that commandment in a timely manner.

What if a Jewish parent forgoes circumcising their infant son?  Then the responsibility for that act becomes encumbent upon the young man himself upon reaching the age of Bar Mitzvah. 

Although performance of the ritual act is of extreme importance in Judaism, a male’s Jewish identity is not abdicated if the mitzvah was not performed by his parents.  Uncircumcised sons of Jewish mothers are still Jewish.

An halachik brit milah can take place anywhere, in the hospital, the at home, or in a synagogue.  It is not necessary to have a minyan present in order to perform the ceremony.  It is “deemed kosher even if only the parents, the baby, and the moheil are present.”  The brit milah, however, cannot take place before 8 days if it is to be considered ritually valid.  If an individual discovers later in life that he was circumcised in a “non religious” way, then according to Jewish law, he is required to undergo a ceremony called hatafat dam ha brit , drawing a drop of blood from the shaft of the penis just behind the corona, carried out by a moheil, a qualified Rabbi, or an observant Jewish physician.

As with all Jewish rituals that have held significance for our ancestors and us for the past 4,500 years, there are those individuals who choose new patterns to welcome their sons into the covenant of Israel .  The newest of which is a ceremony known as Brit Shalom, Circumcision Without Cutting.  Of the 50 listed participating Rabbis and celebrants of this new ritual, most are designated as coming from Secular Humanistic congregations.  In fact the official policy statement on circumcision by the Leadership Conference in 2002 of  Secular Humanistic Judaism, states, “We, the Leadership Conference of Secular and Humanistic Jews, mindful of both our commitments to Jewish identity and to gender equality, affirm that:

We welcome into the Jewish community all who identify with the history, culture and fate of the Jewish people. Circumcision is not required for Jewish identity. 

We support parents making informed decisions whether or not to circumcise their sons. We affirm their right to choose, and we accept and respect their choice. 

Naming and welcoming ceremonies should be egalitarian. We recommend separating circumcision from welcoming ceremonies. 

The Conservative Movement on the other hand, is promoting brit milah by training observant Jewish physicians to serve as moheilim when none are available in smaller communities.  Brit Milah is a religious act not a medical act, according to our new guide book called the Observant Life, and is to be evaluated solely on its own terms.

Shabbat Shalom.