Circumcision: Context and Interpretation

We Are From the Garden by Dan Nichols
We are from the garden, we are from the flood
We are from the angels singing all you need is love
We are from the mountain and the hope blowing on the wind
We are from the Holy One within
We are from the wand’rin’, we are from the dream
We are from the fight to understand what freedom means
We are from the promise and the hope for a better land
We are from the marchin’ hand in hand

Torah Study Blessing

Circumcision as a cultural practice

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, ברכות התורה

(א) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוק בְּדִבְרֵי תורָה:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Torah Blessings

(1) Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to immerse ourselves in words of Torah.

This is a picture of an ivory image from the archaeological site, Megiddo. This ivory dates back to over 1000 years BCE, to a pre-Israelite period. Notice the naked slaves -- are they circumcised? What does this ivory reveal about the practice of circumcision?

Circumcision as a sign of covenant (Brit)

בראשית י״ז:ט׳-י״ד

(ט) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֑ר אַתָּ֛ה וְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָ לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃ (י) זֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְר֗וּ בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ הִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֖ם כָּל־זָכָֽר׃ (יא) וּנְמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלַתְכֶ֑ם וְהָיָה֙ לְא֣וֹת בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם׃ (יב) וּבֶן־שְׁמֹנַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים יִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֛ם כָּל־זָכָ֖ר לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֑ם יְלִ֣יד בָּ֔יִת וּמִקְנַת־כֶּ֙סֶף֙ מִכֹּ֣ל בֶּן־נֵכָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹ֥א מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֖ הֽוּא׃ (יג) הִמּ֧וֹל ׀ יִמּ֛וֹל יְלִ֥יד בֵּֽיתְךָ֖ וּמִקְנַ֣ת כַּסְפֶּ֑ךָ וְהָיְתָ֧ה בְרִיתִ֛י בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם לִבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם׃ (יד) וְעָרֵ֣ל ׀ זָכָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִמּוֹל֙ אֶת־בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלָת֔וֹ וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מֵעַמֶּ֑יהָ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י הֵפַֽר׃ (ס)

Genesis 17:9-14

(9) God further said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring to come throughout the ages shall keep My covenant. (10) Such shall be the covenant between Me and you and your offspring to follow which you shall keep: every male among you shall be circumcised. (11) You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. (12) And throughout the generations, every male among you shall be circumcised at the age of eight days. As for the homeborn slave and the one bought from an outsider who is not of your offspring, (13) they must be circumcised, homeborn, and purchased alike. Thus shall My covenant be marked in your flesh as an everlasting pact. (14) And if any male who is uncircumcised fails to circumcise the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his kin; he has broken My covenant.”

Why do you think God needs a "sign" to mark covenant?

Circumcision as a ritual of belonging

שמות י״ב:מ״ח

(מח) וְכִֽי־יָג֨וּר אִתְּךָ֜ גֵּ֗ר וְעָ֣שָׂה פֶסַח֮ לַיהוָה֒ הִמּ֧וֹל ל֣וֹ כָל־זָכָ֗ר וְאָז֙ יִקְרַ֣ב לַעֲשֹׂת֔וֹ וְהָיָ֖ה כְּאֶזְרַ֣ח הָאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל־עָרֵ֖ל לֹֽא־יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ׃

Exodus 12:48

(48) If a stranger who dwells with you would offer the passover to Adonai, all his males must be circumcised; then he shall be admitted to offer it; he shall then be as a citizen of the country. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it.

How is the rite of circumcision being expressed in this text?
What does one gain from being circumcised?
Consider Genesis 17:14 again.

Circumcision as perfection of creation

בראשית י״ז:א׳

וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃

Genesis 17:1

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Adonai appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be perfect.

בראשית רבה מ״ו:א׳

אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן מָה הַתְּאֵנָה הַזּוֹ אֵין לָהּ פְּסֹלֶת אֶלָּא עֻקְצָהּ בִּלְבָד, הַעֲבֵר אוֹתוֹ וּבָטֵל הַמּוּם, כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם אֵין בְּךָ פְּסֹלֶת אֶלָּא הָעָרְלָה, הַעֲבֵר אוֹתָהּ וּבָטֵל הַמּוּם, (בראשית יז, א): הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֵה תָמִים.

Bereshit Rabbah 46:1

R. Judan said: In the case of a fig, its only defect is its stalk. Remove it and the blemish ceases. Thus, the Holy One Blessed be God said to Abraham, "Your only defect is this foreskin. Remove it and the blemish is cancelled. 'Walk before me and be perfect"' (Gen. 17:1). (Translation from Lewis M. Barth)

According to this midrash, what is the purpose of circumcision?
Why didn't God create men "perfect"?

Opposition to circumcision

Ancient, External Criticism:
Excerpt from Histories 5.5.8-9 by Tacitus (1st-2nd c. C.E.)

Whatever their origin, these rites are maintained by their antiquity; the other customs of the Jews are base and abominable and owe their persistence to their depravity... They adopted circumcision to distinguish themselves from other peoples by this difference.

Modern, Internal Criticism:
Israel Jacobson, Dedication Address of the First Reform Temple in 1810
"Let us be honest, my brothers. Our ritual is still weighted down with religious customs which must be rightfully offensive to reason as well as to our Christian friends."
Private letter of leading German Reformer, Rabbi Abraham Geiger:
Circumcision was "a barbaric, bloody act, which fills the father with anxiety and puts the new mother into a state of morbid tension."
Berit Milah in the Reform Context, p. 135, 144

What are the reasons that these different figures are anti-circumcision?
Where do you think these criticisms are coming from?
What other challenges might some people raise?

Closing

I wonder, which interpretation resonates most with you?
I wonder, what questions do you still have about circumcision?
I wonder, what did you learn from today's session?