Birth: Covenant, Circumcision, Naming, and Beyond

Of all the signs and symbols in the Jewish tradition, none is more widely known than circumcision... Countless Jews, who in every other regard are estranged from synagogue and tradition, whose link to fellow Jews is tenuous indeed, are faithful... to this mitzvah.

Circumcision for the Jew is the sign of the b'rit, the covenant between God and Israel, established first with Abraham and then renewed at Sinai, to be passed on through every generation until the end of time.

Circumcision does not ‘make’ a person Jewish, for he is Jewish already by birth. The circumcision rather testifies that he who bears this sign sealed in his flesh is under the covenant which is what gives meaning to life. Through the covenant he is bound to all of the children of Israel, and through them to God.

The circumcision of the foreskin is but an outer sign of the circumcision of our inner hearts that we are called upon to perform; as it is written ‘Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskin of your heart.’

Why is the sign of the covenant sealed into the organ of generation? To indicate that just as life is passed on from one generation to another, so is the covenant passed on. Yes, circumcision is for us a sign that the Lord who called to Abraham our father, calls yet to us of Abraham's seed, summoning us in this wonderful, and terrible command-invitation to renew the covenant.

God's promises demand an active response from their recipients. Circumcision is both a token of God's covenant and a symbol of the Jew's consecration and commitment to a life lived in the consciousness of that covenant...

Not only is circumcision the earliest institution of Israel, its introduction being assigned by our narrative to the time of Abraham, but the text tacitly implies that it preexisted the patriarch since it is taken for granted that he understands the procedure to be followed even though no specific instructions are forthcoming. This should occasion no surprise because circumcision is widely and independently attested in the histories of divergent cultures stretching from Anatolia to western Sudan, from the Australian Aborigines to the Masai of East Africa, from the Polynesian cultures to the kingdom of southern Africa [and beyond].

In those cultures that traditionally practice circumcision, the age at which it is performed may vary widely but the overwhelming preference is at puberty or as a prenuptial rite. In either case, it takes place at a crucial period in the male life cycle and marks the initiation of the individual into the common life of his group. The biblical shift to the eighth day after birth is a radical break with existing tradition, severing all connection with puberty, marriage and "rites of passage." This particular dissociation now permits circumcision to be invested with an entirely new and original meaning. The operation owes its sanction not to any natural reason but solely to its being divinely ordained. In the course of its performance it derives its significance solely from its being the conscious expression of the external, immutable covenant between God and Abraham. Having been performed it constitutes the ineradicable token of the imposition of that covenant upon every generation of his descendants., The religious life of the Jew begins, therefore, on the eight day of his birth... It is the distinguishing mark of Jewish identity and, more than anything else, has proved to be a powerfully cohesive force in the struggle for national survival.

Circumcision "as an opening for fruitfulness"...

The story of the birth of circumcision hits at male anxieties about fruitfulness—as if if it is the male, not the female, genitals that are at fault in barrenness and need in some sense to be "opened." Some have suggested that circumcision may betoken a male imitation of menstruation: men learn from women that blood from the genitals is crucial to the cycling of life. But where women do not have to lift a finger to produce this blood, men must lift a knife.

Others have pointed to the later story in which Abraham, preparing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God, substitutes instead a ram that is caught in the thicket—and suggest that the foreskin is a kind of "ram," acting as a substitute for what otherwise would be a tragic binding which the father feels called upon to guarantee his own fruitfulness by sacrrificing his firstborn son. And perhaps the Abraham-Isaac story points also to the possibility that some fathers who fear being displaced by their sons mau feel the urge to hurt or kill them. From that perspective, circumcision may offer a way both to express and to control that urge, by delicately "opening" the genitals toward future generations instead of cutting them off—or even using the knife to kill.

Religion—its human side—begins with a sense of obligation, “with the awareness that something is asked of us,” with the consciousness of an ultimate commitment. It is furthermore an awareness of “God who sues for our devotion, constantly, persistently, who goes out to meet us as soon as we long to know God.” Accordingly, religious consciousness is to be characterized by two features—it must be a consciousness of an ultimate commitment and it must be a consciousness of ultimate reciprocity.

There is only one way to define Jewish religion. It is the awareness of God’s interest in humanity, the awareness of a covenant, of a responsibility that lies on God as well as on us. Our task is to concur with God's interest, to carry out God's vision of our task. God is in need of humanity for the attainment of God's ends, and religion, as Jewish tradition understands it, is a way of serving these ends, of which we are in need, even though we may not be aware of them, ends which we must learn to feel the need of.

Life is a partnership of God and humanity; God is not detached from or indifferent to our joys and griefs. Authentic vital needs of humanity’s body and soul are a divine concern. This is why human life is holy. God is a partner and a partisan in humanity’s struggle for justice, peace and holiness, and it is because of God's being in need of humanity that God entered a covenant with humanity for all time, a mutual bond embracing God and humanity, a relationship to which God, not only humanity, is committed.

The obligation to circumcise traditionally rests upon the father. If he is qualified, he has the prior responsibility (Y.D. 260). If he is not qualified, he appoints someone who is (Y.D. 265:9). The accepted practice is to appoint a mohel—a person specially trained in the theory and practice of circumcision.

Before the berit the parents select three friends or relatives whom they wish to honor and designate them the kvatterim (godparents), and sandaq. One kvatter brings the child into the room where the circumcision will take place and hands him to the other kvatter. This kvatter hands the baby to the mohel. After saying the introductory prayer, the mohel places the child on the sandaq's lap. Sometimes he places the child on a table and the sandaq holds the child’s hands and legs firmly so that the mohel may proceed without interference.

It is customary to light two candles in the room where the circumcision will take place.

If possible, there should be a minyan at the circumcision, but this is not an absolute requirement and the circumcision may be performed without it (Y.D. 265:6).

Those present stand during the service, except for the sandaq, who remains seated (Y.D. 265:1 in Rama).

When the mohel is ready to begin they calls out: "kvatter." The godmother brings the baby in on a pillow and hands it to the godfather. The people present welcome the child, saying: "Baruch habah—blessed is the one who arrives."

The parents or mohel recite a prayer mentioning the covenant with Abraham: "וּבֶן־שְׁמֹנַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים יִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֛ם כׇּל־זָכָ֖ר לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֑ם" "And throughout the generations, every male among you shall be circumcised at the age of eight days."

The mohel then takes the child from the godfather and places it on the sandaq's lap, and recites the prayer of the chair of Elijah. When all circumcisions were performed in the synagogue, there was a special chair for the sandaq called kiseh shel eliyahu , the throne, or chair, of Elijah. As the "angel of the covenant" (Mal. 3:1), Elijah is, in particular, the guardian of the child at the covenant of circumcision. Hence the special chair in his honor.

Elijah's role in Jewish tradition is to herald the coming of the messiah. More generally, Elijah is the personalization of redemption because he never really died. Elijah is the ultimate liminal personality who has mastered the threshold between life and death. As such, he returns to earth at various liminal moments, at every circumcision ritual, for example, at the Havdalah ritual at the close of the Sabbath, and at the climax of the Passover Seder.

Different ways grew up of explaining Elijah's connection to this role. One is rooted in the Bible's description of Elijah as calling out to God in near-despair that the people had abandoned the covenant (I Kings 19:10, 14). For some this was taken to mean specifically the covenant of Mila. Since they could see that the people stood firm with the Brit, they imagined God requiring Elijah to show up at every Brit, to witness—in the face of his own assertion—that the covenant still stood

In his role as peacemaker between the generations it is fitting to welcome him to the Brit Mila, at a moment of pain between the generations.

Choosing a name is an important symbolic and spiritual decision. Names embody memories, hopes, and ideals. The Jewish name announced at a naming ceremony or brit milah is the name that will be used when the child reaches the age of bar or bat mitzvah and is called to the Torah; it is the name used on Jewish documents that sanctify commited relationships; it is the name used in the Mi Shebeyrakh prayer for healing; and it is the name by which Jewis are memorialized after death., Perhaps most importantly, when children are old enough to ask why they are named as they are, including for whom they are named, the answers that parents give become an essential piece of their developing identity.

Jewish tradition has evolved a variety of minahgim (customs) regarding naming, many of which derive from the diverse cultures and communities of origin from which North American Jews are descended. While naming is primarily in the realm of custom, the old adage that "custom has the force of law" often proves true in individual family circumstances, where the choice of a name can provoke controversy as well as strengthen cohesion.

Some basic customs can be considered. Naming a child after someone in the family is a widespread tradition. Jews of European or Russian descent (Ashkenazim) will generally name children after a deceased relative, while Jews descended from the Mediterranean communities (Sephardim) will often name after a living relative.

In the psychology of the ancient Near Eastern world [from which the Israelite religion arose], a name was not merely a convenient means of identification but was intimately bound up with the very essence of being and inextricably intertwined with personality.

The name carries implications for how the baby as he grows will understand himself and how the community will understand him... Newly named the new Self is thus returned to the community itself made new by its receiving this new member.

The communal and covenantal nature of Jewish identity indicates that a public welcoming of a daughter is equally significant to the welcoming of a son. The proclaiming of her Jewish name within a community that shares in the celebration of her arrival is an important public moment when Jewish identity is affirmed and a covenantal welcoming ritual can represent continuity with earlier generations of Jewish women.

In the Torah we read that three angels appeared at Abraham and Sarah’s tent. As a sign of warmth and hospitality they welcomed them by washing their feet. We now wash your feet as we formally welcome you into the covenant of our people. May the values of love, of warmth, and of hospitality — which our ancestors Abraham and Sarah modeled for us — be ever-present in your life.

ָבּרוּךַ אָתּה יָיֱ אלֵֽהינוּ מֶלךָ העוָֹלם זוֵֹכר ַהְבִּרית ִבְּרִחיַצתַ רְגַֽלִים.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who is mindful of the covenant through the washing of feet.

Light was the first of God’s creations; as light appeared, it brought with it the possibility of all the wondrous things to follow. We, too, kindle lights — of hope, of understanding, of celebration, of countless new possibilities.

This precious child with whom these have been blessed has already brought light into their lives. May God’s radiance continue to shine upon them. May {he/she} grow to be a source of light to all those around {him/her}. May {his/her} radiance illuminate the world. May the light of Torah and mitzvot shine in {his/her} deeds. And may {he/she} help bring the light of redemption to the world.

ֵנר־ְלַרְגִליְ דָבֶֽרך ואוֹר לְנִתיָבִתי.

Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light for my path. (Psalms 119:105)

ֽקוִּמי ֽאוִֹרי, ִכּי ָבא אוֵֹרך,

וְּכבוֹדְ יָי ָעַֽלִיךָ זָרח.

Arise, shine, for your light has dawned; God’s radiance shines upon you! (Isaiah 60:1)

ָעַֽלִ יךִיְזַרחְ יָי ,וְּכבוֹדוֹ ָעַֽלִיךֵ יָרֶאה.

May Adonai continue to shine upon you and God’s brilliant presence surround you. (Isaiah 60:2)

ָבּרוּךַ אָתּה ,ְיָיֱ אלֵֽהינוּ ,ֶֽמֶלךָה עוָֹלם, זוֵֹכר ַהְבִּרית ְבַּהְדָלַקת ֵנרוֹת.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who is mindful of the covenant through the kindling of lights. Amen.

We come together to welcome this child into the Covenant of our father Abraham and our mother Sarah. God said, “I will maintain My Covenant between me and you and your offspring to come, as an everlasting Covenant throughout the ages, to be God to you and your offspring to come.” (Genesis 17:7)

Parents: The tallit is an embracing symbol of the Covenant between God and the Jewish people, and we are reminded of the mitzvot by the tzitzit on its corners. Today we envelop our {son/daughter} into the folds of a tallit as a symbol of {his/her} entry into our Covenant with God and K’lal Yisrael.

You are a welcome member of the Jewish people. Today you become the newest link in the Covenant of the people of Israel.

ָבּרוּךַ אָתּה ,ְיָיֱ אלֵֽהינוּ ,ֶֽמֶלךָ העוָֹלם, זוֹכר הבִּרית ְבּעטיפה בּצּיצת.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who is mindful of the covenant through being wrapped inside a garment with tzitzit.