Circumcision is relevant to our topic as it is clearly a gendered act, a source of power, and deals directly with blood. When a boy is born, a circumcision rite called a brit "covenant," short for brit milah , "covenant of circumcision" can be expected eight days later. This ceremony, of great antiquity, confirms the transition of the infant from being a child of Adam, as it were, to a member of the Jewish people.
Thus the boy enters the "covenant of Abraham. The mohel receives the child after he has been passed among the relatives, beginning with the mother in a separate room; she is customarily secluded at this time. Just before the boy is given to the godfather called sandek to hold while the operation is performed according to the ancient procedure, the mohel temporarily places the child on a "chair of Elijah" --symbolic of the hopes of redemption. After the actual circumcision, the child is handed to the father or an honored guest while the mohel recites blessings in praise of God and for the welfare of the child.
It is then that the boy's name is announced. The name e. Already from antiquity some Jews have had double names, a Hebrew name and a related vernacular name e.
Among Ashkenazi Jews, it is customary to name the boy after a deceased relative; Sephardis, however do not adhere to this practice.
A joyous moment in the circumcision ceremony is when the entire assembly exclaims: "Just as he has entered the covenant, so may he enter [the study of] Torah, the wedding canopy, and good deeds.
Rabbi Yehoshua said: "Great is the mitzvah of milah for Moses was not given even an hour to delay it. Judaism is a gendered religion. There are gendered roles throughout it. It is perhaps beyond any equal understanding of the division of the sexes in Judaism that the mark of the covenant rests squarely within the male domain.
In Orthodox Judaism, circumcision is required to have access to the Torah. Being circumcised means carrying the mark of the covenant. Are you devoted to the Lord? Would anything be able to shake that devotion? If you are circumcised in the heart, this cannot be the case! I pray that we as a people would live in light of the beautiful covenant that God has made with us by the blood of Jesus Christ!
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What Is the Deal with Circumcision? It was a spiritual sign. Circumcision was the mark of belonging to the covenant community. It was not merely ethnic or national non-Jews, those who are not Jews by blood, who could become Jews by faith in the receiving of this sign of circumcision. This is clear from Genesis to the end of the Old Testament. Everyone in his tent, foreigner or not, slave or free, is to be given this sign.
But at the end of the Old Testament time frame, the same is true. You may remember that Haaman had a plot against the Jews. He wanted to wipe them out. He talked the king into making a decree that basically said that it was open season on Jews. People could attack them and take everything from them with impunity. The Jews can defend themselves. In other words, if they take it from you, you never get it back. Your family, your lands, your inheritance, everything.
This is a strange thing. These are Gentiles. How could they have become Jews? Was it through intermarriage and through having sort of half-Jewish children? It was through receiving the sign of circumcision. They became part of the covenant community.
They believed in the one true God of Israel. But Paul is saying here, in Romans, chapter 4, verses 9 through 12 that no religious rite makes you just before God. No religious rite, even circumcision makes you justifiable before God. Knowing that difference is very, very important, and Paul is pointing to it here. For instance, it is clear from what Paul is saying that to say that baptism, that water baptism is somehow necessary for salvation is wrong.
You know Baptists and Presbyterians, for instance, have some differences over baptism. Who ought to receive it? How it ought to be done. Who are the proper recipients? Even the nature of circumcision testifies to justification by grace. And so he goes on verse 11 to make it clear that the nature of circumcision itself testifies to justification by grace.
Circumcision is a sign. In other words God has ordained it as a spiritual symbol. It points to something. Now that in and of itself is an argument against circumcision actually saving. Does a sign actually get you to the place that you are going?
It points there. The sign points you there, but the sign does not bring about the reality. It points you there. There again you see an argument against the sign bringing about the reality. What is a mark? Does it bring about the reality? No, it confirms the reality. Listen to Me.
It reminded Abraham that God already loved him. Then Paul says astonishingly it was to sign and to seal, it was to point to and confirm what? The righteousness of faith which he had while uncircumcised. The circumcision itself involves the surgical removal of the foreskin.
In Ashkenazi communities the mohel then recites a benediction on the circumcision among Sephardic Jews, the same benediction is recited before the operation is carried out. The mohel or someone else recites benedictions on a glass of wine, on spices, and on the covenant with God.
Then the name of the child is announced. After a few more benedictions and psalms, the ceremony is over and usually, a festive meal takes place. In modern times, meaning starting in the 19th century, a small minority of Jews have chosen not to circumcise their sons, holding a ceremony instead that is called brit shalom "the covenant of peace" to welcome the newborns into Judaism. One argument opponents use is that Moses didn't circumcise his son.
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