Musar zu Bereschit 17:28

I have explained the deeper meaning of this commandment elsewhere at length. However, we cannot simply pass by this opportunity to comment on such an important commandment and some of the secrets contained in that מצוה. This is especially so in view of the Torah relating the fulfillment of this commandment to Israel's possessing the Holy Land, seeing that G–d said to Abraham: "I shall give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you sojourn, the whole of the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession; I shall be their G–d" (Genesis 17,8). Our sages comment that G–d told Abraham: "If your offspring will observe the commandment of circumcision they will enter the Holy Land; if not, they will not enter." (Compare Rashi on Joshua 5,4) We observe that the land of Israel is closely tied up with the rite of circumcision, the relevant verse in Scriptures (Deut. 32,9) being כי חלק ה' עמו, יעקב חבל נחלתו, "For the Lord's portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment (the "allotment" being the land of Israel).

The sixth quality: The pious man will not put any personal matter ahead of his service to God, until he has first fulfilled the commandment of his Creator, blessed be He. For we find that in any matter which the Creator, blessed be He, commanded Abraham, Abraham did not perform any one of his personal acts before fulfilling the commandment of God, blessed be He. Thus, in the covenant of circumcision, it is said (Genesis 17:22), “And God went up from Abraham.” And it is further written (ibid., 17:26), “In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised,” and he did not perform any personal act until he had fulfilled the commandment. It is said in the case of Ishmael (ibid., 21:12), “In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice, for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.” It is written immediately after this (ibid., 21:14), “And Abraham arose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting in on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away.” We learn from this that in the dream of the night it was told to him, and therefore, he rose early in the morning before doing any other deed in order to fulfill the command of God, blessed be He.

This portion contains the positive commandment that males should be circumcised. The Torah says: זאת בריתי אשר תשמור ביני וביניכם ובין זרעך אחריך המול ימול כל זכר. This commandment is repeated in Parshat Tazria where the Torah says: ביום השמיני ימול בשר ערלתו. There are many commandments which are recorded twice in the Torah. There is always a compelling reason for this, as our sages have demonstrated.

Adam came along and through his sin ruined this balance. This resulted in the conduits between heaven and earth being broken; the sources of supply to earth were interrupted and G–d's Presence withdrew from Earth thus creating a separation between the Celestial and Terrestrial Regions. With the advent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Presence of G–d was once more drawn towards Earth step by step. The patriarchs are perceived as having established three thrones for G–d in our world. They made their own bodies carriers, i.e. thrones, for G–d to reside on, but this did not result in G–d's Presence having a permanent abode in our world. The temporary nature of G–d's Presence in our world during the lives of the patriarchs is alluded to in such statements as Genesis 17,22: ויעל אלוקים מעל אברהם, "G–d 'rose' from above Abraham." Concerning such occurrences our sages have said that the patriarchs acted as G–d's מרכבה, carrier. We therefore view the שכינה as "flying" in the air, having no permanent resting place in those days, unlike the time when Earth and Man had first been created.

They did not yet know that G–d was going to split the sea, save them and drown the Egyptian army in it. As a result of all this, they were beset by doubts as to whether it had been G–d or Moses who had orchestrated the Exodus. They thought that G–d perhaps had only wanted them to travel three days' journey into the desert, after which they were to return to Egypt, though not as slaves. They believed that Moses had over-stepped his authority and decided by himself that Israel should not return to Egypt at all. They believed that Moses had done so in the belief that G–d carries out the wishes of His prophets. This is why they cried out to G–d to demonstrate that He was a living G–d in their midst just as He had demonstrated this at the time He slew the first-born. They were angry at Moses, and this is why they accused him of taking them into the desert to die. The letter ה in the word המבלי, is one denoting a permanent question such as in הלבן מאה שנה יולד, "Can a hundred year-old man expect to sire children" (Genesis 17,17), or: הנגלה נגלתי "Was I in the habit of revealing Myself" (Samuel I 2,27)? The Israelites referred to their assumption that the שר של מצרים had been killed by basing themselves on their having seen the Egyptians bury their dead. They now doubted what their eyes had seen and implied that possibly the interment they believed they had witnessed did not prove that the first-born Egyptians were really in their graves. If so, instead of G–d having taken the Jews out of Egypt, "you Moses have taken us, לקחתנו, acquired us instead of G–d!" The word לקחתנו is used in contrast with G–d's והצלתי אתכם מעבודתם ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם. Those words had implied that Israel would be saved from the שר של מצרים who represented their deity i.e. עבודתם. When the children of Israel said: מה זאת עשית לנו, they merely paraphrased Pharaoh in 14,6 who had said: מה זאת עשינו כי שלחנו את ישראל מעבדנו. The word מעבדנו means that Pharaoh regretted allowing Israel to serve their own deity instead of that of the שר של מצרים.

Although Noach did not compare favourably with Abraham, it is entirely possible that, had he lived during the time of Abraham, he would have been so inspired by Abraham that he would have equalled the latter in stature. After all, also Abraham had been told by G–d: "Walk before Me and become תמים, perfect" (Genesis 17,1). The view that Noach did not compare to Moses can be explained by the statement of Rabbi Berechyah in Bereshit Rabbah 36,3 who proves that Moses was more beloved of G–d than Noach since the Torah first refers to Noach as 6,9) ,איש צדיק) and later on as 9,20) איש האדמה). In the case of Moses we find him first referred to as an Egyptian, i.e. איש מצרי (Exodus 2,19), whereas later on he is called איש האלוקים (Deut. 33,1).

The letter ח in the name יצחק alludes to Isaac being circumcised on the eighth day of his life. When that letter is spelled as a word, i. e. חת, it alludes to the gift of the land of Israel, the very first piece of land which Abraham purchased from the sons of חת. We have already explained that the mystical dimension of יצחק includes the fact that the gift of the land of Israel is closely connected with the observance of the commandment of circumcision. The Torah specifically linked the gift of the land to the descendants of Abraham and Isaac with the commandment of circumcision in chapter 17, and even spelled out the penalty for all those who failed to observe this commandment. Rabbi Yudan in Bereshit Rabbah 46,9 even emphasized that entry into the Holy Land under Joshua could not have taken place without mass circumcision immediately following the crossing of the river Jordan, as we read in the book of Joshua chapter 5. The allusion to the gift of the land of Israel thus is found both in the regular spelling of the letter ח in the name יצחק, as well as when we spell that letter "fully" i.e. as a word.

We have already explained that Noach did not develop from the "bottom up," i.e. G–d did not discover that Noach had come closer to Him, but he had required an injection of Divine guidance before he walked with G–d. Abraham, on the other hand, developed from the "bottom" up, and this is why G–d said to him: "walk in front of Me and become תמים, perfect."

This may be the reason why when Abraham is reported as "sitting" in 18,1 the word Yoshev sitting is spelled defective without the letter ו. [maybe the letter ו symbolizes upright posture. Ed.] This indicates that he tried to rise. At that point G–d told him that he would be a symbol for his descendants, for G–d Himself would rise as a member of a collegiate of judges. How does the subject of "judges" enter the picture here? The meaning is that at that point G–d revealed to Abraham that the attribute of Justice was extended over Sodom. The reason Abraham was informed of this, now that he was circumcised, is that justice is something that can only be administered by people who have been circumcised, as we know from Exodus 21,1: ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם, "These are the judgments you are to place before them. "The words "before them" are to exclude Gentiles who have not been circumcised, as we learn from Gittin 88. Being uncircumcised is not only a matter of the foreskin, but the same concept also applies to one's thinking processes. This is why we have ערלי לב, people whose hearts have remained "uncircumcised" (Ezekiel 44,7). All the Gentiles fall into that category; they therefore cannot be entrusted to administer the laws of the Torah. The Torah calls the judges א-להים, the same letters as in מילה, (allowing for the addition of the letter א for G–d), and that is also the name of G–d which represents the מרכבה. This is the meaning of Genesis 17,22: ויעל א-להים מעל אברהם, "G–d "rose" from Abraham." Judges have to be סמוכים, i.e. close to G–d, a condition that cannot be attained until after circumcision. [Nowadays סמוכים means ordained. Ed.] The letter א that the word מילה falls short of being equal to the word א-להים alludes to the fact that man, even when at his spiritually highest plateau, still remains one little bit below the spiritual level of G–d, as we know from Psalms 8,6: ותחסרהו מעט מא-להים, "You have made him a little less than divine. The same is true of the 50 levels of intelligence and insight. The most any man, (Moses), was granted was 49 levels of such knowledge and insight. Our sages in Rosh Hashanah 21b have derived this from reading the word מעט in Psalms 8,6 as מט, i.e. 49.

In order to appreciate the dimension of holiness Isaac represented, it is fitting that we first see what the Zohar says on the subject of the עקדה. When Abraham was about to slaughter Isaac, the latter's soul flew away to be replaced later by a holy spirit from the Celestial Regions. It follows then that Isaac's life after the עקדה, was the life of a human being who had not originated from a drop of semen. We must view Isaac as someone re-born in consequence of that experience: a totally new creature. G–d had applied the strictest yardstick to him by letting him die, and subsequently by infusing him with a new soul. He had also sanctified his body; from that time on Isaac's body resembled that of אדם הראשון, also not the product of a drop of semen. Now we understand also why the ram which Abraham sacrificed in lieu of Isaac was not the product of natural procreation, i.e. through semen, but was created during the period of dusk on the sixth day of Creation as reported in Avot 5,6. When Genesis 22,13 describes this ram as והנה איל אחר נאחז וכו' "and here a ram after was caught, etc.," this means that this ram was created after all the other mammals had already been created and had procreated. The word אחר therefore is to be understood in the same sense as the same word when Abraham said to the angels אחר תעבורו. Isaac teaches us about G–d's very first objective when He set out to create this universe which would develop to become as perfect as He envisaged it.

Abraham, as the progenitor of Isaac, who had removed the foreskin which Adam had been gross enough to "pull down," had managed to become the person who is fit to be the carrier of the מרכבה, the Presence of G–d, as is clearly indicated in Genesis 17,22 "G–d ascended from Abraham." This ascent occurred after G–d had concluded an eternal covenant with him, as is specifically stated here ואת בריתי אקים את יצחק, "and I will maintain My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear for you." This is a promise that in the future the world will achieve its perfection, as always planned by G–d. In view of the above, the meal at which the timing of Isaac's birth was announced was certainly an event of spiritual significance, something not unlike the meal G–d is said to serve the righteous in the future.

When the sons of Chet addressed Abraham by saying: "You are a prince of G–d in our midst" (Genesis 23,7), what they meant was that the personality of Abraham had made a deep impression on their תוכיות, internality. They felt that their own spiritual roots had become purified through having an Abraham in their proximity. They were convinced that this augured well for their future and eventual salvation, and they thanked Abraham. When our Bereshit Rabbah 43,5 explains the words עמק שוה in Genesis 14,17, by saying that all the nations agreed (השוו) to crown Abraham there as their king, this describes Abraham as being freed, set apart from the קליפות. Abraham personally represents the spiritual level of ישראל; he achieved a higher level than all the other patriarchs. The statement that his name was ישראל indicates his spiritual level as being on a very high plateau enabling him to penetrate to the most rarefied Celestial Regions. The name אברהם, on the other hand, describes his being the (spiritual) father of a multitude of nations, כי אב המון גוים נתתיך, something that was acknowledged when the sons of Chet said שמענו אדני, נשיא אלוקים אתה in 23,6. He had also been called Abram, for it was still at that time that Ishmael issued from him. We see that the dimension of אב המון already began to take practical form while Abraham was still Abram. This dimension was reinforced with the birth of Isaac, who in turn produced an Esau who incorporates all the קליפות.

The paragraph commencing with וכי יגור אתכם גר, "When a stranger (convert) resides amongst you, etc" (19,33), contains an allusion to Abraham, the first convert to Judaism. He also became the first אזרח, natural born citizen, as we know from Psalms 89,1, which, according to all our sources, is a reference to Abraham. The reason the Torah alludes to Abraham as the first convert is to teach us not to accuse others of shortcomings when we ourselves suffer from the same type of shortcoming. To denigrate a stranger is to forget that we ourselves started our career as a nation as strangers. In the words of Baba Metzia 59b: "If one's family tree contains the name of someone who has been legally hanged, he should not even say to a fellow "hang this fish up for me," for the very mention of hanging is a reminder of a blemish in his own family." The Israelites were guilty of idol worship while in Egypt as well as of many abominable practices. How then could they dare remind a convert of his pagan past? Abraham himself chose exile (Shemot Rabbah 59) for his descendants in preference to their having to linger in purgatory. Purgatory comprises both the dimension of dryness and wetness. The dryness expresses itself in the fire, the wetness in a form of snow. As an allusion to this, the Torah here continues with the prohibition to sacrifice to the fire-god Moloch (20,2-5) a warning of what is in store for Esau and his followers. The Torah speaks only of people who sacrifice some of their offspring to Moloch. The author of Semag writes an explanation as a reply to the heretics; however, the true reason for this is analogous to the statement of our sages on Genesis 21,12 where Abraham did not want to expel Hagar and Ishmael. G–d told him there that his principal heirs would be "part of Isaac." Just as the Torah referred in that case to "part of Isaac," so here too the syntax of the Torah speaks of the likely event, i.e. that someone offers some of his offspring as a sacrifice to that deity. Just as only part of Isaac's descendants turned away from the Abrahamitic tradition, i.e. Esau, so the Torah, by speaking of "some offspring being offered to the Moloch," reassures us that it is inconceivable that a descendant of Isaac would sacrifice all of his offspring to such a deity. The Torah continues in 20,7: והתקדשתם. This is a reference to Jacob. He had succeeded in attaining sanctity of his body.

G–d looked upon Abraham as the innkeeper of the Sanctuary, so to speak. When we read in Genesis 17,22: "G–d rose from above Abraham," this is a clear indication that Abraham served as the מרכבה, the carrier of the שכינה. I have explained already that the letters in the name אברהם are an allusion to the various מרכבות. Abraham had personally fulfilled the injunction of the Torah אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה' when he offered up his only beloved son Isaac. This amounted to אדם התחתון, man in the lower regions, establishing a close affinity with אדם העליון, man in the Celestial Regions in the mystical dimension of ואת הדבקים בה'. Isaac was the perfect עולה offering for G–d.

Kabbalists have explained that the name אברהם contains an allusion to the מרכבה of the four חיות, described as supporting the throne of G–d in the first chapter of Ezekiel. They are אדם-אריה-שור-נשר. The שור was turned into a כרוב, cherub, after Ezekiel asked G–d to have mercy on that חיה according to Chagigah 13. The reason was that the shape or face of the שור would have reminded G–d of the Jewish people's sin with the golden calf. Therefore we find that the מרכבה described in Ezekiel consisted of אדם-כרוב-נשר-אריה. When you take the name אברהם, the letter א refers to G–d, that He is One who "rides" on His מרכבו, i.e. on בר"הם, which are the final letters כרוב, נשר, אריה, אדם. The word נדיב in Song of Songs 6, 12 alludes to that מרכבה when we employ a method called אבגד. (This means that we take the first letter of the word נשר, the second letter of the word אדם, the third letter of the word אריה, and the fourth letter of the word כרוב). Who is this Nediv? It is none other than אברהם אבינו who is the subject of Psalms 47, 10: נדיבי עמים נאספו עם אלוקי אברהם, "The great of the peoples are gathered together, the retinue of Abraham’s G–d. When our sages comment on Genesis 17,22: ויעל אלוקים מעל אברהם, "G–d "rose" from above Abraham," they had in mind that the patriarchs were the מרכבה, G–d's entourage, (Bereshit Rabbah 47,6).

A great deal of attention also is paid to the meaning of the word ברא. This word with the letters reversed i.e. אבר, is considered as a limb, or better, link to what are called תולדות עליון, "developments having their root in the spiritual and abstract sphere of the heavens," such as are implied by the verse אלה תולדות השמים והארץ. When combining the word מי and the word אלה, we get the word אל-הים, or the answer to the question מי ברא אלה. Now we see how to understand the word ברא as a link, i.e. as אבר, as the "organ" that procreates or initiates creation of a physical universe. Since this process cannot continue endlessly, G–d also functions as the One who commands די, "enough." Hence one of G–d's names is שדי, "the One who says enough!" We have explained on another occasion that the emanation יסוד symbolizing the covenant מעור, is called שדי, and this is why G–d introduces Himself to Abraham when He commands him to circumcise himself as אני א-ל שדי. Coming back to the "small" letter ה in the verse אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם, which we had taken as an allusion to the world having been created for the sake of Abraham, we find that the letters ברא-אבר, when combined with the word מה, result in the word אברהם Keep in mind that the spiritual level represented by the word מי is superior to the spiritual level of the word מה; the former resulted in the attribute of G–d as אלוקים the Creator, whereas the word מה only triggered the appearance of this gigantic human figure called Abraham.

Summing up, we find that the paragraph dealing with circumcision contains three great gifts 1) The kingdom of David will endure forever. 2) The gift of the land of Israel to the Jewish people will be a permanent possession of the people. 3) The Presence of G–d will rest visibly over the people and the land of Israel. Concerning the first promise Abraham is told ומלכים ממך יצאו והקמותי את בריתי, "kings will come forth from you; and I will maintain My covenant" (17,5). Correspondingly, we find in connection with the dynasty of David: כרתי ברית לבחירי, נשבעתי לדוד עבדי, עד עולם אכין, זרעך ובניתי לדור ודור כסאך סלה, "I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to My servant David. I will establish your offspring forever, I will confirm your throne for all generations selah” (Psalms 89 4/5). Concerning giving the land of Israel to Abraham's descendants, G–d said: ונתתי לך ולזרעך אחריך את ארץ מגורך … לאחוזת עולם, "I will give to you and to your descendants after you the whole land of Canaan the land you sojourn in, as an eternal possession" (17,8). This means that even while we are in exile, the land will never be an inheritance of our enemies, but they will only be there on a temporary basis since it will be desolate while they occupy it. Once we shall return to it as an eternal possession the Presence of the שכינה will become manifest, and there will be fulfilled the last line of G–d's promise to Abraham "I shall be their G–d."

Summing up, we find that the paragraph dealing with circumcision contains three great gifts 1) The kingdom of David will endure forever. 2) The gift of the land of Israel to the Jewish people will be a permanent possession of the people. 3) The Presence of G–d will rest visibly over the people and the land of Israel. Concerning the first promise Abraham is told ומלכים ממך יצאו והקמותי את בריתי, "kings will come forth from you; and I will maintain My covenant" (17,5). Correspondingly, we find in connection with the dynasty of David: כרתי ברית לבחירי, נשבעתי לדוד עבדי, עד עולם אכין, זרעך ובניתי לדור ודור כסאך סלה, "I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to My servant David. I will establish your offspring forever, I will confirm your throne for all generations selah” (Psalms 89 4/5). Concerning giving the land of Israel to Abraham's descendants, G–d said: ונתתי לך ולזרעך אחריך את ארץ מגורך … לאחוזת עולם, "I will give to you and to your descendants after you the whole land of Canaan the land you sojourn in, as an eternal possession" (17,8). This means that even while we are in exile, the land will never be an inheritance of our enemies, but they will only be there on a temporary basis since it will be desolate while they occupy it. Once we shall return to it as an eternal possession the Presence of the שכינה will become manifest, and there will be fulfilled the last line of G–d's promise to Abraham "I shall be their G–d."