Chasidut על בראשית 17:12
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 17,13., “to be circumcised, etc.:” [what follows is not documented although the author quotes Bereshit Rabbah, 49. It is not found there, nor in Bereshit Rabbah 47, where it ought to be, if at all. The author himself appears to have had his doubts, and this is why he attributes the so-called “quote” די לעבד להיות כרבו, “it is appropriate for a servant to emulate his master,” to a statement in the Levush. The authenticity of the statement has been questioned as it implies that just as G’d is “circumcised,” so His favourite creatures must be. I will content myself with paraphrasing the thoughts of the author. We know that in order to create a physical world, G’d had to “reduce” the impact of His emanations, or to be מצמצם, “to understate the extent of His brilliance.” In order for G’d to conclude a covenant with Avraham in his capacity as the founder of the Jewish people, G’d’s “junior” partner on earth, he and the people under his authority had to perform a symbolic act on their body, i.e. the removal of their foreskin. By doing this they emulated an attribute used by their Creator. This explanation may answer the question that if G’d created everything in His universe in a perfect state, (compare Genesis 1,31) why would it be necessary at this stage for Avraham to remove a G’d given part of his body? Ed.]
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy