Musar su Genesi 17:8

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 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.

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."