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וערל זכר AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE — This phrase teaches that circumcision must be at that place where the distinction between male and female is evident (Genesis Rabbah 46:13).

AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE. Here Scripture teaches you that this circumcision must be at the location where the distinction between male and female is evident. Thus the words of Rashi. Our Rabbis have likewise mentioned other reasons.⁴¹⁸Shabbath 108a.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said:⁴¹⁹In his commentary to Leviticus 12:3. “his foreskin,⁴²⁰Leviticus 12:3. which is known, for it is in the genital organ. But not so are the expressions: uncircumcised in the heart;⁴²¹Jeremiah 9:25. uncircumcised lips;⁴²²Exodus 6:12. their ear is uncircumcised.⁴²³Jeremiah 6:10. All of these latter are in a construct state.⁴²⁴But when the word orlah is not used in the construct state (as in Leviticus 12:3) it refers to the genital organ.
In my opinion the matter is clearly explained in Scripture. It does not say, “And ye shall circumcise your foreskin,” thus leaving the meaning in doubt, nor does it say, “the foreskin of your flesh,” just as it says the foreskin of your heart,⁴²⁵Deuteronomy 10:16. and “the foreskin of your lips.”⁴²⁶I did not find this exact quote. Perhaps reference is to Exodus 6:12, mentioned above. But instead it says, And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin,⁴²⁷Verse 11 here. meaning that you are to cut off the flesh which is your foreskin, namely, your flesh which obstructs, and there is no flesh in the body which obstructs and covers a limb [as is the case with the genital organ], where one can cut the flesh and remain without the foreskin, other than the “flesh that covers the corona,” which the Sages mentioned.⁴²⁸Shabbath 137a. In our text of the Mishnah there: “flesh that covers ‘the greater part’ of the corona.” Ramban’s version is similar to that of the Talmud Munich Ms. (See Dikduke Sofrim, ibid.) The word “flesh” in the expression, uncircumcised in flesh,⁴²⁹Ezekiel 44:9. is a euphemism for the genital organ, just as in the verses great of flesh,⁴³⁰Ibid., 16:26. and an issue of his flesh.⁴³¹Leviticus 14:2. The word “flesh” in these two verses refers to the genital organ.

וערל זכר, and an uncircumcised male' the verse speaks of a Jew. The commandment as well as the penalty for non-observance applies only to Jews. The members of Avraham's household whom G'd had commanded Avraham to circumcise, do not in turn have to circumcise their own children - even if they obtained their freedom and were no longer member of his household. The only reason a Jewish household must consist of males who have been circumcised is to preserve the uniform nature of such a household. In the event such a slave in a Jewish household does not want to submit to circumcision, his Jewish master must sell him. The owner is given 12 months to persuade such a slave to undergo circumcision. (Yevamot 48)

וערל זכר, and an uncircumcised male, etc.” according to Rashi this choice of words was chosen to teach us on which organ the act of circumcision has to be performed. According to Ibn Ezra, the part of the body on which circumcision would be performed had been well known, What was not known was the concept of ערלת הלב an uncircumcised heart and lip, as well as the uncircumcised ear. When such terms occur, the word ערלה always is in the construct mode, i.e. ערלת, “the uncircumcised state of, etc.” There was therefore no room for misunderstanding where this circumcision was to be performed. Nachmanides writes that here the Torah explains that the spot where the circumcision is to be performed is on the organ which separates man from woman. According to his view, the word בשר in the expression בשר ערלתכם, clearly relates to “flesh used as a cover,” as distinct from an organ, i.e. an appendage of a fleshy nature covering the organ itself. As there is no other such in the human being, the meaning is clear. You are circumcised when this cover has been removed from the organ in question.

Teaches that circumcision is where there is a distinction ... The Re’m writes: Otherwise, why does it say זכר? But it seems to me that Rashi’s proof is as follows: It should have said וזכר ערל, but did not, because that would imply the command is directed to males, not to females — even though the command could be relevant to females as well. In that case, the verse would not come to teach the place of circumcision. But since it is written וערל זכר, it implies that the verse is indeed teaching the place of circumcision, and telling us that the ערלה is in the place that distinguishes between male and female. (Nachalas Yaakov)

Wer durch Unterlassung der Mila sich von seiner Vergangenheit trennt, hat sich eben damit auch um seine Zukunft gebracht. Wer seine Existenz, wie sie faktisch nur aus dem Abrahamsbunde hervorgegangen, aus ihm hervorgegangen anerkennt, in ihm fortzuführen sich verpflichtet fühlt und dieser Erkenntnis und Anerkenntnis in Dahingebung seines ganzen leiblichen Daseins an diese Bestimmung durch Mila den sanktionierten Ausdruck leiht, dem winkt hieniedige und jenseitige Zukunft, sein Leben hienieden auszuleben, in Kindern hienieden fortzuleben und dereinst nach vollendeter irdischer Wallfahrt להאסף אל עמיו, in die wahre, ewige Heimat zu den vorangegangenen Seelen- und Bestimmungsgenossen aufgenommen zu werden. Wer aber mit Höhnung der Mila die Wurzel seiner Vergangenheit, die Bestimmung seiner Gegenwart verleugnet, der bringt sich selbst um solche Zukunft, ונכרתה הנפש ההיא מעמיה, er hat — so weit an ihm liegt . — את בריתי הפר den Gottesbund, nicht zerstört, vernichtet, das vermag alles Bemühen der Menschen nicht, das heißt auch הפר nicht, wohl aber: für sich unwirk- sam gemacht, hat ihn seinerseits nicht zur Ausführung gebracht, hat ihn in sich nicht fortgeführt.

אשר לא ימול HE WHO DOES NOT CIRCUMCISE HIMSELF) as soon as he reaches the age when he is legally liable to punishment, ונכרתה THEN HE SHALL BE CUT OFF — his father, however, who did not have him circumcised is not punished on his account with כרת (excision, “being cut off from his people”), but is merely transgressing an עשה “a positive commandment” (for which the punishment is flagellation).

שלא ימול את בשר ערלתו ונכרתה הנפש ההיא, the penalty for non-performance of this commandment becomes applicable only once the male in question has reached the age of performing mitzvot, i.e. is over the age of 13. His father - usually the one who has been responsible for such neglect - is not subject to the penalty of karet, but is treated as having neglected to perform an ordinary positive commandment.

One who has reached the age of punishment and then he shall be excised ... For if he is still a minor and not liable for punishment, why should he be excised?

ונכרתה הנפש THAT SOUL SHALL BE CUT OFF — i. e. he shall depart hence childless and shall suffer an untimely death.

ימול; the root is נמל, conjugation kal, as in ונמלתם. The penalty is premature death of the guilty party.

הפר; My covenant which I established with Avraham. This covenant applied also to the person who failed to observe this commandment even if he lived a thousand years after Avraham.