Understanding Circumcision: A Deeper Look into the Covenant

In this week's Torah portion, we encounter the commandment given to Abraham concerning circumcision, the first commandment given to the Jewish people, one which has been consistently upheld. Even those who are quite distant from Judaism often still circumcise their sons.

Interestingly enough, besides the Jews, there are other groups in the world who are also circumcised. When Abraham was commanded to perform circumcision, he was instructed to circumcise those in his household, including his son Ishmael. Nonetheless, Ishmael's descendants are not commanded to perform the circumcision as it is derived from the verse, "for through Isaac shall your offspring be named," which excludes Ishmael. Furthermore, after Isaac, Abraham had other sons, known as the children of Keturah. The sages tell us that Keturah's descendants appeared at Jacob's funeral (Sotah 13a) and later sought a claim to the land alongside the children of Ishmael (Sanhedrin 91a).

The children of Keturah are obliged to perform circumcision due to the command given to Abraham and his offspring, according to Rambam's ruling (Laws of Kings 10:8 based on Sanhedrin 59a) and the view of most Rishonim. It's quite fascinating that aside from the seven Noahide laws, there is another group obligated in an additional commandment, like the Jewish people.

However, the obligation for the children of Keturah does not include the aspect of pri'ah, only circumcision. This act, also practiced by the children of Ishmael despite their non-obligation according to the Torah, is termed in the Zohar as an 'empty circumcision.'

It appears that this definition implies that the children of Ishmael see circumcision only as the act of cutting; therefore, they undergo it even at an older age, perceiving the commandment as one of suffering and pride in enduring it as adults.

In contrast, the Jewish people view circumcision as a holy covenant, with suffering not being the purpose but something necessary for establishing the covenant. This is why we are also commanded in pri'ah, which corrects the cut. The sages stated (Yevamot 71b) that pri'ah was not given to Abraham as it wasn't part of the explicit command, but it is said that Abraham did it independently as he understood its purpose. Ishmael's descendants did not comprehend this, hence they circumcise without pri'ah.

In truth, pri'ah is mostly associated with infants, whose bodies are still flexible; therefore, performing it at age 13 as the Ishmaelites do isn't really applicable. Thus, divine providence originally led circumcision for Ishmael in an empty form, without correction, just cutting.

Circumcision is a covenant of Hashem with Abraham before there was even a Jewish people, and before the giving of the Torah, the Jews circumcised once more, as without it they couldn't receive the Torah. This covenant predates the Torah, fitting that Abraham's descendants continue its practice in a more symbolic form. When the Torah introduced pri'ah, it marked the unique identity of the Jewish people, facilitating the acceptance of converts into Jewish life. Therefore, a circumcision without pri'ah is seen as incomplete, as such circumcision belongs amongst the nations, among the children of Keturah, as practiced by the Ishmaelites, and does not reflect entry into the Jewish people.

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