Thanks for Bris Milah (4 of 8)

 I wrote an article for this book about Bris Milah, on the subject of 8 reasons for our having gratitude for this Mitzvah. This is the fourth part of this series of sharing this article here.

See part 1 here

See part 2 here

See part 3 here 

A fourth reason to be grateful for circumcision is where Bris lies in the totem pole in comparison to the Torah itself. In order to fulfill our Birkas Hamazon obligation, we need to mention “Bris and Torah” in the bracha over the land (Brachos 49a). Rashi (Brachos 48b, see also Or Zarua I:199 (Laws of Meals), Levush OC 187:2) says that Bris Milah is mentioned specifically in that blessing because it was through that Covenant that Avraham was promised the land (see also Mishnah Brurah 187:7). 

 There are at least three explanations given for why bris is mentioned first: A. 13 covenants were made at the Bris Milah (see Nedarim 31b), while there were only 3 covenants made at the giving of the Torah (Brachos 48b, see also Rashi there). B. the Bris predated the giving of the Torah by several hundred years. (Levush) C. As noted in a number of Midrashim (see Midrash Aggada Bereshis 47:29, Rabati Lekh Lekha p. 75 17:19), Bris (spelled out in Hebrew) has a numerical value of 612 + the act itself equals 613, equating it with all of the Torah, which has 613 commandments.

Thanks for Bris Milah (3 of 8)

I wrote an article for this book about Bris Milah, on the subject of 8 reasons for our having gratitude for this Mitzvah. This is the third part of this series of sharing this article here.

See part 1 here

See part 2 here

A third reason to be grateful for Milah stems from Avraham Avinu waiting at the gates of Gehinnom to protect his circumcised descendants from being trapped there (Eruvin 19a). R Luria notes that Gehinnom has no dominion over Milah, as evidenced in the “Hotel incident” after the burning bush (Shemos 4:24-26), when Moshe Rabbenu was consumed by angels trying to kill him over delaying his son’s circumcision (Rashi 4:24, Nedarim 32a). Zipporah thought Moshe was to die for having violated the prohibition against having relations with an Aramis (herself) for which the punishment is death. However, when she realized that the angels left his Milah untouched, she realized the solution to the problem was to circumcise her son. In this light, our gratitude for Milah is to be protected from Gehinnom.