Knowledge is Power -- G-dly Knowledge is SUPER POWER.
Maimonides writes the reason we circumcise our boys is only because G-d commanded us to do so. However, the blessing made at the time of the performance of this Biblical commandment is, “ to bring him (this child) into the covenant of Abraham our forefather”???
Is this deed related to G-ds commandment, or to our forefather Abraham?
Another blaring anomaly we find, in Maimonides book of commandments, he brings the verse in Genesis 17:10 by Abraham, “circumcise all your males” as the source for this commandment, while in Maimonides magnum opus - Mishneh Torah he quotes from the portion of Tazria Lev.12:3, “on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin should be circumcised.”
In the Mishneh Torah - Milah, Chap 3. Hal. 8 Maimonides writes .. “How disgusting is the foreskin that is used as a term of deprecation …….., as [Jeremiah 9:25] states: ……………
How great is the circumcision! Behold, our Patriarch Abraham was not called "perfect" until he was circumcised, as [Genesis 17:1-2] states: "Proceed before Me and become perfect. And I will place My covenant between Me and you."
Anyone who breaks the covenant of Abraham our Patriarch and leaves his foreskin uncircumcised, or [although he was circumcised,] causes it to appear extended, does not have a portion in the world to come, despite the fact that he has studied Torah and performed good deeds.
Come and see how severe a matter circumcision is. Moses, our teacher, was not granted even a temporary respite from [fulfilling this mitzvah]. [Exodus 4:24-26 relates, when Moses returned to Egypt, he took his newborn son, Eliezer, with him. He did not circumcise him immediately and, therefore, an angel came in the form of a snake and swallowed him. Tziporah his wife realized the source of the problem and circumcised her son. After this, the angel retracted. (See Nedarim 32a.) ]
The Torah mentions only three covenants regarding all its mitzvot (commandments), as [Deuteronomy 28:69] states: "These are the words of the covenant that God commanded... in addition to the covenant that He established with you in Chorev." In addition [Deuteronomy 29:9-11] states: "You are all standing today... to enter into a covenant with God, your Lord." Thus, there are three covenants.
In contrast, thirteen covenants were established with Abraham, our Patriarch, with regard to circumcision:…..(and here Maimonides points out every single verse of the 13 covenants related to the circumcision.)
And here is the explanation…..
In the observance of the Mitzva to become and to be circumcised, (as in all commandments) there are two concepts being fulfilled and accomplished. There is the general covenant with G-d that is motivating the performance of this act, and the specific deed through which the general connection is made.
A husband strengthens his general bond with his wife in many ways, sometimes through bringing a bouquet of flowers. Alternatively, in spiritual terms, prayer, has an influence on the entire connection of a person with G-d, in all areas of one’s life, through the performance of this one specific commandment.
This is why the Rambam – Maimonides quoted above, at the end of the rules of circumcision and when summarizing the law he writes the overall and all-encompassing idea of the circumcision, is to distinguish the Jew from the rest of the world and this explanation is connected specifically and only between the Jewish people and G-d.
In the second and continued discussion regarding the virtue of this commandment he speaks of the 13 advantages and outstanding merits in this Mitzvah over any of the other ways of connecting with G-d.
It is true, we perform Mitzvos because only through doing what G-d commands us to do we are able to connect with the Infinite Master of the universe. When making the blessing over THIS commandment, we mention Abraham who imbues extra meaning and for being the one, through his self-sacrifice against an entire world who was against him and he nevertheless demonstrated his faith in G-d, we perform this commandment as the first and beginning of all commandments.
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