Jews
|
6. Do the Jews still practice the circumcision? |
|
Yes, they do. They call it Berith
Milah, which means ‘covenant of circumcision.’ Male infants born to
Jewish parents are circumcised eight days after their birth. |
|
Circumcision is practiced also on those Gentiles who turn to Judaism
(after their circumcision they are immersed into the Mikveh which is a pool
or bath which contains rainwater or springwater which is used by the Jews for
the ritual purification and the ablutions); however, with regard to the
converted to Judaism it must be said that in some non-orthodox circles of
Judaism circumcision is not required. |
|
Circumcision is one of the most important and meaningful rites for the
Jews. Those who are circumcised will be saved by Abraham from the punishment which
will be inflicted upon men after death. |
|
If a child is sick, his circumcision is put off and for health reasons
it can be put off indefinitely. However, in these cases, the uncircumcised
child is considered as if he was circumcised (therefore, he is considered a
Jew, but according to the Jewish Orthodoxy he is a Jew only if both his mother
and father are Jews, or if his mother is a Jew). |
|
Most of the Jews have their children circumcised. During the ceremony
of the circumcision the child is placed for a moment upon a chair set apart
for the prophet Elijah (the tradition says that Elijah attends every
circumcision ceremony). Then the child is placed upon the knees of the
godfather, who holds him while the circumciser by profession (called mohel)
circumcises the baby (that is, he removes the prepuce). At the end of the
ceremony the child is given a Jewish name. |
|
The circumcision which is practiced by the Jews was given by God to
the patriarch Abraham, as it is written: “And when Abram was ninety years old
and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty
God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between
me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face:
and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee,
and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more
be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations
have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make
nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my
covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for
an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou
art a stranger, all the |
|
However, it must be said that circumcision is a shadow of the true
circumcision that Christ Jesus has done in the heart of all those who have
believed in Him. For the apostle Paul (I remind you that Paul was a Jew by
birth, thus he was circumcised in the flesh) said: “In whom also ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in
baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12).
Therefore, we believers in Jesus Christ are the true circumcised (Philippians
3:3) for we are circumcised in the heart and not in the flesh, as it is
written: “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of
the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men,
but of God” (Romans 2:29). Therefore, we Gentiles in Christ are Jews
inwardly. |
|
To Christ Jesus, the One who has circumcised our heart, be the glory
now and forever. Amen. |