Since we read about the topic of milah in the upcoming parshios, I would like to share some highlights of a shiur that I gave on the topic of a mother’s involvement in the mitzvah of milah. As a practicing mohel, the mitzvah of milah is always a topic “close to my heart.”
The Gemara in Kiddushin (29a) states that the mitzvah of milah is exclusive to the father, and there is no requirement on a mother to circumcise her son. The Gemara learns this from the pasuk in Parshas Va’yeira: וַיָּמָ ל אַבְרָהָם אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ בֶּן שְׁ מֹנַת יָמִים כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֹתוֹ השם“, Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchok, on the eighth day, as Hashem commanded him.” Only Avraham was commanded, and not Sarah, which teaches us that there is no requirement on a mother to circumcise her son.
MITZVAS ASEI SHE’HAZMAN GRAMA, A TIME-SENSITIVE MITZVAH
Tosfos wonders why the Gemara needs to learn from a pasuk that a woman is not commanded to perform this mitzvah. Since the mitzvah can only be fulfilled after the eighth day, it should be deemed a mitzvas asei she’hazman grama, a time-sensitive mitzvah, which women are not obligated to perform.
Tosfos answers that since from the eighth day on, milah is a continuous mitzvah, it does not qualify as a time-sensitive mitzvah. This answer needs further elucidation. Since one must wait until the eighth day to perform the mitzvah, even if it is a continuous mitzvah after that, it still is time-sensitive.
WHY WOMEN ARE EXEMPT FROM TIME-SENSITIVE MITZVOS
We can explain the answer of Tosfos based on the explanation of the Avudraham for the exemption of women from time-sensitive mitzvos. Why, indeed, are women exempt from time-sensitive mitzvos? He explains that being required to fulfill these mitzvos would place a woman in a situation of constant conflict, trying to balance her dual responsibilities to her husband and to Hashem. If she busies herself with fulfilling these mitzvos, her husband’s needs may fall to the wayside, and vice versa, if she busies herself with fulfilling her husband’s needs, Hashem’s commands may fall to the wayside.
Consequently, Hashem absolved women from these mitzvos in order to foster domestic harmony, just as He allowed His name to be erased for a sotah.
Based on this understanding, we can suggest that as long as the mitzvah starts on the eighth day, and the mother can perform the mitzvah at her convenience, there will no longer be an interference with her other responsibilities.
IF NOT TODAY, THERE IS ALWAYS TOMORROW
We can take this concept a step further. Tosfos there continues with another question. Since milah can only be performed during the day, it should still be considered a time-sensitive mitzvah because a woman cannot fulfill the mitzvah at night.
Tosfos answers that this Gemara is following the opinion that after the eighth day passes, one can do the mitzvah at night. But according to the opinion that milah cannot be performed at night, we would not need a pasuk to exempt the mother from the mitzvah of milah , since it is a time-sensitive mitzvah.
However, we can suggest another answer to Tosfos’s question, according to the Avudraham. Even if the mother cannot perform the mitzvah of milah at night, she can do this very mitzvah at her leisure. If not today, there is always time tomorrow. Consequently, she will not be stuck in the middle of juggling dual responsibilities, and there is no reason to exempt her from milah because it’s a time-sensitive mitzvah. When it comes to other mitzvos, such as lulav, if a woman misses today’s opportunity, it is gone forever, as tomorrow’s mitzvah is a different obligation. Therefore, if not for the pasuk that specifically exempts the mother from the requirement to fulfill the mitzvah of milah, she would have been required to do the mitzvah.
SUMMARY
We learn from a pasuk that there is no requirement for a mother to circumcise her son. We do not apply the regular exemption of it being a time-sensitive mitzvah because the mitzvah of milah does not interfere with her other responsibilities.
RABBI NACHUM SCHEINER
