A Renewed Bris Milah
At matan Torah, korbanos of olah and shelamim were sacrificed, as discussed at the end of the parashah. The blood of both korbanos were divided in half, as it states (24:6) ַלע ַקזָר ַדָּםה ֲצִיוַח ַגָּנֹתבָּא ֶםׂוַיָּש ַדָּםה ֲצִיח ֶהׁמֹש ַּחוַיִּק ִַּזְבֵּחַמה, "Moshe took half the blood and put it into the basins, and half the blood he cast onto the mizbeiach."
Rashi explains that the blood in the basins was sprinkled on the Jewish nation.
The Ohev Yisrael zt'l (Shekalim תשא כי ה"ד) explains that half of the blood went on the mizbeiach and half on the Jewish nation, and this created a bond between Hashem and the Jewish nation.
He says that the Abarbanel writes in one of his sefarim about the process kings of the past would use to make a bris, a covenant with one another. The bris was a promise made to love one another and, if needed, to go to war to protect the other. To establish this bond, they would pour two cups of wine, and each king would place a drop of his blood into the wine and give it to the other king to drink.
When they drank the wine, their blood mixed, which was a sign that the chiyus (life source) of both were bound together. This is because הנפש הוא הדם כי the blood is the soul and the chiyus of a person. This symbolized that each person was prepared to be moser nefesh and to pour his blood, if needed, to help his fellow man.
The Ohev Yisrael says that this is the bris performed in this week's parashah between Hakadosh Baruch Hu and Yisrael. As it is known, דארעא מלכותא כעין דרקיעא מלכותא, the kingdom of heaven is similar to the kingdom of man. Just as blood is used to create a bond in the kingdoms below, the process is also used in the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the blood of the korbanos was divided. Half was placed on the mizbeiach and half was on the Jewish nation.
We quote the Ohev Yisrael, "Keviyachol, the blood of their covenant were mixed together, and the Jewish nation will... be moser nefesh for Hashem's kedushah. (24:8) עמכם 'ה כרת אשר הברית דם הנה, 'Behold the blood of the bris that Hashem has formed with you.' עמכם, with you, means they are together, totally one."
At a bris, the father of the child says the brachah, של בבריתו להכניסו צוונו ...אשר ...'ה אתה ברוך אבינו אברהם, "Blessed are You Hashem... Who... commanded us to bring him into the bris of Avraham Avinu." Who is the "him" in this pasuk? Presumably, it is the infant child. But why isn't the brachah more explicit, such as אברהם של בבריתו התינוק להכניס אבינו, that Hashem commanded us to bring the child into the bris of Avraham Avinu?
Reb Shimon Sofer (Michtav Sofer, Agadas HaShas, Shabbos 137:) answers that the brachah isn’t referring to the child, it is referring to Hashem. When one makes a bris milah, he brings Hashem into the bris of Avraham Avinu. It is a renewal of the bris of love Hashem made with Avraham years before.
We add that when a person overcomes the yetzer hara and he guards his eyes and thoughts, he is making a bris milah on his heart, as it states (Devarim 10:16) ַתָרְלע ֵתא ֶּםַלְתוּמ ֶםַבְכלְב, and this will renew the bris between the Jewish nation and Hashem.
It is known the segulah, taught by Reb Eliyahu Gutmacher, the tzaddik of Greiditz (in Hagahos HaShas Shabbos 130.) that when a child cries at a bris milah, it is a good time for tefillah. The tefillos go straight up to heaven, without any disturbance. We add that when a person makes a bris milah on his heart by being cautious with his kedushah, it is an eis ratzon, and the tefillos he says will go straight up to heaven.
Ohev Yisrael writes, "When a person battles with the yetzer hara, and he pours his blood and abandons his desires to do Hashem's will, it is like his blood is mixed with the bris with Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and he becomes very close to Hashem," and this brings rachamim and chasadim onto him.
