THE TWO APPEARANCES OF CIRCUMCISION
This week’s parashah begins with the verses,
If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall become ritually defiled for seven days to the same degree as in the days of her menstrual flow. On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
These are very central verses in the Torah, because it is from here that we as they speak of the commandment of circumcision. The commentators ask why the commandment of circumcision with its particular details appears only now. Could these details not have been included in the commandment of circumcision already given to Abraham in parashat Lech Lecha? There are different answers to this question.
Let us reply using gematria. The Lubavitcher Rebbe loved the number 27, the gematria of “pure” (ְךָז) a great deal, because it is three to the third power: 3 times 3 times 3. Lech Lecha is the third portion in the Torah, while our parashah, Tazria, is the 27th. This is a beautiful connection between Lech Lecha and Tazria and the two mentions of circumcision.
As noted, there are many details that the sages learn from these opening verses of Parashat Tazria. Our partzuf-model for this week’s parashah will take all these teachings—there are at least eleven different teachings or halachot that the sages, both from the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud learn from these words—and organize them into a structure. That means we will associate each explanation, each law learned, with a particular sefirah, a power in the soul. Each such association is the basis for another rectification and perfection of a power of the soul.
CROWN AND KNOWLEDGE: CIRCUMCISION OVERRIDES SHABBAT AND TZARA’AT
Let us begin with what it means and how we learn that circumcision overrides t z a r a’a t, the spiritual skin ailment that is commonly translated as leprosy. Tz a r a’a t really has nothing obvious to do with modern day leprosy, so we will usually call it by its Hebrew name, t z a r a’a t.
Immediately following the commandment to circumcise, the Torah details the laws of t z a r a’a t. One of the grave prohibitions governing t z a r a’a t is to not cut away or remove t z a r a’a t from the body to purify it. The sages learn this from the verse, “Take care regarding the lesion to meticulously safeguard [to act in accordance with all that the Levite priests instruct you].”
But what if the lesion is located on the male procreative organ, performing circumcision would mean cutting off the lesion. Because the laws of circumcision are followed by the laws of t z a r a’a t, the sages learn that in such a case circumcision overrides the prohibition to cut off the lesion.
The sages explain why we need to learn this principle that circumcision overrides t z a r a’a t from the verse “On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” Why is it not enough that we have a general principle that states that a positive commandment overrides a prohibitive one. They answer that because the prohibition not to remove a t z a r a’a t lesion is stated in the positive, “Take care regarding the lesion to meticulously safeguard...,” it is considered to contain both a prohibition and a positive element. When this is the case, the positive commandment to perform circumcision is not enough to annul the prohibition of removing the lesion. That is why the Torah needs a special verse, “On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be removed,” to override the prohibition from cutting away the lesion. This is our first example of a halachah that connects the beginning of the parsha with what follows.
To be even more precise, we might ask, from which word do we learn that circumcision overrides t z a r a’a t? From the word “flesh [of his foreskin].” The word "flesh" is enough to teach that even if there is a lesion in the flesh, it should be removed.
Another halachah is taught with relation to this relationship between circumcision and t z a r a’a t. Say you encounter such a situation where there is a lesion on the child’s foreskin. While you are removing the foreskin, and of course the lesion, to fulfil the commandment of circumcision, you are not allowed to intend that you are also purifying the t z a r a’a t. The t z a r a’a t must be purified even in this case, naturally, i.e., without premeditation. This is an example of an action that is performed above reason and understanding, to use the idiom used in Chasidic thought.
CIRCUMCISION OVERRIDES SHABBAT
In our times, t z a r a’a t is not commonly found, at least not in its straightforward form, but what is still relevant today is that circumcision overrides Shabbat. In fact, probability would have it that this halachah is relevant in one out of every seven circumcisions.
There is something about the eighth day that is more important and stronger than the seventh. The secret of the number eight is greater than that of seven. Seven is the Shabbat, the seventh day, and the eighth is the circumcision.
From where do we learn that circumcision overrides Shabbat? From the word “and on the [eighth] day” (םֹויַבו). It must be done on the eighth day, even if the eighth day is a Shabbat.
SHABBAT AND TZARAAT: PLEASURE AND AFFLICTION
How should we draw a correspondence between these two laws and the sefirot in our partzuf/model? There must be some connection between these first two halachot, since they both follow the formulation that circumcision overrides something. To understand the connection between Shabbat and t z a r a’a t, let us turn to the well-known statement from Sefer Yetzirah, "There is no good that is higher than pleasure (גֶנֹע) and no evil lower than affliction (עַגֶנ).” What is pleasure and what is affliction? The holy Shabbat is the ultimate pleasure, as it says, “Then you will take pleasure in Havayah” (ל הויַג עַּנַעתִּז תָא'). The main mitzvah of Shabbat is the pleasure of Shabbat—oneg Shabbat. Affliction (עַגֶנ) is clearly t z a r a’a t—the primary affliction in the Torah. In addition, in Aramaic, the word for “evil” (עָר) also means sickness, and the worst sickness is t z a r a’a t.
Now where do these two halachot fit in the sefirot? Since we are learning and grounding these ideas according to Sefer Yetzirah, and in it each of the sefirot is referred to as a “depth” (קֶמֹע), good and evil are akin to the “depth of good” (בֹק טוֶמֹע) and the “depth of evil” (עַק רֶמֹע). The first refers to the cornet of loving-kindness of the sefirah of knowledge (d a’a t) and the second to the cornet of judgments in knowledge. Therefore, it can be said simply that the law that circumcision override Shabbat corresponds to the loving-kindness within knowledge, whose root is—and according to others this is the intent of the cornet of loving-kindness within knowledge—in the supernal crown.
To use Kabbalistic language, the pleasure of Shabbat is related to the seven lower sefirot of Atik, which because they enclothe within the lower part of the crown, can be sensed. However, the pleasure of circumcision cannot be sensed, it is beyond experience, which places it in the realm of faith, referring to the three highest sefirot of Atik, which cannot be experienced. This exactly parallels the premise that one may not derive pleasure (i.e., benefit) from circumcising a foreskin that has a lesion—the benefit of having gotten rid of the t z a r a’a t. But despite the fact that the pleasure is not experienced, the circumcision is so much stronger than the lesion, that in a natural and unmeditated manner, it can heal t z a r a’a t.
So, we have that t z a r a’a t and Shabbat are the two coronets of the sefirah of knowledge or and that the circumcision itself is in the crown, particularly in faith, the highest third of the crown.
WISDOM: THE FATHER'S COMMANDMENT TO CIRCUMCISE HIS SON
Let us quickly review some other laws of circumcision. The Torah places the duty to circumcise a child specifically on his father.
From where do we learn this? According to the Jerusalem Talmud it is learnt from the verb, “shall be circumcised” (לֹוּמִי). On the other hand, the Babylonian Talmud states that the source is from Abraham, “Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old.” This verse is what we say in the blessing of the circumcision. Either way, clearly this halachah corresponds to the sefirah of wisdom, known as the Father principle.
UNDERSTANDING: THE PARENTS' JOY IN THE MOTHER'S PURITY
Why do we wait eight days to perform the circumcision? There is a reason in the Talmud in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi). Rashbi is commonly identified with the radiance of the Supernal Mother, i.e., with the sefirah of understanding. The reason is that it would not be proper that everyone should be joyful at the birth of the new child, but the father and mother should be sad because they are now forbidden from having physical contact. Therefore, they wait until the eighth day. On the seventh day the mother immerses herself in the mikveh to purify herself from the defilement of childbirth, as written in the previous verse, “And she shall be unclean for seven days.” And then immediately, it says, “And on the eighth day [after she has purified], he shall be circumcised.” Subsequently, after the first seven days, even if the mother sees blood, it is considered blood that is pure and does not defile (according to the law of the Torah).
All commandments should be performed with joy, and specifically in the case of circumcision, it is written, “I rejoice at Your word, like one who finds great spoil.” One should be even more joyous about the commandment of circumcision than any other. All commandments are for the sake of joy, and the essence of this commandment is the joy of a mitzvah that requires self-sacrifice, the joy of the continuity of the Jewish people, and the joy of a mitzvah that is the root and source of the entire Torah. Joy is the inner experience of the sefirah of understanding, of the mother principle (Imma), about which it says, “the mother of the children is joyous” (especially when she is pure for her husband).
LOVING-KINDNESS AND MIGHT: CIRCUMCISION ON THE EIGHTH DAY AFTER SUNRISE.
From the phrase “on the eighth day,” the sages learn that circumcision is to be performed during daylight and not at night. The sages then continue to note that, “the vigilant are early to perform commandments.” From whom do we learn this principle? From Abraham, who is the archetypal soul of loving-kindness. Daylight itself represents loving-kindness, as it is written, “By day God commands His loving-kindness upon me” and the first day of Creation, which corresponds to loving-kindness and which is called “light” in the verse, “God called the light ‘day.’”
Along with this, it is taught that one must wait until sunrise, and it is forbidden to perform the circumcision beforehand. There are many commandments that can be performed between dawn and sunrise ex post facto. Circumcision is one of them, but really one should wait until sunrise. There is a verse that captures this, “As the sun goes out in its might.” Circumcision is a source of might in the child’s life. It gives strength for restraint. To guard one’s covenant with love, love that is fiery love, meaning that it is the aspect of might and restraint within love, the circumcision needs to be performed after the sun rises in its might. Obviously, this law corresponds to the sefirah of might, which strengthens the love that is loving-kindness and transforms it from love like water to fiery love.
BEAUTY: STRENGTHENING THE BODY
The aspect of beauty in circumcision is the second reason why we wait eight days to circumcise the child. The Rambam brings this reason in his Guide for the Perplexed. There are commentators who are puzzled by why he did not bring the reason stated by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Talmud. However, they seem to have missed the fact that the reason he does bring is written in the Midrash.
This is a very straightforward reason, which is what the Rambam prefers: we wait eight days to circumcise the child to allow him to get stronger; so that all his organs have time to become strong, and he will be able to undergo the circumcision without danger. However, this reason raises another question. An animal, after seven days, is no longer considered a potential miscarriage, but for a child it takes thirty days until he is no longer considered a miscarriage, which is why we perform the redemption of the firstborn only after thirty days. Why is it then that we do not wait for thirty days before circumcising the child?
What is the nature of this reason that Maimonides offers as a type of natural explanation for circumcision? There are those who want to say that it is related to the sages’ statement that the Torah commands us to wait until the eighth day, so that “the child experiences a Shabbat.” Shabbat is a source of health for a Jew, as the sages state, “It is Shabbat... and healing is near.” By simply experiencing a Shabbat, even without consciousness of the day, a Jew is strengthened—it strengthens both the soul and the body, because for a Jew, the soul and the body depend on one another. The Rambam does not mention this in his explanation in the Guide, but this is what some of the later sages add.
We could also take the opposite approach. Since we see that even an animal is strong enough after 7 days to be considered healthy and not a miscarried birth, this certainly also affects the bodily dimension of a child. So, even though a Jewish child is strongly connected with his soul and therefore can be redeemed only after 30 days, already after 7 days, the body is strong enough to undergo circumcision.
This aspect of waiting until the eighth day to circumcise corresponds to beauty because of the Tikkunei Zohar’s statement, “beauty [tiferet] is the body” (אָפּוּת – גֶרֶאְפִּת).
VICTORY: CIRCUMCISION ALWAYS DURING THE DAY
For loving-kindness, we saw the teaching that circumcision on the eighth day must be during the day, not at night. The sages continue with another teaching, that even if the circumcision must be postponed for valid reasons, be it the ninth day, the tenth day, the eleventh day, and the twelfth day, whatever the delay, it must still be done during the day, not at night. We place this law in victory (netzach) since it is the branch of loving-kindness. It also fits beautifully since the name of this sefirah (netzach) can also be translated as “eternity,” i.e., the only sefirah whose name is explicitly related to the continuum of time.
We mentioned up to 12 days after the birth because these are “normal” scenarios for delaying the circumcision? If the baby was born at twilight, the circumcision should take place on the ninth day; if during twilight at the start of Shabbat, it should be on the tenth day; if it was the twilight before Shabbat that is followed by a festival, the circumcision should take place on the eleventh day; and if it is the twilight before Shabbat that is followed by the two days of Rosh Hashanah, it should take place on the twelfth day. This is the explanation of this teaching from the sages, specifying five days when the circumcision should be performed initially, depending on when the child is born.
This explains a question asked by Lubavitchers. There is a common saying that a Lubavitcher is born on the 10th of Kislev (the day the Mittler Rebbe was released from jail), and his circumcision is on the 19th of Kislev. But these are ten days, not eight! Here, we see that according to the sages, circumcision can be on the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth day. The sum of these numbers—8, 9, 10, 11, and 12—is 50.
How are 8 and 50 connected? 8 is 7 plus 1 and 50 is 7 squared plus—like the 50 days of the Counting of the Omer. A regular circumcision is on the eighth day, but all these alternately “regular” days add up to fifty. Moreover, since there are 5 possible numbers of days, their average value is 10, which exactly corresponds to the ten days from the 10th of Kislev to the 19th of Kislev.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: CIRCUMCISION DEPENDS ON RITUAL DEFILEMENT
Circumcision on the eighth day is only required when the woman is impure due to childbirth. We learn this from the juxtaposition of the two issues in sequential verses:
If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall become ritually defiled for seven days.... On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
But if there is a situation where childbirth does not cause her ritual defilement, the circumcision is not delayed until the eighth day. How can this happen? One option is that the child was born by cesarean section. In practice, today, we do wait the full eight days even in case of a c-section, based on the Rosh who was the first to rule so. However, by the letter of the law, one would not wait the full eight days.
There is another possibility that the mother would not be impure after delivery. This is the case of a woman who gives birth and then converts on the same day. She gave birth naturally and then converted, so she is not impure due to childbirth. In this case, the circumcision should be done immediately. The Rosh writes that even in this case, today we wait eight days.
We previously discussed the connection between circumcision, leprosy, and Shabbat, and here we see a true and deep connection between menstrual impurity (הּדִנ) and circumcision (הילִמ). The sum of their values is 12 squared—thus numerically, the two words complement one another. The verse that ties the two together is one that describes the sefirah of acknowledgment (hod(: “My hod is turned to against me” (יתִחְׁשַמְי לַלָ עְךַּפְהֶי נִדֹהוְו) and the letters of “hod” (דֹהו) permute to spell a synonym for menstruation (.(הָוָּד It is clear according to the Torah’s inner dimension that circumcision on the eighth day is intrinsically connected to menstrual impurity and the sefirah of hod.
Here is also the place to say that for someone who wishes to merit healthy and lasting offspring, especially male children, the primary merit is the observance of the laws of family purity. Some interpreters learn this from here. This is a very important principle.
FOUNDATION: CIRCUMCISION ON THE EIGHTH DAY ONLY FOR A CHILD THAT IS DEFINITELY MALE
Corresponding to the sefirah of foundation, we place the halachah that only when the child is known to be definitively male, is the circumcision delayed until the eighth day. Otherwise, it should be done immediately, according to the letter of the law. We learn this from the words, “and gives birth to a male.... on the eighth day, his foreskin shall be circumcised.” Sometimes a child is born with concealed genitalia. This is called a tumtum. If subsequently the skin covering the genitalia is removed and it is revealed that the child is indeed male, then according to the law, one does not wait for the eighth day.
From the Chasidic point of view, a male is a giver, one who is meant to influence others. Indeed, “male” (רָכָז) has the same value as “blessing” (הָכָרְּב). Thus, by definition, masculinity has the innate nature of being revealed immediately. Though all the laws we are reviewing and corresponding to the sefirot should be explained according to Chasidic thought, let us discuss this one.
Some people think there is an issue with revealing that one is a giver and an influencer (a mashpia). Indeed, there are some chasidim that hide their intention to affect and influence others. However, here it is written that the essence of birth, of coming into the world, is not to hide for even a moment that you are male, that you identify with the need to affect others to grow closer to God by doing outreach and more specifically the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s campaigns. By not concealing this, by acting upon this essential call of our generation, one merits to draw down “the eighth day,” the 8 that is higher than the 7.
