Bris Milah (ברית מילה) — the covenant of circumcision

Core definition

Bris milah ("the covenant of circumcision") is the mitzvah of removing the foreskin, the sign of the covenant sealed in the flesh. In Chassidus it is "distinct from all the mitzvos": through it the Jew cleaves to the body of the King and inherits the matronita (Malchus, "the land of the living") [15737/maamar_006 :: Summary — pages נא–נו]. It is performed on the eighth day — above the seven days of the building: "it is as the circumcision on the eighth's matter — that is, 'the eighth king, Hadar'" [19801/maamar_022 :: Overview].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The Zohar's two views. The Vayechi discourse expounds the Zohar on "and Your people are all righteous; forever they shall inherit the land": R. Chiya — they are called righteous for cleaving to the body of the King, and inherit the World to Come (Binah); R. Yitzchak — they are called righteous for the mitzvah of circumcision, and inherit the matronita (Malchus) [15737/maamar_006 :: Overview]. R. Yitzchak's teaching is that circumcision has two faces: "circumcision is both positive (drawing Divinity from Above) and negative (removing the foreskin covering the yesod's crown — 'the wicked crowns the righteous'; forbidden lusts removed entirely; peri'ah tearing coarseness — conquering lust, only the necessary, for Heaven's sake — the flame of the revolving sword overturned from evil to good)" [15737/maamar_006 :: Summary — pages נא–נו].

The removal of the foreskin. "The mitzvah of circumcision is the removal of the foreskin: i.e., to burn away the evil entirely" [15737/maamar_006 :: §854]; it was given "to cut off the foreskin that covers the crown of the yesod" [15737/maamar_006 :: §785]. "In the mitzvah of circumcision there are these two aspects" — drawing down and cutting away [15737/maamar_006 :: §890]. "Through the mitzvah of circumcision — the removal of the foreskin" the Jew is "called righteous, and inherit[s] the matronita, drawing the ohr ein sof into Malchus" [15737/maamar_006 :: Summary — pages נא–נו].

Clarifying the Tree of Knowledge. Circumcision together with Torah effects "the clarification and rectification of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil": "through circumcision — separating the foreskin and tearing the skin of peri'ah" [15737/maamar_006 :: §1294–1297]. In the maamar's grammar, the fig — the Tree of Knowledge, Malchus feeding even evil — is rectified when circumcision removes the covering and Torah "sews" the Tree of Knowledge to the Tree of Life [15737/maamar_006 :: Overview].

The eighth day. Festivals of eight days "are above seven" — the seven are the building's days, opposite the seven supernal sefiros, cycling in return; the eighth is "one riding upon seven," above the encircling order [19801/maamar_022 :: Overview]. Circumcision on the eighth thus belongs to the level above nature — like Moshe, of whom it is written "she saw him that he is good" — "he was born circumcised," since his root is in Adam Kadmon's Yesod, "above Tohu and Tikkun" [19801/maamar_022 :: Overview].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Sources