Mama of the Tribe  Torah Observant Blog

Circumcision, Children and Passover

 Amanda Roth

 

There are some who view circumcision differently than others. We are here today to see what our Creator YHWH wants from his firstborn (His people). I am half blood Jew and Colombian descent, I was born into this faith of Torah Observant (TO) and Messianic. As a female I gave really not thought to the process of circumcision as it did not directly affect me. What did affect me looking back as an adult was not realizing I was not partaking in any Passovers. Still into adulthood, I quickly realized that I was not partaking in any Passovers. My father explained to me that unless I was baptized in Messiah I could not partake in the Matzah and the wine at the sedar. Once I was baptized in Messiah, I could now formally eat the Matzah and drink of the wine. This entire process got me seriously thinking. I am a mom of a boy who was circumcised on the 8th day but would it be an issue for him to participate in Passover Sedars? Also Keeping the Shabbat is the sign of His people and is necessary to be guarding in order to partake in Passover as well.

 

According to how I the organization we attended and were taught, it really boils down to if you’re not old enough to make a decision to follow Yeshua then you should not take of the matzah and wine until you are baptized in His name.

 

Here we will cover the following topics:

• Circumcision on the 8th day.

• What if you have a teenager or a child past 8 days old?

• What if you are new to the Torah of Moshe, whether Jewish, Ephramite or Gentile?

• Circumcision of the heart…

• Circumcision and Uncleanliness

• Can your physical circumcision become undone spiritually?

• Can a male child participate in Passover circumcised but not baptized? Female child?

• What happens if the 8th day falls on Shabbat?

• What if your child is born with something that prohibits being baptized on the 8th day, but you had every intention of fulfilling that commandment?

• What if you are a worried about how to properly do it?

• Can an extreme type of circumcision be reversed?

 

Let’s explore scripture together and test it out.

 

I truly believe it is a commandment from YHWH to circumcise our boys for ALL GENERATIONS. You, as the Torah Observant (TO) parent have fulfilled that mitzvah by adhering to His laws. Most of us will fall under this category of fulfilling the Mitzvah on the 8th day but there will be some where it just may not be possible due to unforeseen circumstances.

When your children grow up, you can only pray you led them into the right direction where they would want to now be immersed and baptized in Yeshua’s name. This now would be the grown young adults responsibility to continue into the faith with a conscious and free willed decision.

Let’s go thru some scripture on the word Circumcision.

OT:4135

muwl (mool); a primitive root; to cut short, i.e. curtail (specifically the prepuce, i.e. to circumcise); by implication, to blunt; figuratively, to destroy:

 

KJV - circumcise (-ing), selves), cut down (in pieces), destroy, must needs.

 

This verb occurs more than 30 times in the Old Testament. Its usage is continued in rabbinic and modern Hebrew. However, the verb "to cut off" is not found in other Semitic languages.

Most of the occurrences in the Old Testament take place in the Pentateuch (20 times) and Joshua (8 times). Mul occurs most frequently in Genesis (17 times, 11 of them in Gen 17 alone) and Joshua (8 times). Mul occurs in 3 of the 7 verb patterns and in several rare patterns. It has no derivatives other than mulot in Ex 4:26: "At that time she said, 'bridegroom of blood,' referring to circumcision" (NIV).

The physical act of circumcision was introduced by God as a sign of the Abrahamic covenant: "This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you... Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you" Gen 17:10-11, NIV. It was a permanent "cutting off" of the foreskin of the male organ, and as such was a reminder of the perpetuity of the covenantal relationship. Israel was enjoined to be faithful in "circumcising" all males; each male baby was to be "circumcised" on the eighth day Gen 17:12; Lev 12:3. Not only were the physical descendants of Abraham "circumcised," but also those who were servants, slaves, and foreigners in the covenant community Gen 17:13-14.

The special act of circumcision was a sign of God's gracious promise. With the promise and covenantal relations, God expected that His people would joyously and willingly live up to His expectations, and thus demonstrate His rule on earth. To describe the "heart" attitude, several writers of Scripture use the verb "to circumcise." The "circumcision" of the flesh is a physical sign of commitment to God. Deuteronomy particularly is fond of the spiritual usage of the verb "to circumcise": "Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer" Deut 10:16, NIV; cf. 30:6. Jeremiah took over this usage: "Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah..., because of the evil of your doings" Jer 4:4.

 

Few occurrences of the verb differ from the physical and the spiritual usage of "to circumcise." Mul in the Book of Psalms has the meaning of "to cut off, destroy": "All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of YHWH I cut them off" Ps 118:10, NIV; cf. vv. 11-12.

 The above was taken from PC Bible Study 5 when searching the word Mul.

 

The following is an interesting note I saw on a website about the correlation of being circumcised on the 8th day and the Last Great Day, in the fall Feasts.

When practiced according to Elohims law, the ritual of circumcision pertains to men, that is, males, taking place on the eighth day after parturition. Eight is the number of "new beginnings," the idea being that seven is the number of perfection, and seven plus one - eight - restarts the cycle. Thus, the eighth day of the week is Sunday, in reality the beginning of the new week. The Last Great day, which occurs eight days after the Feast of Tabernacles begins, looks forward to the day when Elohim will make all things new. This is the important symbolic message behind physical circumcision: The boy - the man - circumcised on the eighth day is a "new man."

However, the new man of whom Paul speaks is not new because of physical circumcision. He is new because he has obeyed God's command to "circumcise the foreskin of [his] heart, and be stiff-necked no longer" (Deuteronomy 10:16, see Jeremiah 4:4). Paul, understanding this, claims that "circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit." "Heart," of course, refers to mind. The new man is new because he is "renewed in the spirit of [his] mind" (Ephesians 4:23). By definition, the new man is spiritually circumcised - circumcised in his mind. http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/228/Circumcision-of-Heart.htm

Circumcision

 

Genesis 17:9 is the first time we see Elohim speaking about circumcision.

Gen 17:9-14

9 And Elohim said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;

11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.

13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."

Lev 12:3

3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

 

Here is an example, believers were still doing physical circumcision in the Brit Chadeshah and this circumcision has NOT been done away with.

Luke 1:59-66

So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.

60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John."

61 But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."

62 So they made signs to his father — what he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled.

64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.

65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.

66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of YHWH was with him.

 

Abraham and his family were circumcised past the 8th day of birth, this is the first indication that males can be physically circumcised past the 8th day, even though it was the first time instituted, we will see there are other scriptural verses that are exceptions for the 8th day commandment when it has been done on the 8th day.

Gen 17:24-27

24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael;

27 and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

 

Here Tzipporah circumcises her own son as a young man.

Ex 4:22-26

22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says YHWH:"Israel is My son, My firstborn.

23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn."'"

24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that YHWH met him and sought to kill him.

25 Then Tzipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses' feet, and said, "Surely you are a husband of blood to me!"

26 So He let him go. Then she said, "You are a husband of blood!" — because of the circumcision.

 

Shaul circumcises Timothy as an adult.

Acts 16:1-3

Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.

2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.

3 Shaul (Paul) wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

 

Exodus 4:22-26 are one of those passages in Torah where there is an anomaly in the text that forces us to struggle to understand. In Judaism, it is believed that these are put into the text deliberately to cause us to learn principles that are "between the lines" for example not in the written text. Of all the passages that cause such a tail-spin, this is one where we can drash out the answer from within the text. At first it is unclear who YHWH intended to kill - Moshe or Eliezar. It might be Moshe. We see within the text that Tzipporah prevents the bloodshed of her bridegroom (Moshe) and not her firstborn. Since we can find the answer within the text, why did the text force us to reread these verses several times? It challenges us to think about who was responsible for failing to circumcise the boy. It was Moshe. It is not the 8 day old baby's responsibility; it is the father's responsibility. I am not responsible to be circumcised, but I am responsible to circumcise my son (and I would have been responsible to honor my father if he had failed in his obligation.)

So now that we have learned this important covenantal principle, we can understand the opening verses of Acts 16 clearer. It was not timothy's fault that he was uncircumcised. His father was Greek and therefore not under the covenant. Therefore, there was no father under the covenant to solve the problem. What was the solution? The Jewish community asked Shaul to step in as Timothy's adopted father and circumcise him. Paul accommodated their request and called timothy "my son" thereafter.

 

2 Tim 1:1-2

From: Sha’ul, an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua by Elohim’s will, which holds forth a promise of life through being united with Messiah Yeshua

2 To: Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and shalom from Elohim the Father and the Messiah Yeshua, our Master.

 

Phil 2:19-22

19 But I hope in the Master Yeshua to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I too may be cheered by knowing how you are doing.

20 I have no one who compares with him, who will care so sincerely for your welfare — 

21 people all put their own interests ahead of the Messiah Yeshua’s.

22 But you know his character, that like a son with his father he slaved with me to advance the Besorah (Good News).

 

Y’hoshua was commanded by YHWH to circumcise the children who had not been circumcised because they were traveling in the wilderness.

  Y’hoshua (Joshua) 5:1-5

5 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that YHWH  had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

2 At that time YHWH said to Y’hoshua, "Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time."

3 So Y’hoshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

4 And this is the reason why Y’hoshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt.

5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.

 

Josh 5:6-8

6 because the people of Isra’el walked forty years in the desert until the whole nation, that is, the fighting men who had left Egypt, had died out; because they had not heeded what YHWH said. YHWH had sworn that he would not allow them to see the land which YHWH swore to their ancestors that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

7 So he raised up their children to take their place, and it was these whom Y’hoshua circumcised; till then they had been uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised while traveling.

8 When all the nation had been circumcised, every one of them, they stayed where they were in camp until they had healed.

 

YHWH is making sure everyone who had not been circumcised is prepared for Passover.

 

Josh 5:9-11

9 YHWH said to Y’hoshua, “Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt.” This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since.

10 The people of Isra’el camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho.

11 The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day.

 

New to Torah? Gentile or Eframite? Grafted in by Marriage? Here are some verses below that you may be able to identify with.

Acts 15:1-12

1 But some men came down from Y’hudah to Antioch and began teaching the brothers, “You can’t be saved unless you undergo b’rit-milah in the manner prescribed by Moshe.”

2 This brought them into no small measure of discord and dispute with Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba. So the congregation assigned Sha’ul, Bar-Nabba and some of themselves to go and put this sh’eila (to put in question) before the emissaries and the elders up in Yerushalayim.

3 After being sent off by the congregation, they made their way through Phoenicia and Shomron, recounting in detail how the Gentiles had turned to God; and this news brought great joy to all the brothers.

4 On arrival in Yerushalayim, they were welcomed by the Messianic community, including the emissaries and the elders; and they reported what Elohim had done through them.

5 But some of those who had come to trust were from the party of the P’rushim (Pharisees); and they stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Torah of Moshe.”

6 The emissaries and the elders met to look into this matter.

7 After lengthy debate, Kefa got up and said to them, “Brothers, you yourselves know that a good while back, Elohim chose me from among you to be the one by whose mouth the Goyim should hear the message of the Good News and come to trust.

8 And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness by giving the Ruach HaKodesh to them, just as he did to us;

9 that is, he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their heart by trust.

10 So why are you putting Elohim to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the talmidim which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to bear?

11 No, it is through the love and kindness of the Master Yeshua that we trust and are delivered — and it’s the same with them.”

12 Then the whole assembly kept still as they listened to Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul tell what signs and miracles God had done through them among the Gentiles.

 

Kepha speaks about putting a yoke around the neck of the Talmidim. Why would he say that? They are not speaking to Jews who have been born into Torah, but to the Gentiles or the Lost sheep of Israel. They were not circumcised on the 8th day, but in coming to Torah, it was a lifestyle change and something to get used to. Putting the burden as a grown adult to get circumcised when they probably could not even master being acts 15 compliant, was too much of a yoke for them. Once they were successfully able to maintain staying away from, fornication, idolatry, strangled meats and blood, they could then grow in the faith and have a circumcised heart and then be circumcised in the flesh. This was their opinion on what the returning gentiles should be focusing on.

Furthermore, once convicted and have a better understanding of what YHWH wants, you will have a circumcised heart and want to please your Father, your Creator, and do it in Faith just as Abraham did.

 

Acts 15:13-29

13 Ya‘akov broke the silence to reply. “Brothers,” he said, “hear what I have to say.

14 Shim‘on has told in detail what Elohim did when he first began to show his concern for taking from among the Goyim a people to bear his name.

15 And the words of the Prophets are in complete harmony with this for it is written,

16 ‘“After this, I will return; and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David. I will rebuild its ruins, I will restore it,

17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Master, that is, all the Goyim who have been called by my name,”

18 says YHWH, who is doing these things.’  All this has been known for ages.

19 “Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim who are turning to Elohim.

20 Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood.

21 For from the earliest times, Moshe has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Shabbat.”

22 Then the emissaries and the elders, together with the whole Messianic community, decided to select men from among themselves to send to Antioch with Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba. They sent Y’hudah, called Bar-Sabba, and Sila, both leading men among the brothers,

23 with the following letter: From: The emissaries and the elders, your brothers To: The brothers from among the Gentiles throughout Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings!

24 We have heard that some people went out from among us without our authorization, and that they have upset you with their talk, unsettling your minds.

25 So we have decided unanimously to select men and send them to you with our dear friends Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul,

26 who have dedicated their lives to upholding the name of our Master, Yeshua the Messiah.

27 So we have sent Y’hudah and Sila, and they will confirm in person what we are writing.

28 For it seemed good to the Ruach HaKodesh and to us not to lay any heavier burden on you than the following requirements:

29 to abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will be doing the right thing. Shalom!

 

 Acts 21 is just a reiteration of Acts 15 but it goes on further to say that Shaul could not have been telling the Jews to not circumcise because he himself walks orderly and keeps the Torah. In Torah we are commanded to be circumcised as an 8 day old infant.

 

Acts 21:17-24

17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

18 On the following day Shaul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which Elohim had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 And when they heard it, they glorified YHWH. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Torah;

21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 

22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.

23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.

24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Torah.

 

Acts 21:25

25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality."

 

Fathers, do not give your daughters to men who are not circumcised. The man must be willing to be physically circumcised. YHWH warns us to not be spiritually unyoked. Interfaith marriage may sound like a good idea or tempting, but YHWH also lets us know that the faith is lost when the daughters of Israel start marrying off into other nations. They will forget his Torah. It’s of the upmost importance that any man wanting to marry an Israelite woman must be free willing to be circumcised not only in the flesh but in the heart as well. He will then be grafted in. Ex: Romans 11. If you are already married to an unbeliever, we will discuss that further down the article.

Gen 34:13-19

13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.

14 And they said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us.

15 But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised,

16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone."

18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.

19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob's daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father.

 

Can the words Uncircumcised and Unclean be one and the same?

Isa 52:1

Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you.

Notice how both words, uncircumcised and unclean are used together as if in the same category. Something to think about… If you are uncircumcised in the flesh and in your heart then surely you are unclean and would defile YHWH’s temple.

 

Now we have discussed up until this point the physical circumcision. YHWH has also spoken about a Circumcised Heart, not only in the Brit Chadeshah as most believers know but in the Torah as well. A physical circumcision is a foreshadow of the circumcision of the heart.

Deut 10:15-16

15 Only YHWH took enough pleasure in your ancestors to love them and choose their descendants after them — yourselves — above all peoples, as he still does today.

16 Therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart; and don’t be stiffnecked any longer!

 

 

Deut 30:6

6 Then YHWH your Elohim will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your children, so that you will love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and all your being, and thus you will live.

 

Here in Ezekial YHWH speaks about foreigners being uncircumcised both in the flesh and in the heart. As I was putting this study together, there seem to be more scripture on the word uncircumcised that the word circumcised. Here is an example. Here the foreigners are eating fat and blood, which we know is not pleasing to our Creator at all, hence Acts 15.

 

Ezek 44:7-9

7 When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it — My house — and when you offered My food, the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations.

8 And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you."

9 Thus says the YHWH Elohim:"No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.

 

This brings us to the question… Can physical circumcision be undone? Maybe not so easily physically but certainly spiritually. 

 

Rom 2:17-24

Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the Torah, and make your boast in Elohim,

18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the Torah,

19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the Torah.

21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?

22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

23 You who make your boast in the Torah, do you dishonor Elohim through breaking the Torah?

24 For "the name of Elohim is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written.

 

 

Rom 2:25-29

For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the Torah; but if you are a breaker of the Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Torah, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?

27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the Torah, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the Torah?

28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;

29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from Elohim.

 

The answer is yes, your physical circumcision can be undone, and that’s why your heart must be circumcised as well, to not transgress the Torah. That is why we are not saved by works but thru faith. This is YHWH’s beautiful gift to us. By faith and for the love of YHWH and His commandments to please him, you would want to be physically circumcised.

 

Eph 2:8-9

8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but Elohim’s gift.

9 You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast.

 

What is the purpose of the physical circumcision if your circumcised heart is weighed heavier?

Rom 4:9-13

9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,

(This may also be another reason why the Apostles, didn’t want to put a stumbling block to the Gentile Believers coming in. Abraham received the sign of circumcision on his heart, while uncircumcised.)

12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

The Promise Granted Through Faith

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Torah, but through the righteousness of faith.

 

Let’s take a moment to look at the characteristics of YHWH. He seeks righteousness and judgment. That is the balance of YHWH our Elohim.

 

He is:          YHWH                                                                         Elohim

 

Mercy, Grace, Love, Forgiveness, Compassion                Truth, Judgment, Righteousness

 

 

Truth= Emeth

 

Mercy = Chesed

Judgement = Mishpat

Righteousness= Tzeddekah

 

 

Ps 89:14 Throne of YHWH

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.

Isa 16:5 Throne of MESSIAH

5 a throne will be set up by grace, and on it, in the tent of David, will sit an honest judge, seeking justice and pursuing righteousness.

 

*The Ruach of a person with a circumcised heart causes that person to follow Emeth (truth). The Ruach convicts the person of Tzeddekah (righteousness) and Mishpat (judgement). Therefore, although physical circumcision is not what saves you, being Tzeddekah and Mishpat, will lead you to follow thru his commandments.

 

Now that we have discussed in detail circumcision. Let’s take a look at being physically circumcised at Passover and whether or not children are allowed as believers in Messiah.

 

Passover

Ex 12:48-50

8 And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to YHWH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.

49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you."

50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as YHWH commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

 

It is really quite clear that all males should be circumcised. Now there are issues that will arise in certain situations. For the most part, people will fall under the category of circumcising their child on the 8th day.

What if the 8th day lands on Shabbat?

Messiah picked at the fields on Shabbat… There is not prohibition in Torah to not circumcise on Shabbat. It says, do it on the 8th day. So find someone who will perform that brit-milah on the 8th day. What if no one will do it on Shabbat? Then do it the day afterwards or on the 2nd day of the week (Monday). The major point is to get it done. YHWH knows your heart and that you searched to find someone to do it on that day.

What if your child is born prematurely, or with a defect, or with any reason unforeseen that can prohibit the child from having the circumcision performed?

The answer would be to wait. Wait until the appropriate moment when all is clear and do it.

Did we not read in the book of Joshua 5:7 the following?

7 So he raised up their children to take their place, and it was these whom Y’hoshua circumcised; till then they had been uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised while traveling.

They were traveling in the wilderness and did not have the time to stop and perform the brit-milah. Thus at an appropriate time, YHWH commanded them to stop and complete it and wait until they were healed.

 

We are commanded in Deut 6 to teach our children all day, every day.

Deuteronomy 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

 

Messiah rebuked the disciples when they didn’t allow the children to come to Him.

Matthew 19:13
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Yeshua said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.
A note to the believing Parents of the believing Children.
Eph.6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of YHWH.
 

Children did eat the Israelite Passover.
 

Exodus 12:3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.

However the point is that children (boys) were circumcised on the eighth day. Therefore Israelite children (male or female) entered YHWH’s earthly kingdom at birth. The following shows that circumcised children could eat, but an uncircumcised adult visitor could not:

Exodus 12:43 And YHWH said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, 44 but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45 No foreigner or hired servant may eat of it. 46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to YHWH, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”

So now we come to Shaul...
The power of at least one parent in covenant with Yeshua is stated here by the opinion of Shaul.

1Co.7:12 To the rest I say (I, not YHWH) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made set apart because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made set apart because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are set apart. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. Elohim has called you to Shalom (peace). 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

If an unbelieving adult husband/wife doesn't partake in Passover that is fine, lest they bring unnecessary mishpat (judgment) to themselves. As the sign of YHWH’s people is Shabbat and physical/spiritual circumcision.

Does a believer coming to the faith abstain for the Passover Matzah and Wine, if not physically circumcised? It would appear so according to Torah. Although let’s not put a stumbling block on our brothers and sisters coming to the faith. It would be best if they came and watched and just not partake in the matzah or wine until they are fully circumcised in their heart, which would lead them to be circumcised in the flesh.

 

Going back to Duet 6:7. Teaching them diligently… day in and day out.

For a Jewish child or grafted in Israelite child is “opted in” (ex: counted as sanctified by his/her believing parents) until such time as he/she might decide to “opt out”. At that point if they opt out, him/her should not take of Passover meal until he/she is ready to do so and become baptized in the name of Yeshua. At this point they are of age (which ever age that may be) and with a free willed mind to make a serious decision to dedicate their life to YHWH our Elohim.

 

Types of Circumcision

There are different types of circumcision’s contrary to what most people are led to believe. It’s a no wonder why mainstream society believes it is brutal and unnecessary. Some of these procedures are taken too far and can actually damage the male and even be painful. BUT YHWH is perfect and he knew what kind of circumcision was acceptable. It is definitely, not the one that mainstream doctors perform as well as some Orthodox Mohels.

When we read thru scripture, the writer makes it seem so easy like 1,2,3, when performing these biblical circumcisions. It was so easy that Tzipporah took a stone and did it herself. Traditionally it is the men (fathers) that do this, and a Mohel or Doctor was not needed to do this. Let’s take a look at the type of circumcision’s that are commonly done. Keep in mind there may be additional types of procedures depending of the type of Pharisee or sect.

• Milah

Milah required only the tip of the foreskin to be removed (photo), not the entire fold of skin covering the glans (head of the penis). With the covenant circumcision, on the 8th day after birth, a strap of leather with a hole in it was placed before the infant's penis, and the foreskin (skin at the fore end of the penis) was pulled through the leather
strap until the strap rested against the tip of the glans penis (head). Only what protruded through the leather strap was snipped off. If an infant did not have enough skin to actually protrude through the leather strap, the skin that was there
was poked with a sharp object just enough to draw blood, thus the covenant agreement was observed.

• Periah

Periah is the removal of the skin covering the entire glans (head) of the penis. This skin is called the prepuce. How did this diabolical scheme come
about? A little less than 2,000 years ago, the Hebrews/Israelites had assimilated themselves into all walks of life in the Roman empire, which was still very much a Hellenistic (Greek) culture and society. Hebrew men used the public bath houses and even competed in the Olympics. Obviously, you are nude in a bath house, likewise the ancient Olympics were competed in the buff. Women were not allowed to compete and were not allowed as spectators. Men only.

http://www.covenantcircumcision.info/milah_vs_Periah.html

http://www.cirp.org/library/history/

And "periah" is not a foreskin, it's a procedure.

After performing "milah", the cutting back of the end of the infant's foreskin, a second step, periah was then performed. Periah consists of tearing and stripping back the remaining inner mucosal lining of the foreskin from the glans and then, by use of a sharp finger nail or implement, removing all of the inner mucosal tissue, including the excising and removal of the frenulum from the underside of the glans. The objective was to insure that no part of the remaining penile skin would rest against the glans corona. If any shreds of the mucosal foreskin tissue remained, or rejoined to the underside of the glans, the child was to be re-circumcised.

 

• Metzitza b'peh is when the mohel places his mouth directly on the newly circumcised penis and sucks blood away from the wound. The vast majority of physicians have ruled that this aspect of the brit milah ritual must be forbidden for the obvious health risks involved. (Herpes, and not to mention its anti Torah, life is in the blood).

*To see a diagram of the difference between Milah and Periah click on the link below.

http://www.fisheaters.com/circumcision2.html

 

Ritual

In traditional practice, the child is brought from the mother by the godmother and handed over at the door of the room to the godfather who, in turn, hands it to the mohel. Before this, the child is welcomed by the congregation with Barukh ha-Ba ("Blessed be he that comes") and the Sephardim sing a piyyut in which those who keep the covenant are blessed. The mohel places the baby for a moment on the Chair of Elijah, after which it is placed on a pillow on the knees of the sandak ("holder"). The infant's legs are held firmly by the sandak; the mohel, having previously thoroughly scrubbed and immersed his hands in a disinfectant solution, takes a firm grip of the foreskin with his left hand. Having determined the amount to be removed, he fixes the shield on it to protect the glans from injury. The knife, sometimes double-edged, is then taken in the right hand and the foreskin is amputated with one sweep along the shield. This discloses the mucous membrane, the edge of which is then firmly grasped between the thumbnail and index finger of each hand and is torn down the center as far as the corona. This part of the operation is called peri'ah. Sometimes this maneuver is performed with scissors, but it is known that a lacerated wound is much less likely to bleed than a cut wound.

 

The next stage is the performance of meẓiẓah ("suction"). Traditionally, the mohel sucked blood from the circumcised penis. This practice, originally based on medical notions of healing the wound more quickly, became subject to severe criticism by the mid-19th century on both hygienic and political grounds. The method now authorized by most rabbinical courts is for meẓiẓah to be performed either by a swab or through a glass tube, preferably containing a small piece of absorbent cotton. The rounded end of the tube is placed firmly over the penis, pressed firmly over the area of the pubis, and suction by the mouth is carried out through the flattened end of the tube or through a rubber attachment. This is followed by the application of a sterile dressing, and the readjustment of the diaper. Immediately after the actual circumcision the father recites the benediction "Who hast hallowed us by Thy commandments and hast commanded us to make our sons enter into the covenant of Abraham our father." In Israel this is followed by the She-Heheyanu benediction. The congregated guests reply "Even as this child has entered into the covenant so may he enter into the Torah, the nuptial canopy, and into good deeds."

 

The dressing of the wound does not form a statutory part of the rite, but the sages took an active interest in the incidence of hemorrhage after the operation. Hemophilia was apparently recognized in talmudic times, since there is a law that a mother who has lost two children from the unquestionable effects of circumcision must not have her next sons operated on until they are older and better able to undergo the operation. Moreover, should two sisters each have lost a son from the effects of circumcision, the other sisters must not have their sons circumcised (Sh. Ar., YD 263:2–3).

The child is then handed to the father or to an honored guest, and the mohel, holding a goblet of wine, recites the benediction for wine and a second benediction praising God who established a covenant with His people Israel. The mohel then recites a prayer for the welfare of the child during the course of which the name of the child is announced. Naming a child at the circumcision is an ancient custom already mentioned in Luke 1:59. It is customary for the mohel to give the infant a few drops of wine to drink. The ceremony is followed by a festive meal at which special hymns are sung, and in the Grace after Meals blessings are recited for the parents, the sandak and the mohel. Although women are permitted to perform circumcisions, it is only in the liberal Jewish denominations that mohalot have emerged from training programs sponsored by the Reform and Conservative movements in North America.

Ceremonies

 

On the first Friday evening after the birth of a boy a ceremony called ben zakhor or shalom zakhor is held to express the joy at the birth of a boy, since "as soon as a male comes into the world peace comes into the world" (Nid. 31b). On this occasion the Shema is recited as well as Gen. 48:16 and various psalms and other prayers (cf. Isserles to Sh. Ar., YD 265:12). In Oriental communities this ceremony is called shasha or blada, and special prayers and portions of the aggadah are recited from a booklet called Berit Olam in honor of the prophet Elijah. It is customary to serve boiled chick peas on this occasion.

Another home ceremony, called in Yiddish vakhnakht ("watchnight, vigil"), was held on the night preceding circumcision. Candles were lit throughout the home, and following a festive meal, featuring cooked beans and peas, prayers were recited and the Torah was studied until after midnight. Before departing, the guests recited the Shema aloud at the bedside of the mother. This custom is mentioned as early as the Talmud by the name yeshu'a ha-ben or shevu'a haben (Sanh. 32b; BK 80a). It probably evolved from the fact that when the mohel checked the infant's health on the eve of the circumcision, he was accompanied by the sandak ("godfather") and other friends who came to congratulate the parents. This custom later became associated with the belief that it is necessary to guard the child against Lilith and other evil spirits by guarding him throughout the night while reciting prayers and studying Torah. This vigil, also very popular among Sephardi Jews, is called "midrash" because of a discourse on the weekly Torah section delivered by the hakham. The hazzan also chants appropriate poems and the Kaddish. Poppy-seed, honey cake, and coffee are served at this ceremony. In Salonika, the eve of the circumcision was known as "veula" ("watchnight," from vigilia– "eve," "watch"), and the mother stayed awake all night. In Yemen, on the eve of circumcision, care was taken not to leave the mother and child alone, and incense was burned inside the room to ward off the evil spirits.

 

In Persia and Kurdistan, a ceremony known as "Lel Ikd ill Yas" was celebrated during which the Chair of Elijah was consecrated and adorned with silver crowns and various plants. In Ashkenazi communities it was customary to place the mohel's knife under the mother's pillow until the following morning. In some places the kabbalistic Book of Raziel was also left there. It was customary to donate the swaddle in which the child was wrapped at the circumcision to the synagogue; richly embroidered, it would be used as a band for the Torah Scroll. In Salonika the severed foreskin was buried in the cemetery.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/circumcision.html

Can a Periah be reversed?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
If you feel led to repair a periah. It is possible. It may take up to 3 years to help reverse. Please click on link below to follow instructions.

http://tlctugger.com/

The Knowledge we have on how to perform a biblical Milah is the following:

 

There is no record of the exact method used for circumcision in Scriptural times. There is anecdotal evidence though. They used a thin leather strap with a small hole in it. The beforeskin was poked through the hole and was snipped off with a very sharp knife by sliding the blade down the leather strap (kind of like stropping a razor on a leather strap to sharpen it).

Attached is a drawing of the instruments used in the 1800's. Of note, there was a thin piece of metal with a slit in it used rather than a leather strap (figure 2).

What they used to numb the area (if anything) was not recorded for Scriptural times that we know of.

 

Implements and Accessories of Circumcision (18th Century)

 

http://files.meetup.com/6642092/circumcision.JPG

 

1. Cup of benediction.

2. Shield.

3. Knife.

4. Spice-box.

5. Tape.

6. Cotton and Oil.

7. Sand.

8. Powder.

Please note that the shield (No. 2) is to slide the foreskin into, and then cut of when the knife (No. 3).  While Perhiah circumcision was being performed in the 18th century, the implements pictured here are for Milah circumcision alone.

The last three implements are to staunch the bleeding.