Imagine yourself in a remote Scandinavian village and meeting people who have never heard of Judaism. They are interested in the Jewish religious observances and you tell them about tefillin and tzitzit, Shabbat and kosher, immersion in a mikveh and taking a lulav, eating matzah on Passover, and circumcision.
Which commandment, in your opinion, would seem the strangest to them?
It is reasonable to assume that immersion in a mikveh will be received with understanding and appreciation by them. Shabbat and kosher will also seem beautiful and interesting mitzvot. Matzah on Passover is also reasonable, a reminder of the matzah our ancestors ate when they left Egypt. Tefillin, tzitzit, and waving the lulav will seem more strange.
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But there is no doubt that the commandment that may seem most puzzling is circumcision.
Part of our being
Whereas here, the attitude is completely opposite. Circumcision is the most natural and understandable thing, even for someone who defines himself as completely far from religion. Tefillin and tzitzit are also perceived as something natural, and many non-religious parents are excited to see their son wrapped in a tallit and put on tefillin at his bar mitzvah. Whereas a purification bath arouses inexplicable fears (see the struggles in quite a few localities against the construction of a bath)...
This example illustrates how objective our judgment is. It is difficult to explain logically why the mitzvah of circumcision is observed even among Jews who hardly observe any other mitzvah. What is the logic of taking an eight-day-old infant, cutting its flesh, and then celebrating it with a mitzvah feast? But this mitzvah is actually observed by everyone with love and willingness.
The real explanation is that this is the power of the covenant that God made with the first Jew, our forefather Abraham. It was an eternal covenant, and therefore it will endure forever. Thousands of years ago, the Sages said that thirteen covenants were made regarding the commandment of circumcision, and that this commandment will be forever kept by the people of Israel.
And perhaps there is another reason for this: Circumcision is part of our being. Even before a person begins to think and formulate his worldview – he is already circumcised. Therefore, circumcision becomes a matter of course and does not stand up to test and doubt. A person cannot resist the things that are part of him.
To be close to the eye
The big problem that has arisen in recent generations is the distancing of many Jews from basic Jewish values. There are Jews who travel the world on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and spend time at festivals on Sukkot. They may not have experienced the experience of blowing the shofar on the High Holy Days or holding the four species in their hands on Sukkot. And then, what is far from the eye is far from the heart.
This is what we need most today - familiarity, awareness. There are Jews living among us who are completely unfamiliar with the Jewish experience. They only see observant Jews in news events, such as demonstrations and protests.
That is why they also feel threatened, because the unknown arouses fears and anxieties. As we learn to know each other, we will realize that there is nothing to fear, and on the contrary, Judaism can enrich the world of every Jew and give meaning and joy to our lives.
