BRIS MILAH: WHY DIDAVRAHAM WAIT?

According to an often-quoted Rabbinic tradition, the Patriarchsobserved all the laws of the Torah, as well as Rabbinic ordinances.

Although they were notcommanded by Hashem to observe these laws, this tradition asserts that theywere aware of them through prophetic insight, and chose voluntarily to observethem..

We shall discuss onequestion connected with this tradition that is addressed by modern andpre-modern authorities. Namely:  Since Abraham observed all the mitzvos ofhis own accord, why did he wait for a Divine command before circumcisinghimself and his household? I will present four classic answers to thisquestion.

  1. According to theopinion that even a Gentile is forbidden from wounding anyone, includinghimself, Avraham, was prohibited from circumcising himself until God commandedhim to do so, thereby transforming this erstwhile prohibition into a mitzvah. [PanimYafos, R. Pinchas Horowitz, d.1805]

  2. The act ofcircumcision established an eternal covenantal relationship between God andAbraham’s descendants. Such a relationship by definition must be bilateral, notunilateral. Avraham, therefore, did not undertake the mitzvah of circumcisionon his own initiative but waited until Hashem chose to establish the covenantwith him. [The Brisker Rov (The Brisker Rov GRIZ Halevi Soloveitchik)]

  3. The mitzvah ofcircumcision requires the removal of the foreskin, the halachic term for whichis orlah. The orlah as a halachic category, however, was non-existent prior to themoment that circumcision became a halacha, i.e., a Divine command! Avraham,therefore, was unable to perform the mitzvah of circumcision on his owninitiative until commanded by Hashem. [The Brisker Rov (GRIZ HaleviSoloveitchik)]

  4. Rabbi Akiva, in apolemic with Turnus Rufus, asserts that, in the physical world, man enhancesand thus improves upon the “raw materials” created by God. For example, a loafof bread or a cake is more valuable than a sheaf of wheat. Thus, the finalproducts of human creativity in this world are “superior” to God’s. In likemanner, explains Rabbi Akiva, God created man uncircumcised in order to provideman with the opportunity to refine himself through the mitzvah of circumcision.In so doing, man is improving upon the “original human product” which God hascreated.

Based upon Rabbi Akiva’sconcept, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchiv, known by his ChumashCommentary entitled Kedushas Levi, explains why Avraham chose torestrain from circumcising himself until God would command him to do so. Hedraws the following analogy: Although one’s father may proudly declare that hisson’s work has significantly improved upon his own, it would be disrespectfulfor the son to say the same thing. Likewise, since through the act ofmilah man "perfects" God’s imperfect product (namely, the malebody), Avraham respectfully waited until Hashem would request that he performthis act. This mitzvah-request from God, therefore, constituted permission fromour Heavenly Father to demonstrate that His children’s products are indeedsuperior.