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Circumcision
Question
Dear Rabbi,
A friend of mine asked me if an uncircumcised Jewish man
is recognised as a Jew. I know that uncircumcised men are
not allowed to get an aliyah or to any "job" connected
with the service, but aren't they still sons of Jewish mothers?
And if an uncircumcised Jew decides to get circumcised as
an adult later in his life, must he be circumcised by a
mohel? Another friend's son was circumcised by a doctor
rather than a mohel - how does the tradition have to say
about this? Would you please mention some references (Talmud,
Responsa, ...) so that we can take a deeper look into this
topic.
Thank you very much,
With kind regards,
Susann
Answer
Dear
Susann,
Thank you for your very important questions about circumcision.
According to Halacha (Jewish Law), a person is Jewish
if his/her mother is Jewish or if he/she is converted to
Judaism. As Matt Hershel wrote in his article on circumcision,
"Circumcision does not 'make' a person Jewish, for
he is Jewish already by birth. The circumcision rather testifies
that he who bears this sign sealed in his flesh is under
the covenant... Through the covenant he is bound to all
of the children of Israel, and through them to God."
The rite of circumcision is central in Judaism as circumcision
is the sign of the covenant (Brit) between God and
the Jewish people (Genesis 17,9-13). Accordingly, Jewish
Law requests from every Jewish male to be circumcised. If
he was not circumcised by his father when he was a child,
then he is obligated to have himself circumcised as an adult
(Shulhan Aruh, Yore Dea 261:1). The circumcision
should be done by a Mohel who is experienced and knowledgeable
in the procedure of the circumcision, and in the ceremony
and blessings accompanying it. However the circumcision
could be done by a physician if he is Jewish, and knows
the special procedure of the circumcision and the required
blessings (it cannot be merely a surgical procedure). It
is recommended that a Rabbi be present. A circumcision performed
as a surgery or by a gentile physician is valid only if
a drop of blood is drawn afterward by a Mohel or a Rabbi.
If you want an overview about circumcision, I recommend
the chapter "Ritual Circumcision" in Isaac Klein's
book, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice (USA,
1979, 1992, pp. 420-432).
I hope this letter answers your quesions,
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Monique Susskind Goldberg
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