Part IV | Despite the parent's love for their child

When we examine all the mitzvoth, we find no mitzvah that the Jews fulfilled with as much sacrifice as they did by milah. When a child is born, his parents caress and kiss him; everything is done to protect him from harm. They ensure his ideal environment with controlled room temperature and ventilation. They feed him as much as he requires and worry about his every need. When he cries, they rush to calm him. Their wish is to see that nothing unpleasant happens to him.

And yet, since G-d has commanded us (Genesis, 17:12): "When eight days old, every male among you is to be circumcised," we do not hesitate to perform this mitzvah. If not for G-d’s commanding us to do so, no parent would allow the slightest scratch on their baby, let alone unnecessary surgery and the removal of the foreskin.

But since G-d commanded us: "Have every male among you circumcised," we perform the mitzvah with wholehearted joy. Clearly, it is the special power of this mitzvah that gives the parents both the courage and joy to fulfill it.

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