I
Two covenants are forged between the Creator of everything and our holy grandfather, Avraham Avinu, in our parasha. In the first, the b’ris bein habesarim, Hashem promises the land of Israel to Avraham and his descendants; in the second, the b’ris of mila, the gift of Eretz Yisrael is repeated implying that it is dependent on fulfillment of this commandment. Why does the gift of Eretz Yisrael only come through the mitzvah of mila? Furthermore, the Gemara (Shabbos 130a), commenting on the verse in Tehillim, "שש אנכי על אמרתך כמוצא שלל רב – I rejoice over your word like one who finds great spoils” (Tehillim 119:162), interprets that this is referring to the mitzvah of mila. Since the Jewish people have accepted it with great joy (ששון), it is still celebrated with great joy. What is the basis of the specific association of joy and the mitzvah of mila?
The Midrash Tanchuma (Tazria 5) records the following conversation between R. Akiva and the Roman governor, Turnusrufus (somewhat paraphrased):
Turnusrufus asked R. Akiva, “Whose handiwork is more beautiful, G-d’s or man’s?” He responded: “Man’s are more beautiful!” … Turnusrufus asked, “Why are you circumcised?” He replied: “I knew you would ask that, and that is why I preempted [you] and said to you that the handiwork of man is more beautiful than that of G-d.” R. Akiva brought ears [of grain] and cakes. He said to him: “These are the handiwork of G-d, and these are the handiwork of man… Are these [the cakes] not more beautiful than the ears?!” Said Turnusrufus to him, “If he wanted circumcision, why doesn’t the baby exit already circumcised from the womb?!” Said R. Akiva to him, “Why does the baby exit with the umbilical cord still connected to its belly, and the mother needs to sever it! That which you asked why isn’t [the baby] already circumcised, it is because G-d gave the mitzvos to Israel to purify them…”
What fundamental theological principles are at the root of this debate between the saintly sage, R. Akiva, and the wicked Turnusrufus?
Rav C. Y. Goldwicht zt”l, founding Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh, under whom I was privileged to study, elucidates these mysteries as follows:[1] One receiving a free gift never truly owns it in the fullest sense of the term, since his debt of gratitude constantly impinges upon a sense of true ownership. By contrast, one who purchases something, even if – through the beneficence of the seller – pays only a discounted price does acquire a sense of total ownership and the item is truly “theirs.” Similarly, there are two kinds of Divine bestowals: one which is just a gift without any “purchase price” and one which is more similar to a sale whereby the recipient, in order to receive the Divine blessing, “pays” for it through his actions. Only the latter will securely remain in the domain of the recipient eternally, and only with regard to the latter will the recipient be granted a true sense of ownership.[2]
The Midrash (Shemos Rabba 1:1, also see Berachos 5a) teaches:
… this refers to Hakadosh Baruch Hu who loves Israel, as it is written, “I loved you, says Hashem” (Malachi 1:2). [As a result,] He increases their suffering (perhaps: He raises them with suffering). You find that HKB”H gave to Israel three good gifts, and He gave all of them only through suffering: Torah, the Land of Israel and the World to Come.
How is causing suffering an expression of Divine love? Why do these magnificent gifts have to come through suffering? Based on the fundamental concept Rav Goldwicht presented above, he explains that Hashem wishes to transform these gifts into a “purchase” so that they become our eternal heritage, not subject to constant Divine scrutiny whether we are worthy of the gift. The suffering mentioned in this context does not refer to punishment for sins but to soul-wrenching struggles and mesirus nefesh, a demonstration of singular, wholehearted devotion to the study of Torah, to commitment to the land of Israel and to Divine service in general, thus earning our Olam Haba. This form of suffering serves as the “purchase price” through which these gifts truly become ours.
Based on this, Rav Goldwicht addresses the above sources concerning the covenant of mila. Hashem created an imperfect world as proven by R. Akiva to the Roman governor. His goal in doing so was to allow man to partner with Him in the “acquisition” of Divine blessing. Before the soul descends into the world, the Divine radiance it enjoys is incomplete pleasure, referred to by Ramchal as “nahama d’chisufa - the bread of embarrassment.” Circumcision represents the revelation of the inner sanctity endowed to man by his Creator enabling him, through wholehearted, selfless devotion to His Creator’s will (yissurin) to be worthy of Divine bounty. Only through this effort, does he earn his eternal reward and succeeds in transforming the “bread of embarrassment” into a complete expression of Divine pleasure in the World to Come. R. Akiva demonstrated that even the physical world reflects this truth, namely, that only through hard work is man able to transform the initial Divine gifts into items of greater beauty. Our bodies are created in an imperfect state as evidenced by the need to cut the umbilical cord. On a spiritual plane, the mitzvah of mila represents the need, through hard work, to fully acquire the Divine blessings granted to us.
This is also why the mitzvah of mila specifically is associated with joy since absolute joy only comes with something that is truly acquired through considerable effort . "יגיע כפיך כי תאכל, אשריך וטוב לך – [when] the toil of your hands you partake of, happy are you, and it is good for you!” (Tehillim 128:2).
II
Our era has seen the Divine blessing of the return of millions of Jews to the holy land of Israel. The Divine promise to Avraham Avinu is, with Hashem’s kindness, once again on the road to total fulfillment. The Gaza strip, wholly part of the land of Israel (see Rashi to Bereishis 26:2), has always been a seemingly unconquerable section of the Holy Land. Although often settled, including in our recent era, by Jewish communities, currently it is solely inhabited by the descendants of Yishmael. We hope and pray that these last two years of battle, punctuated by the tremendous mesirus nefesh exhibited by tens of thousands of Jewish soldiers – regular troops and reservists – who have left their families for months on end to fight against a ruthless, cruel enemy in this area of Eretz Yisrael, over a thousand of whom have given their lives and tens of thousands of whom have lost limbs and are otherwise suffering, should serve as a tremendous merit for the Jewish people to even more greatly acquire one of the three gifts given through suffering and allow us to return and settle this part of the Holy Land as well in the near future.
This Thursday, hundreds of thousands of Jews will gather in Jerusalem in a demonstration of prayer and solidarity with the supreme value of Torah study and loyalty to Torah values. To be sure, the context in which this is being done – the imprisonment of Yeshiva students labeled as “draft-dodgers” by the Israeli military – is fraught with controversy revolving around the proper balance between devotion to Torah study and army service as well as, more fundamentally, how religious segments of Jewry should relate to the currently secular State of Israel.[3] Many, even in the religious world, will not be attending, disturbed by the perception of “shirking of responsibility” they perceive in certain segments of Jewry. Rabbi David Fendel shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Hesder Sderot, the students of which certainly were at the center of the war in Gaza, will be attending. He beautifully explained his decision by stressing the merit of the prayer by so many Jews, the centrality of Torah study which is not fully recognized by so many segments in Israeli society, and the need to find a solution for a proper framework of army service for those not involved in full-time Torah study. Only further strife and division will be caused by continuing arrests of Yeshiva students.
I humbly add to Rav Fendel’s words my fervent wish that regardless of one’s stance on this prayer rally, that it be used as an opportunity to deeply reflect on two out of the three of the tremendous Divine gifts granted to us by our loving Father in Heaven, Torah and Eretz Yisrael, and to recall Rav Goldwicht’s elucidation why both are only acquired through yissurin, whole-hearted devotion, without self-centeredness, with a sense of ultimate mission and connection to Klal Yisrael. May we merit to fully devote ourselves to these two central gifts and see the day when the various segments of Jewry will live together in harmony united by the dual values of our holy Torah and the Holy Land, the reblossoming of both of which we have merited to see before our very eyes.
[1] Asufas Ma’arachos, Lech Lecha, “Sasson Hamila”, p. 177 ff. Any errors in conveying the concepts presented by Mori v’Rabi are my own.
[2] See the above essay where Rav Golwicht applies this to the study of Torah quoting the midrash concerning Shlomo Hamelech: "אמר רב אחא: תורה שלמדתי ב'אף', נתקיימה בי בזקנותי" (Koheles Rabba 2:9).
[3] See the eye-opening article, Obfuscation, by Mori v’Rabi, Rav Mordechai Willig shlit”a.