If Bris Milah is the perfected state of the Jewish man, why
is he not born circumcised?
In Parashas Lech Lecha, Avraham Avinu is commanded by
HaKadosh Baruch Hu to perform the Mitzvah of Bris Milah:
Vayehi Avram ben tishim shana vetaisha shanim vayera Hashem
el Avram vayomer ailav, Ani Kail Sha-kai (Shin-Dalet-Yud),
his-halech lefanai veheyai samim.
And Avram was ninety years and nine years old, and Hashem
appeared to Avram and He said to him, I am Kail Sha-kai
(Shin-Dalet-Yud), walk before Me and be complete.
Hashem used the Name Sha-kai (Shin-Dalet-Yud) when
commanding Avraham about Bris Milah.
Sha-kai - she-amarti l'olami dai, that I said to My world,
ENOUGH!
This can be explained,
Quantitatively: At the time of creation, the space of the
world kept on expanding until HaKadosh Baruch Hu said
ENOUGH! And the spatial parameters of the universe were
established.
Qualitatively: Hashem set up the nature of the world to be
such that at a certain point, the natural development
process ends, leaving room for man to step in and, through
his efforts, to bring nature to its perfected state. For
example, a kernel of wheat germinates and grows to become a
stalk, it acquires the protective coating of chaff and
continues to grow to maturity, ready to be harvested. Why
does this process halt and the original seed not continue
on its own to become the edible finished product; the bread
or cake or delicious pastry? This is because of the Divine
command, Dai! ENOUGH! Stop, halt and develop no further!!!
Make room for man to step in and complete (so to say) the
creative process. He shall harvest the wheat. He shall sift
and grind the kernels into fine flour. and he shall use his
skill, talent and ingenuity to create the finished baked
shtrudel..
When Hashem appeared to Avraham Avinu and gave him the
commandment of Bris Milah, Hashem appeared using the name
Kail Sha-kai (Shin-Dalet-Yud), to teach Avraham Avinu that
through the Mitzvah of Bris Milah, the Jew completes and
perfects nature.
This concept can be applied to all areas of our functioning
in this world.
Let us be more specific.
In Lashon HaKodesh, MILAH means circumcision. It also
means word.
We can apply the same concept of perfecting nature to this
most powerful tool, the gift of speech. Through the spoken
word, we express our perception and judgments of the
realities which we experience. How do we PERFECT reality
through the way which we express ourselves?
His-halech lefanai veheyai tamim.
The Sforno explains these words to mean, wherever you go,
be aware of My Presence, and strive to emulate My ways, as
the passuk says, Shivisi Hashem l'negdi samid.
And how do we articulate ourselves as we go with awareness
of Hashem's constant presence?
-By always expressing optimism. Pessimism or cynicism, even
with respect to seemingly trivial matters is a lack of
emunah.
-By not glorifying false values through speech. False
values include the accumulation of power, possesions and
wealth, the achievements of fame, social success and
exposure etc.
-By seeking to make every person feel good, and not hurt or
intimidate others through words which emanate, chas
v'shalom, from condescension and self-importance.
-By always expressing ourselves with humility. Rebbe
Tzaddok of Lublin points out that the main challenge in
this area is to express ourselves with humility before
those that are greater than us. It seems that we feel much
more comfortable and less threatened humbling ourselves
before those that are our equals or less.
These are but a few examples of perfecting reality through
the spoken and the unspoken word.
Speech is a most powerful tool, a most precious gift.
Rebbe Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev notes that Avraham Avinu
took an army consisting of 318 when he went to fight the
four kings. This number, 318, is the gematria of siyach
(Shin=300, Yud=10, Ches=8), speech. Through the utilisation
of the power of speech in holiness, Avraham Avinu had the
ability to rule, to conquer and to ultimately bring the
evil-doers to their downfall.
A Gutten Shabos m'Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh.