The commandment to circumcise:[Parashat] Lekh Lekha [has] one positive commandment, and that is the commandment to circumcise; as it is stated (Genesis 17:10), “This is My covenant which you shall keep, between you and Me, and with your descendants after you, circumcise all males.” And [the commandment] is repeated in the Order of Isha ki Tazria, as it is stated (Leviticus 12:3), “And on the eighth day circumcise the flesh of his foreskin.” There are many commandments which are repeated in many places in the Torah; and all of them are necessary as the Sages explained (Shabbat 132a and Shabbat 135a). And the content of this commandment is that we cut the foreskin that covers the head of the member and then tear the sorting skin which is below it so that the glans of the member will be exposed. As is known to those that understand, the completion of the form of man comes with the removal of this foreskin which is extraneous.
It is from the roots of this commandment [that it is] because God wanted to establish in His nation, that He separated to be called by His name, a permanent sign on their body; to separate them from the other nations in the form of their bodies just like they are separated from them in the form of their souls, the going out and coming in of which are not similar. He established this difference in the “golden fountain,” because this is the reason for the existence of people, besides being a completion of the physical body as we mentioned. God wanted to complete His plan with the chosen nation. He wanted man to complete the creation of his body, as He did not create him complete from the womb; [so as] to hint to him that just like the completion of the form of his body is through him, so [too] is it in his hand to complete the form of his soul, by refining his actions.
The laws of the commandment — upon whom is the circumcision of infants incumbent, as well as the circumcision of slaves, the homeborn (a Canaanite slave that a maidservant gave birth to in the house of a Jew) and those acquired with money (which means a Canaanite slave that was acquired from when he was born), and the difference between them; in which way is Shabbat and holidays pushed off for it; which infant has his circumcision delayed for more than eight days; and its other details — are [all] elucidated in Chapter Nineteen of Shabbat and in Chapter Four of Yevamot. And there in Shabbat, it is elucidated that the one who circumcises recites the blessing, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us concerning the circumcision.” And the father of the child — or the court when there is no father [present] — recites the blessing, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us to bring him into the covenant of Avraham, our father.” And the ones standing there respond, “Just as he had merit for the circumcision, may God let have him merit for the wedding canopy and for good deeds.” (See Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 260-266.)
And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times. And women are not obligated regarding the circumcision of their sons (Kiddushin 29a); just the father — or the court when there is no father [present]. And one who transgresses this commandment and does not circumcise himself when he reaches the category of [those who can receive] punishments — which is thirteen year and a day — [each day that he transgresses it from when he is grown and does not circumcise himself, violates a positive commandment. And if he dies and was uncircumcised by volition,] he is liable for excision. But the father is not liable for excision for the [lack of] circumcision of his son (Shabbat 133a), but he does transgress a positive commandment. And there is no positive commandment in all of the Torah the negation of which makes one liable for excision besides this and the slaughtering of the Pesach sacrifice (Keritot 2a).
מִצְוַת מִילָה – לֶךְ לְךָ יֵשׁ בָּהּ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה אַחַת, וְהִיא מִצְוַת מִילָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יז י) זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְרוּ בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ הִמּוֹל לָכֶם כָּל זָכָר. וְנִכְפְּלָה בְּסֵדֶר אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ, דִּכְתִיב (ויקרא יב ג), וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִמּוֹל בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ. וְהַרְבֵּה מִצְוֹת נִכְפְּלוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹת הַרְבֵּה בַּתּוֹרָה, וְכֻלָּן לְצֹרֶךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרְשׁוּם חֲכָמֵינוּ ז"ל (שבת קלב, א קלה, א). וְעִנְיַן מִצְוָה זוֹ, הוּא שֶׁחוֹתְכִין הָעָרְלָה הַמְחַפָּה רֹאשׁ הַגְּוִיָּה וּפוֹרְעִין קְרוּם רַךְ שֶׁלְּמַטָּה מִמֶּנָּה, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְגַּלֶּה רֹאשׁ הָעֲטָרָה שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ אֵבָר, כַּיָּדוּעַ לַמְּבִינִים שֶׁתַּשְׁלוּם צוּרַת הָאָדָם בְּהָסִיר מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹתָהּ עָרְלָה, שֶׁהִיא תּוֹסֶפֶת בּוֹ.
The commandment to circumcise: [Parashat] Lekh Lekha [has] one positive commandment, and that is the commandment to circumcise; as it is stated (Genesis 17:10), “This is My covenant which you shall keep, between you and Me, and with your descendants after you, circumcise all males.” And [the commandment] is repeated in the Order of Isha ki Tazria, as it is stated (Leviticus 12:3), “And on the eighth day circumcise the flesh of his foreskin.” There are many commandments which are repeated in many places in the Torah; and all of them are necessary as the Sages explained (Shabbat 132a and Shabbat 135a). And the content of this commandment is that we cut the foreskin that covers the head of the member and then tear the sorting skin which is below it so that the glans of the member will be exposed. As is known to those that understand, the completion of the form of man comes with the removal of this foreskin which is extraneous.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוָה זוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁרָצָה הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לִקְבֹּעַ בָּעָם אֲשֶׁר הִבְדִּיל לִהְיוֹת נִקְרָא עַל שְׁמוֹ, אוֹת קָבוּעַ בְּגוּפָם, לְהַבְדִּילָם מִשְּׁאָר הָעַמִּים בְּצוּרַת גּוּפָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵם מֻבְדָּלִים מֵהֶם בְּצוּרַת נַפְשׁוֹתָם, אֲשֶׁר מוֹצָאָם וּמוֹבָאָם אֵינֶנּוּ שָׁוֶה. וְנִקְבַּע הַהֶבְדֵּל בְּגֻלַּת הַזָּהָב, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא סִבָּה לְקִיּוּם הַמִּין, מִלְּבַד שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ תַּשְׁלוּם צוּרַת הַגּוּף, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ. וְהָעָם הַנִּבְחָר חָפַץ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְהַשְׁלִים תְּכוּנָתוֹ, וְרָצָה לִהְיוֹת הַהַשְׁלָמָה עַל יְדֵי הָאָדָם וְלֹא בְּרָאוֹ שָׁלֵם מִבֶּטֶן, לְרַמֵּז אֵלָיו כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר תַּשְׁלוּם צוּרַת גּוּפוֹ עַל יָדוֹ, כֵּן בְּיָדוֹ לְהַשְׁלִים צוּרַת נַפְשׁוֹ בְּהֶכְשֵׁר פְּעֻלּוֹתָיו.
It is from the roots of this commandment [that it is] because God wanted to establish in His nation, that He separated to be called by His name, a permanent sign on their body; to separate them from the other nations in the form of their bodies just like they are separated from them in the form of their souls, the going out and coming in of which are not similar. He established this difference in the “golden fountain,” because this is the reason for the existence of people, besides being a completion of the physical body as we mentioned. God wanted to complete His plan with the chosen nation. He wanted man to complete the creation of his body, as He did not create him complete from the womb; [so as] to hint to him that just like the completion of the form of his body is through him, so [too] is it in his hand to complete the form of his soul, by refining his actions.
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה עַל מִי מֻטֶּלֶת מִילַת הַקְּטַנִּים, וְכֵן מִילַת הָעֲבָדִים, יְלִיד בַּיִת (עֶבֶד כְּנַעֲנִי שֶׁיְּלָדַתּוּ הַשִּׁפְחָה בְּבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל) וּמִקְנַת כֶּסֶף (פי' עֶבֶד כְּנַעֲנִי שֶׁקְּנָאוֹ מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד), וְהַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם וּבְאֵיזֶה עִנְיָן דּוֹחִין בִּשְׁבִילָהּ שַׁבָּת וְיוֹם טוֹב, וְאֵיזֶה קָטָן מַשְׁהִין מִילָתוֹ יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִים בְּפֶרֶק י"ט מִשַּׁבָּת (דף קלז, ב) וּבְפֶרֶק ד' מִיְּבָמוֹת (דף עא, א). וְשָׁם בְּשַׁבָּת נִתְבָּאֵר כִּי הַמָּל מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל הַמִּילָה. וַאֲבִי הַבֵּן אוֹ בֵּית דִּין בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אָב מְבָרְכִין בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַכְנִיסוֹ בִּבְרִיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. וְהָעוֹמְדִים שָׁם עוֹנִין, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁזָּכָה לַבְּרִית, כֵּן יְזַכֵּהוּ הָאֵל לְתוֹרָה וּלְחֻפָּה וּלְמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. (י"ד מסי' ר"ס עַד רס"ו).
The laws of the commandment — upon whom is the circumcision of infants incumbent, as well as the circumcision of slaves, the homeborn (a Canaanite slave that a maidservant gave birth to in the house of a Jew) and those acquired with money (which means a Canaanite slave that was acquired from when he was born), and the difference between them; in which way is Shabbat and holidays pushed off for it; which infant has his circumcision delayed for more than eight days; and its other details — are [all] elucidated in Chapter Nineteen of Shabbat and in Chapter Four of Yevamot. And there in Shabbat, it is elucidated that the one who circumcises recites the blessing, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us concerning the circumcision.” And the father of the child — or the court when there is no father [present] — recites the blessing, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us to bring him into the covenant of Avraham, our father.” And the ones standing there respond, “Just as he had merit for the circumcision, may God let have him merit for the wedding canopy and for good deeds.” (See Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 260-266.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן. וְאֵין הַנָּשִׁים חַיָּבוֹת בְּמִילַת בְּנֵיהֶן, (קדושין כט, א) אֶלָּא הָאָב, אוֹ בֵּית דִּין בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אָב. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל מִצְוָה זוֹ וְלֹא מָל עַצְמוֹ מִשֶּׁהִגִּיעַ לִכְלַל עֳנָשִׁין, שֶׁהוּא שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וְיוֹם אֶחָד [בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר עָלָיו מִשֶּׁיִּגְדַּל, וְלֹא יָמוּל עַצְמוֹ מְבַטֵּל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. וְאִם מֵת וְהוּא עָרֵל, בְּמֵזִיד] חַיָּב כָּרֵת. אֲבָל אֵין לָאָב חִיּוּב כָּרֵת בְּמִילַת בְּנוֹ (שבת קלג, א), אֶלָּא שֶׁעוֹבֵר עַל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. וְאֵין בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁחַיָּבִין עַל בִּטּוּלָהּ כָּרֵת. (כְּרִיתוּת ב, א), כִּי אִם זוֹ וּשְׁחִיטַת הַפֶּסַח.
And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times. And women are not obligated regarding the circumcision of their sons (Kiddushin 29a); just the father — or the court when there is no father [present]. And one who transgresses this commandment and does not circumcise himself when he reaches the category of [those who can receive] punishments — which is thirteen year and a day — [each day that he transgresses it from when he is grown and does not circumcise himself, violates a positive commandment. And if he dies and was uncircumcised by volition,] he is liable for excision. But the father is not liable for excision for the [lack of] circumcision of his son (Shabbat 133a), but he does transgress a positive commandment. And there is no positive commandment in all of the Torah the negation of which makes one liable for excision besides this and the slaughtering of the Pesach sacrifice (Keritot 2a).