Circumcision in the 21st Century

I was surprised when my husband who passed away at 81 years of age about his circumcision and his Father wanted this done. We were not married at that time we were engaged. We are not Jewish but both of us agreed with circumcision. My good doctor wanted to know if we had a son would we want circumcision and I said yes knowing my husband would want this just like I did. Of course the baby boy will be sore for a while and this is taken care of. There are enough reasons to have this done if a couple wished to have this done. My son is 44 years old now. This is why I do not want my name to be displayed. No one has the right to tell the Jewish people or others not to do this at all! Don't they read to see the benifits? I am with the Jewish people and others and not those people!

the tradition is realy important, i am not jew i am jessenio,and i understand that the important matter is the tradition,the tradition,the tradition.

Last November, we were given the choice by the hospital in which my children were born (and were patients in the NICU) to have our son circumcised while undergoing surgery for something else. Although it was not the bris I imagined, my son was a preemie, and, it being cold and flu season, we wanted him to undergo this important religious ceremony while not being exposed to germs via a celebration. Our solution was thus: we said yes to the circumcision, and, right before the surgery, my father-in-law, a rabbi, said the required prayers and blessings, and named our son. Was it a highly unorthodox bris? Yes. Is my son any less Jewish? In my eyes, no. He and his twin sister (who was later named in a joint Simchat Chai'im) are being brought up in a Jewish home, where we celebrate the Jewish holidays. They will have a Jewish education, attend Jewish camps, become B'nai Mitzvot, and hopefully feel the need, as we did, to marry Jews and raise their own children Jewish. We must educate those as to the health benefits that Hashem has wisely commanded us to follow through circumcision, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and sustainable planet. We are not mutilists.

Okay; he says (or admits) that brit milah may not be consistent with today's secular values. But nowhere in the article does he give the authentic, positive reasons for doing it! All he says is that it makes us different, and it "affirms that sexual desire is not meant to be left unrestrained", and "we are willing to say that doing the right thing might be painful, but it’s still worthwhile". But other rituals already affirm these things. You don't need circumcision to accomplish them.!

We don't do brit milah just to affirm "these things." When it comes down to it, we do brit milah because Gd commanded us to. Period.

But you missed and important point this is government legislating against Judaism. It is definitely a hostile anti -Semitic act against the Jewish People....the Jewish community should be in uproar but it is almost not worthy any significant conversation here....it is an egregious infringement on religious freedom...what next? When do we care?

the first time I went to a brit I was scared; I thought the baby would cry non stop. Nope! The baby cried a little during the procedure, then stopped. The Mama was crying more than the baby!

Paul of Tarsus was the greatest marketing genius in history. He peddled Xtianity as "Judaism Lite" -- no need for pain or mesirut nefesh -- and took over the world. Unfortunately one need only look at the results to see what happens when you adulterate the tradition.

To have this very passionate drive to make circumcision unlawful is suspect as to motives. This is a resurrection of assimilated Jews living under the dominant Greek culture and rejecting ritual circumcision. Going so far as trying to reverse their own and thereby becoming no different from the pagans of their time, whose emphasis in life was beauty of form. Very superficial and the antithesis of any spiritual belief system. Although opinions in the scientific community may not be unanymous it has health benefits - less cervical cancer, AIDS, etc........

In my 49 years as a dermatologist I have often seen uncircumcised men with inflammatory, and malignancy problems on the glans penis. This is extremely rare in circumcised men.

i'm a jewish mother, have had 2 boys , went thru the brit milah, thank G. but wonder if we're not allowed to do it without pain? we have epidurals so that we no longer feel the pain of birth, it's totally halachically allowed, so why not something for baby boys going thru this? no halachic leniencies?

Here, here to Jossef!!! I agree completely! I guess I no longer know what 'modern orthodox' means – but you call yourself a rabbi and then make statements like you've "… come to realize that circumcision is incompatible with the times, as is much of Judaism" . Perhaps you are in the wrong business! We don't need to market or sell Judaism – at least we don't need to do it with Yiddishkeit. We are who we are and this is our religion. Many aspects of Jewish law have developed and adjusted as the world around us changed – an easy example is how we have dealt with the advent of electricity and keeping Shabbat. But we keep the same 613 mitzvot we always did. This means that we deal with the world through our terms – not change or strip it to make it more palatable for non-practicing Jews and the gentile world. We fulfill the mitzvah of brit milah because it is a commandment, not because it is medically healthy or unhealthy, psychologically good or not good. And do you know why, Rabbi? Because medicine, psychology and politics – they are all driven by fads. Today we except acupuncture along with chemotherapy; we accept 'natural child birth', when a mere 40-50 years ago a drugless birth was looked at as causing unnecessary pain to the mother and more trouble for her obstetrician. Tomorrow we will discover new techniques or reinvent old ones. But you are right about one thing, this issue will not go away. However, telling inspiring stories about Jews keeping their faith in the former Soviet Union and during the Shoah for that matter, is not going to make the difference. Do you know why? Because when you make this mitzvah or any other mitzvah into a sacrifice or a hardship, then all your young people will want to do is leave that 'burden' on the next corner and run as far away as possible. Since when does "… being Jewish require personal sacrifice"? Stop comparing Yiddishket to visits to the dentist and start making it a lifestyle we enjoy 24-7.

Yochi, Please re-read the article. You are simply repeating the Rabbi's points. His point was that there is no point marketing Yiddishkeit, especially since it's not marketable anyway.

For the life of me I cannot understand how Jews (let alone Rabbis) bother to react to what Russel Crowe (or celebrities of his level of intelegence) have to say about anything, let alone Judaism. What we see here is an example the downside of living in a society that guarantees free speech; people who are not highly educated, like Russel Crowe can shoot off their mouth and express opinions without educating themselves on the subject. We know that we have a problem in this country, that large number of people (with the media's help) pay attention to what Hollyhood celebrities (most of whom are not the sharpest knives in the drawer) think about politics or any subject other than entertainment. We Jews need not get down to that level and quote the likes of Russel Crowe (who probably drink the same coolaid as his Ausie friend Mel Gibson) in our reaction to a serious threat like this San Francisco ban.

I have friends who think that lighting Shabbos candles is "sweet" but when I tell them that there is a certain time after which I am forbidden to light, "they" tell "me" that this is "ridiculous." What right do non-Jews have to tell us what to do or not do? What real interest does Russell Crowe have in what Jews do? Why would anyone care what he had to say? (I understand using his statement in the article as an example of what some people say, Rabbi, but what I mean is that for me, a Jew, I couldn't care less what Russell Crowe thinks about bris milah.) Goodness...so let them keep their boys uncircumcized and leave us alone to bring our boys into the covenant.

In regards to Russell Crowe's intelligence - he did go to a selective high school. He had to get a high grade on an IQ test to be admitted. It was a school with a lot of Jewish students, so he would be well-informed about Judaism. Not only did you misspell 'intelligence,' you misspelled Russell's name, so you can't pass judgement on Russell Crowe.

The anti-circumcision crowd is somewhat related to the anti-Kosher slaughter crowd. But, if people want a reason for circumcision to counter, the anti people, you can tell them that it is cleaner. Also, it can be done painlessly. Some mohels use numbing cream.

I would like to add that using the word "mutilation" is a tactic of moral equivalence used by jewhaters to justify oppostion to Muslim female gential mutilation. These type always use the "well Jews do it too" arguments to oppose Islam. There is absolutley no comparison to removing a bit of foreskin to removing a woman's clitoris or labia to prevent sexual arousal. IN Africa some women have their labia sewn shut as well! Many die from infection. Combined with recent efforts to eliminate kosher reminiscent of the Nurmeburg laws- these Judeophobia ideas are becoming quite the "thing to do". I like that you say - well we have never succumbed to fads, we stick to HIS laws. Now and forever. Amen

Well said-- female genital mutilation is an unnatural act with NO health benefits, causing almost PERMANENT damage to the female genitalia.

Male circumcision is painful, but causes no damage to the function of the penis and has health benefits (although there may be some risks, as with all procedures). No comparison.

goos article but it would have helped if you included one or more reasons why circumcision is important or good or necessary. one bit of education that we could use in our argument against those that want to prohibit it.

It's important to "US" as Jews, it's our covenant with G-d. Jews who are not proud to be Jews will need explanations. As the good rabbi wrote, any explanation is supreflous and will be rejected in the future by the hedonistic society.

beautiful piece - the last two paragraphs say it all

When my Son had his Bris, he gave one tiny lilltle cry, and them slept peacefully for a good 4 hours before his next feed was due. I tell this ignorant people such as Russel Crowe , our Babies cried for agood ten minutes after the hospital staff did the Heel Prick , which they found very painful. What the orthorities in San Francisco should be taking on board and stopping is the huge rate of Homosexuality in San Francisco which caused the huge increase in Aids around the world, which was originally passed by homosexuals. It is interresting , both are mentioned in the Torah , Hashem told the Jewish people , to circumcise all Jewish Boys at 8 days old, HE also said that Man lying with their own kind ( another man or animal ) is a Abomination. So the Authorities in San Fancisco should take this on board and stop this anti-semetic nonsence, , because that is what it is. I hope that people such as Russel Crowe will not need to be circumcided in the future because of a medical problem or any other of these idiots. It has also been found by the medical proffession that Wives of Circumcided Men very seldom get Cancer of the Womb, Aids, and any ohter nasty germs that live under the forskin, to pass on to Women ( or Men ) . And by the way , for these ignorant people, G-D only mentioned Boys in the Torah ( not Girls, that the Muslims do, which is a abomination )

As a Muslim, I know that female circumcision is not allowed for Muslims. Do not take cultural practices out of context. On the topic of this article I had no Idea so many people were not circumcised and ppl were against it. I had though getting boys circumcised would be the more safer practice in so many ways.

95% of the women in Egypt have been circumcized-

That has nothing to do with Islam. Manzur is correct, it is strictly forbidden by Islam. On the contrary it's an Arab practice that arose mostly as a backlash to the perceived depravity of the Western lifestyle.

It's forbidden to 'circumcise' girls, but it's still done, either here in The Netherlands or in the home country. It's a problem.

Latest UN efforts in Africa recommend circumcision to avoid AIDS. It seems that you have not read the latest medical news. Your article is wrong when you declare there are no medical benefits.