Dear
Readers,
These columns began on my area of America Online, called: Judaism
Today: Where Do I Fit? People anonymously
sent me E-Mail, and I began to choose one for a public response
in my Jewish E-Mail of the Week column. The column has become
quite popular and is now syndicated internationally in many
Jewish papers and websites. I hope you find they help you
as you think about the Ethics, Spirituality and Peoplehood
components of the Jewish way of Life. I welcome your
comments... see the end of the column.
Gil
PS
Teachers and others, feel free to copy my columns and forward
them or use them as you see fit. Please see the friendly
copyright notice at the end. |
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I'M
NOT GOING TO CIRCUMCISE MY SON! --
PART 2
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In
last week's Jewish Email of the Week
called "I am Not Going to
Circumcise My Son!" I responded
to a woman who felt circumcision was
an outdated custom for numerous
reasons. As a result, I received quite
a few emotional emails with a variety
of points of view -- most of them in
favor or circumcision. This week, I am
sharing edited excerpts of some of
these emails with you. Most of them
had to do with health or tradition.
The
first 4 deal with health issues:
Excerpt
#1: "I am pasting an article
referring to the medical issues
pertaining to circumcision. It is very
interesting to note that the clotting
agent we possess is at its life long
peak on the 8th day of life and never
reaches that level again. Hmmm, a
coincidence? I think not!"
Excerpt
#2: "I am a retired Urologist 83
years old now. I was in active
practice for 43 years. The arguments
pro and con circumcision are in the
"abstract " as far as I am
concerned, because of what I observed
during that very active span:
1.
Only uncircumcised men, or those men
who, had circumcision done late in
life, develop cancer of the penis.
2.
If you were to actually see a case,
it would repel you, it is that
horrible.
3.
If you could witness the
frustration, fear, consternation and
revulsion the wife experiences
during the course of her husband's
affliction, you might well change
your mind about circumcision."
#3:
"Having attended a fairly large
number of circumcisions, I know that
with the current numbing gels that are
available, the parents feel far more
pain than the child. There have been a
few without any outcry at all -- or if
there was, it was because the pacifier
slipped, and not because of the
cut."
#4:
"I do not agree with you and have
to agree with the reader who contends
that the raison d'etre for the bris in
no longer valid, due to the vast
differences in sanitary practices then
and now. At my grandson's bris, he not
only fought with all of his puny
strength, but turned blue and passed
out. I see no reason for it now. I
don't buy the robotic answer: 'It says
in the bible,' I say: Enough
already!"
Personally,
I have observed a number of
circumcision were the baby received
Novocain and barely made a peep. (I am
in favor of this practice.) Now moving
to the realm of tradition, starting
with two opposing views:
#5:
"Your questioner might, by
application of logic develop a series
of reasons to discontinue any aspect
of Jewish observance. If that were an
acceptable approach and we accepted
absolute democracy on all issues,
pretty soon we would have so many
acceptable interpretations of the
traditions that we would have no
common base. That would quickly lead
to the end of the Jewish people."
#6:
"I agree with the woman who chose
not to circumcise her sons. I believe
strongly in Jewish ritual and
community. I am currently applying to
Rabbinic school. However, I believe
that it is essential to focus on the
spirit of ritual and not just the
letter of it. There are many other
rituals in Torah that we have adapted
or let go of. Some things like ritual
sacrifice and circumcision seem to be
antiquated."
In
my response last week, I wrote that
circumcision is the oldest tradition
in Judaism and that I would not want
to be the person who broke the chain.
My opinion was challenged by a writer
whose argument I found valid. Below is
that argument followed by 3 insights
that add substance to my opinion (I
wished I had thought of them.)
#7:
"I take issue with your reasoning
because the woman who wrote to you was
saying that this tradition is cruel to
the baby boy. Slavery has been a long
held tradition. So has anti-Semitism.
Those are chains of tradition that
still need breaking in many parts of
the world."
#8
"A circumcision is what has set
us apart for all these centuries. Why
it was chosen as the symbol of
faithfulness may be for the very
reason that it is so personal."
#9:
"I am a Reform Jew, and truly
believe that not all man-written
traditions apply to our lives today,
but this one is a "mark" to
be worn with pride and reverence to
all those who came before us and
especially of all those to come."
#10:
"I once asked a rabbi why is this
procedure for binding ourselves to G-d
performed on this spot of the body? He
said that the site of the procedure is
on the organ through which tremendous
joy enters our lives and is also the
place where the sperm comes out in
order to create new life. My own
thoughts is that this organ can be
used for very good purposes and for
very evil purposes. That by binding
our baby boys to G-d through this
ceremony/surgery and by explaining to
them as they grow up both potentials
for this organ, that they will choose
to use it properly."
As
a final reaction, I share with you
this moving email that was different
from anything else I received:
#11:
"As I rapidly approach the age of
70 next month, I humbly thank my life
long Baptist father and mother (may
they rest in peace) for having had me
circumcised prior to bringing me home
from the hospital. My parents raised
me to be a free thinker and allowed me
to search for a religion I could fully
accept and live my life by. Over the
years, I went from Baptist to
Methodist, Catholic, and finally to
Mormonism. Alas, there was none that
didn't have any flaws or other things
that I could not accept. Then I began
to research Judaism after having
witnessed the persecution of a well
educated and experienced applicant for
a teaching position in a local
college. Now, after studying for 17
years, learning to read and write
Hebrew and understanding the Hebrew in
the Siddur I am converting and having
a Bar Mitzvah in June of 2000. I have
to have only a token bris at the age
of 70, but if necessary I would have
the whole thing if that were what it
took to be found worthy of being
adopted into the tribe of
Abraham."
There
you have it readers...some reaction
from your fellow readers. After
reading and carefully considering all
the feedback my conclusion remains the
same: I am in favor of Jewish boys
having a bris.
Gil
A FRIENDLY COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© Copyright Gil Mann
These columns can be found at www.beingjewish.org. Not
only do I give you permissions to copy these Jewish Email
columns...I HOPE YOU WILL and that you share them with others!
All I ask is that you never charge anyone for them and that you
also include this little copyright notice. Thank You!
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