Albie: Do all jewish boys get circumcised?

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: It is the will of G-d that all Jewish boys get circumcised

Albie: What if one doesn't want to be?

Albie: Is he forced? Looked down upon?

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: That is his choice. A person has free will, and they can chose to obey or disobey G-d's will

Albie: Ah.

Albie: Why are we circumcised?

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: because that creates a covenant between us and G-d (it has absolutley nothing to do with health reasons)

Albie: what is a covenant... please go into further detail

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: "formal, solemn, and binding agreement" - the dictionary

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: we have an eternal agreement and relationship with G-d. Every child that is born enters and seals that agreement through circumcision

Albie: Do we ever get circumcised at birth?

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: 8 days old

Albie: How can that be?

Albie: A contract is a formed agreement between two people.

Albie: How can a child a mere 8 days old be conscious to form a contract with god?

Albie: Hello?

Albie: Sorry if i'm being rude... I'm just so lost.

Albie: My parents are jewish and i'm not sure if i fully understand my faith

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: that is a very good question - you are not being rude

Albie: You'll agree with me that which you have faith in must be understood, correct?

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: absolutley (to some extent of course)

Albie: Yes.

Albie: Can you answer this question for me?

Albie: Shall i seek other resources?

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: i can try :-)

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: there are many people on right now, so try to be patient :-)

Albie: sorry

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: ok - your question is discussed in many Jewish writings and answered in most of them. My favorite answer is that the covenant with G-d is on G-d's terms - infinite, divine, and eternal. Truth be said that when you reach levels such as those, a child and Einstein are on the same level - they are both human, and therefore niether can really comprehend G-d or His terms....

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: Therefore we have this covenant made with a child at 8 days, that he, or anyone else, should never think this is man made covenant based on and limited to human understanding and terms. This is a Divine covenanant, based on G-dly knowledge and terms and therefore infinite and eternal

Albie: How can somone sign a contract, being divine or man made, without understanding the terms.

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: 1) Do you know how many people sign contracts without knowing the terms! I am sure you yourself at one time or another signed a rental car contract or something of the sort without reading all the terms :-)

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: but that is just a side point - nothing really to do with our issue

Albie: The last part would be true, because rental car contract don't involve surgically removing part of a young boys penis before he can crawl.

Albie: for this i do not understand

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: :-)

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: yes, for that reason, and many others

Rabbi Shlomo Chein: the point here is what type of covenant we are entering. We are entering a covenant that is beyond (any) human understanding. Therefore there is nothing the human has to do, or could do, to make this covenant stronger or weaker. A G-d instructed procedure has to be performed on the human, and that intiates this covenant based on G-d's terms. Therefore it really makes no difference if one does or doesn't know what is going on - this true for an infant, or for an adult who doesn't know how this procedure will strengthen his relationship with G-d

Albie: makes sense

Albie: thanks