Kitāb al-Anwār wa'l-Marāqib: Discourse V · Ch. 1: The obligation of circumcision on the eighth day

هذه الفريضة أمر الله بها إبرهيم وأعاد ذكرها سيدنا موسى عليهما السلام والرحمة وذكر فيها في قصة إبرهيم أشياء لم يذكرها موسى لانه اقتصر على القول الأول فيها فأول ذلك قوله لإبرهيم [בראשית יז:ט] ואתה את בריתי תשמור وما بعده [יז:י] זאת בריתי אשר תשמרו וג' ثم قال [שם שם] המול לכם כל זכר ثم أعاد ذلك بقوله [יז:יא] ונמלתם את בשר ערלתכם وتجوز ان يكون قوله أولا המול לכם כל זכר إيجابا على كل من له ولد ذكر أن يختنه وقوله ונמלתם את בשר ערלתכם إيجابا على الإنسان إذا كان أقلق أن يختتن ثم قال [יז:יב] ובן שמונת ימים ימול לכם فأوجب ذلك لثمانية أيام من الولادة ثم قال [שם שם] יליד בית ומקנת כסף فأوجب ايضا علينا ان نختن عبيدنا المولدين والمشترين وإن لم يكونوا على جملة الدين وأخبر بأن الختانة عهد بينه وبيننا وعهد في لحومنا بقوله [יז:יא] והיה לאות ברית ביני וביניכם [יז:יג] והיתה בריתי בבשרכם فعلمنا من هذين القولين ان علة الافتراض بالختانة هي لتكون عهدا في لحومنا وبيننا وبين البارئ جل ثناؤه

God commanded this commandment to Abraham and repeated it to Moses, peace and mercy upon them. In the story of Abraham, are mentioned details not included in the story of Moses, because he condensed the first report regarding circumcision. For the first reference of circumcision to Abraham says (Genesis 17:9) “And God said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.” and afterwards (Genesis 17:10) “This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised.” Then he repeats this with the verse (Genesis 17:11) “And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant between Me and you.” It is possible that his first verse “​​​​every male among you shall be circumcised” is an obligation for someone with a male child to circumcise him, while the verse “And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin” is an obligation for any uncircumcised person himself to circumcise. Subsequently the Torah says (Genesis 17:12) “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed” and this obligates circumcision to occur specifically on the eighth day. Then it says (Genesis 17:13) “He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant” and this obligates us to circumcise our slaves, either born or purchased, even while they themselves are not obligated by the law. The Torah further teaches that circumcision is a covenant between us and God and a circumcision of the flesh as it says (Genesis 17:11) “And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant between Me and you.” and (Genesis 17:13) “He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.” We learn from these two verse that the reason for the obligation of circumcision is to create this covenant in our flesh between us and the Creator, may he be blessed.