Genesis · Chapter 17

And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and Hashem appeared to Abram and said to him: I am El Shaddai; serve before Me and be wholehearted.

אני אל שדי I AM GOD ALMIGHTY — I am He whose (ש) Godship suffices (די) for every creature (Genesis Rabbah 46:3), therefore, ‘‘walk before Me”, and I will be your God and Protector. Similarly, wherever in the Scriptures this Divine Name שדי occurs, it signifies the idea of His sufficiency — but it all depends upon the context as to what the “sufficiency” refers to. התהלך לפני WALK BEFORE ME — as the Targum takes it: worship before Me — cleave to My service. והיה תמים AND BE PERFECT — This, too, is a command following upon the previous command: be whole-hearted in all the trials I impose upon you. According to the Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 46:4), however, it means: walk before Me by observing the precept of circumcision and through this you will become perfect, for so long as you are uncircumcised I regard you as having a blemish. Another explanation of היה תמים BE THOU PERFECT — at present you lack the power of controlling morally five organs, viz., two eyes, two ears and the membrum. Therefore will I add a letter (i. e. the letter 'ה the numerical value of which is five) to your name (אברם which equals 243) so that the total of the letters of your name (אברהם) will become 248, corresponding to the number of limbs of your body (cf. Nedarim 32b).

‘E-IL SHA-DAI.’ These are two distinct Divine names, each one descriptive in itself. e., that they both constitute one descriptive noun: “a G-d who is almighty” and “an almighty G-d.” Now the meaning of the word eil is “mighty”, derived from the expression, Eilei Moab (the mighty ones of Moab). The meaning of Sha—dai, according to Rashi, is “He whose G-dship suffices for every creature.” In the book Moreh Nebuchim the Rabbi See Seder Bereshith, Note 139. explained that the name Sha—dai signifies “he who is sufficient.” That is to say, He does not require the existence of what He created or the conservation of any other being; rather, His existence is self-sufficient. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained in the name of the Nagid In our text of Ibn Ezra, it appears anonymously as “And many explain.” that the name is from the root shodeid, meaning “victor and prevailer over the hosts of heaven.” This is the correct interpretation, for the name Sha—dai represents the attribute of power which conducts the world, concerning which the Sages have said that it is “the attribute of Justice of the world below.” The reason for mentioning this Divine Name now is that with it are done the hidden miracles ” (Ma’or Veshamesh.) This concept is a major foundation in Ramban’s thinking. It will appear in many other places in a more developed manner. See e.g., further, 46:15; Exodus 6:2; Leviticus 26:11. for the righteous, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine, as well as to redeem them in war from the power of the sword, just as all the miracles done to Abraham and to the other patriarchs, and as all the blessings and curses mentioned in the Torah in the section Im Bechukothai and in the section Vehaya Ki Thavo. These blessings and curses are all miracles for it is not in nature that the rains should come in their due season when we worship G-d, nor are the skies to be like iron if we plant our fields in the seventh year, and similarly all promises in the Torah. Rather, they are all miracles by which the disposition of natural law is overpowered, except that no change from the natural order of the world is noticeable, as was the case with the miracles done through Mosheh Rabbeinu with the ten plagues, the dividing of the Sea, the Manna, the well, and their like, for these are miracles which openly changed nature, and they were done with the Tetragrammaton which He told to him. It is for this reason that He now told Abraham our father that He is the Almighty, the Victor Who will prevail over his constellation of birth so that he will have a son, and thus there will be a covenant between Him and his seed forever, meaning that the portion of the Eternal is His people, and that He will lead them at His own will, as they will not be under the rule of a star or constellation. Know and consider that our father Abraham did not mention the Tetragrammaton [Eternal] in any of his utterances except in combination with the Divine Name written [G-d], or in combination with E-il Elyon [G-d Most High], but he did mention in his affairs the name Elokim [G-d]. Thus he will say, The Eternal, the G-d of heaven. He said, however, the Eternal seeth, In this case Abraham used the Tetragrammaton (Eternal) by itself. This would contradict the principle stated by Ramban above that Abraham never used this Divine Name except in some combination with another Name. Ramban answers that since the reference there is to the Sanctuary which was destined to be built on that mountain in the future and where the sacrifices were to be brought, the Tetragrammaton is the proper name to be used, as will be explained in the beginning of the book of Leviticus when sacrifices are discussed. because it refers to the place of the future Sanctuary. Jacob, on the other hand, always mentioned E-il Sha-dai [G-d Almighty],; 48:3. which Moses our teacher never mentions. If you will be worthy you will understand this entire matter from that which the Rabbis said in Tractate Yebamoth:b. “All prophets contemplated Deity through an unlucid speculum,” which is why Isaiah said, And I saw G-d, [i.e., the Divine Name written Aleph Dalet]. “But Moses contemplated Deity through a lucid speculum.” This is why He said, For a man shall not see Me and live, whereas Isaiah’s verse, and I saw G-d, is written with the Aleph Dalet. I will mention this theme again in Parshath Va’eira if G-d will look upon my grief. WALK BEFORE ME. i.e., by following the path which I will show you. [This command is similar in] meaning to the verse, After the Eternal G-d shall ye walk, and Him shall ye fear, except that with respect to a general command to follow His way which precedes His specific instructions, He says, Walk before Me, while with respect to a command which follows the specific command, He says, After the Eternal ye shall walk. Hence G-d says to him, Walk ‘before’ Me, meaning “follow the commandment which I will give to you.” But in the verse from Deuteronomy, where the commandments have already been annunciated, the verse properly says, ‘After’ the Eternal ye shall walk. The purport of both commands is to walk after G-d, fear Him alone and do whatever He commands. AND BE THOU WHOLE-HEARTED. This is an additional commandment in this matter, similar in meaning to the verse, Thou shalt be whole-hearted with the Eternal thy G-d, which follows G-d’s admonition: There shall not be found among you any one that … useth divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or sorcerer, etc. The purport of both verses is that one should believe in his heart that the Holy One, blessed be He, alone is the Omnipotent from beginning to end. It is He who has the power to do and to undo, and therefore he should not listen to the soothsayers and diviners or to the enchanters and the sorcerers. He shall in no way believe that their words shall be fulfilled, but he should decree in his heart that everything is in the hand of the Supreme One, who is G-d, G-d Almighty, Who doeth a person good, which was not predestined by his constellation, and bringeth evil upon him despite a constellation that was good and auspicious. In accordance with the manner in which a man walks before Him, He frustrateth the tokens of the impostors, and maketh diviners mad. It is this which the Sages had in mind when they said: “[G-d said to Abraham], ‘Go forth from your astrological speculations, etc.’” Now Rashi explained: “And be thou whole-hearted. Be whole-hearted in all the trials I impose upon you.” And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the verse means that he should not seek the reason for the commandment of circumcision, it being similar in meaning to the verse: Let my heart be undivided in Thy statutes, in order that I may not be put to shame. The correct interpretation is as I have explained.

"El Shaddai" — this is an attributive name, and its meaning is "the Mighty One." So too: "like the voice of Shaddai" (Ezekiel 1:24), "and Shaddai shall be your treasure" (Job 22:25), for its sense is like "and lay up gold as dust" (Job 22:24). The word shaddai follows the pattern of "my heart is faint [davai]" (Lamentations 1:22). Many have explained it as derived from the root shadad, meaning one who overpowers and prevails. The reason this Name is invoked in this passage is so that Abraham would stand in awe and circumcise himself. The correct interpretation, however, is that the glorious and awesome Name [the Tetragrammaton] stands opposite this attributive name [Shaddai], while this attributive name relates to action — for the world rests upon these two Names. One who understands the secret of the Name will believe. "And be wholehearted" — so that you do not ask why circumcision [is commanded].

וירא ה, a מראה is always a vision one level lower than true prophecy. This is why G'd said to Moses in Exodus 6,3 ושמי ה' לא נודעתי להם, "but I had not revealed to them My true name Hashem." אני א-ל שדי, "I am the One Who is sufficient unto Himself by My very existence to carry out My special function the creation of the universe all by Myself without assistance by anyone else. [The word די expresses this self-sufficiency of the Lord/Creator. Ed.] The very opposite is true of all created phenomena other than the Creator. [the difference between G'd and creatures is that G'd is a "self-starter," whereas all other phenomena require something to activate them even when performing the functions for which they have been created. Ed.] This all means that the recipient of a visual image, מראה, a vision, becomes aware of the existence of the Creator and His power, without him however becoming aware of underlying causes of such. The patriarchs became witnesses to G'd performing "invisible" miracles, as distinct from the "visible" miracles performed by Moses and other prophets after him to some extent. [an "invisible" miracle maybe recognized as such because the time and place has been foretold to the beneficiary, as in the case where the angels told Avram that Sarah would give birth to a son within the year. "Visible" miracles, are for instance, water turning into blood, or all the firstborn of one nation dying at the same time [after this event having been announced.] the latter type of miracle says more about G'd as the originator of all that occurs in the universe than does the former kind of miracle. This latter kind of insight was not revealed by G'd before Moses, as we quoted form Exodus 6,3. התהלך, an instruction to conduct himself in this manner in all his activities. לפני, as if you were looking for guidance Me in all your undertakings and trying to emulate Me. We have adopted this concept when we inscribe our synagogues with the verse שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד, "I am ever mindful of the Lord's presence." (Psalms 16,8) והיה תמים, "acquire the maximum degree of perfection human being are capable of attaining. Be intelligent so that you can acquire more intimate knowledge of Me through recognising the way I operate in the universe. As a result you will be emulate My attributes to the degree that this is possible for humans." The deeds of man reflect his having emulated G'd when he tried to do so. This is what Moses had in mind when he asked G'd: הודיעני נא את דרכיך ואדעך, "make know to me Your ways so that by this means I will get to know You." (Exodus 33,13) This is the ultimate perfection that the human species is able to achieve. This was G'd's objective for man when He created him, when he added the word בצלמנו, "in our image," when announcing that He was about to create man with the words נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו, "let us make man in our image" (Genesis 1,26).

.התהלך לפני, an invitation to perform the rite of circumcision, as a result of which his body would become more “perfect.” והיה תמים, “as a result of which you will become perfect.”

אני אל שדי, “I am the G’d Shaddai.” According to Rashi the meaning of these words is: “who provides adequately in His capacity as G’d for all His creatures.” Rabbeinu Chananel writes that G’d gave the commandment for Avraham to circumcise himself and his household by using this attribute (name), seeing that the physical strength of a person is weakened when he undergoes circumcision. [He wanted to encourage Avraham. Ed.] We are told in a Midrash that the meaning of Proverbs 2,7 יצפון לישרים תושיה, “He reserves sound wisdom for the upright though it weakens the body,” is a reference to circumcision. [The Talmud Sanhedrin 26 applies this verse to Torah study. Ed.] This was why G’d delayed giving this commandment to man for twenty generations. The word צפון then means “hidden.” There were 20 generations between Adam and Avraham. The name שדי is indicative of and equivalent to the emanation גבורה as we know from Ezekiel 1,24 כקול מים רבים כקול שדי, “like the sound of great waters, like the sound of Shaddai.” Seeing G’d did not want Avraham to say that when he would perform surgery on his flesh he would weaken himself, G’d introduced the subject by referring to Himself as the powerful One, as Shaddai, as if to assure Avraham that He personally would compensate him for any loss of physical vigour Avraham would experience as a result of observing this commandment. He would remain strong enough to overcome any of his adversaries, both he and all of his descendants who would abide by this commandment. Maimonides explains at the end of chapter 63 volume one of his Moreh Nevuchim, that the meaning of the attribute Shaddai is אשר די, “who is self-sufficient,” i.e. He does not have any need for any of the phenomena in His universe, whereas the world (which He has created) has no need of anyone besides Him. The correct interpretation of the name Shaddai is that given by Rabbi Shmuel Ha-Nagid (of Cordova); the word is derived from שודד, i.e. “destroys, ruins.” The idea is that G’d destroys even the forces of heaven (if need be). Rabbi Saadyah Gaon explains the word שדי as meaning that He makes up any shortfall, i.e. supplies די, adequacy. Yet another explanation offered for this word relates it to Isaiah 66,23 מדי חדש בחדשו, ”from month month.” It means that something is constant, repeats itself endlessly. The name Shaddai then describes G’d’s eternal nature. Nachmanides understands the word as describing G’d’s attribute of Justice as practiced in our terrestrial world. This is another way of describing “natural law” as it is perceived in our daily lives. The reason G’d considered it appropriate to reveal this attribute of His at this time was to inform Avraham that He, G’d, overrides natural law whenever it pleases Him and that as a result He could decree that Avraham would sire children. Whenever G’d would perform miracles which are not visible to us on earth, something our sages call נסים נסתרים, “hidden miracles,” He does so in His capacity as אל שדי. By nature, Avraham was sterile and could not sire children. G’d neutralised the horoscopic forces which had been responsible for Avraham’s sterility by invoking the name Shaddai when doing so. [I must confess that I have difficulties with all this in view of the fact that at the beginning of our chapter Avraham is described as 99 years old, i.e. he had sired Ishmael 13 years previously without G’d mentioning that He had invoked the attribute Shaddai to enable him to do so. Ed.] This was an example of a hidden miracle, no one being able to see when and how it occurred. If Avraham became a father people would simply say that something natural had occurred as it was not unknown for even 100 year-old men to become fathers. Certainly such miracles cannot be compared to those performed by Moses both in Egypt and in the desert. All of the miracles performed by Moses enjoyed a mass audience. These miracles produced drastic and visible changes in the manner in which they affected natural law. Thus far Nachmanides. We need to explain the reason why G’d commanded this particular מצוה of circumcision to Avraham and his descendants. The act of circumcision is as if G’d imprints His Holy Ineffable Name on the bodies of the males so circumcised. The effect of circumcision is to leave a visible sign on the body of the person who underwent this procedure. Possession of this visible sign distinguishes the Jewish people from the Gentiles whose hearts and bodies are uncircumcised. Such people are comparable to שדים, “evil spirits,” whereas the Jewish people bear the signature of שדי on their bodies. Wearing this “sign” on their bodies entitles Jewish people to be called האדם, and this is what G’d meant when He asked Avraham to become תמים, “perfect.” Seeing that this “seal” confers the title תמים on the circumcised Jew, he is entitled to some degree of protection against the temptation to commit sexual excesses and offences i.e. he is entitled to a higher erotic threshold. Hence the Torah introduced a variety of laws governing sexual mores of the Jewish people. David referred to this in Samuel II 22,24 when he said: ואהיה תמים עמו ואשתמרה מעוני, “I have been blameless before Him, and have guarded myself against sinning.” [Our author regards the three basic letters י-ה-ו of the Ineffable four-lettered name of G’d as being represented in our bodies by the male organ, the mouth, and the tongue.] The word ואהיה in the verse in Samuel contains these three letters which represent the “seal” of circumcision on our bodies and which appeared for the first time when G’d said to Avraham והיה, in the sequence “והיה תמים.” The reason these letters appear once in a certain order and another time in a different order is that they allude to a spiritual bond between the terrestrial and the celestial worlds. This bond is reciprocal, mutual, i.e. on the one hand there is input by heavenly forces into man; on the other hand there is input by man to reinforce the spiritual sanctity in heaven. A Midrashic approach to the words אל שדי based on Bereshit Rabbah 46,3. G’d said: “it is enough for Me and you to be in this universe. If you accept My commandment to circumcise yourself, all well and good. If not, I will say to My universe די לעולמי, די לערלה, ‘enough’ for My world, ‘enough’ for a history of human beings dominated by their foreskins!’ (G’d threatened to destroy the universe).” The meaning of this Midrash is that the whole strength of the Jewish people is concentrated in the heart, whereas the strength of the seventy Gentile nations as represented by their “princes” at the celestial court is equivalent to קליפות, “peels,” Thirty-five of these peels are on the “right,” i.e. of a positive kind, whereas the other thirty-five on the “left” are of a spiritually negative kind. The latter are called ערלה, “foreskin.” [The first two letters of that word, when inverted spell רע,=evil; the last two letters in that word are לה =35]. No one is permitted to take hold of the heart until the “peels” have been removed. If Avraham had not accepted the commandment to circumcise himself I would have said “enough,” i.e. that neither I nor these “princes” would have engaged in any activity whatsoever. This would have resulted in the universe disintegrating. התהלך לפני, “walk before Me.” This means “continue to perform My sevice.” The words following, i.e. והיה תמים, mean “as a result you will be perfect, free from blemish.” You will neither need to discard something superfluous nor add something that is lacking. The word תמים occurs as a description of the Torah in Psalms 19,8 תורת ה' תמימה, “G’d’s Torah is perfect.” This is why we must neither add a single letter to it nor omit a single letter from it (Deut.13,1). The definition of being תמים, perfect, includes the requirement that a person’s external appearance mirrors his internal but invisible virtues, and that what he says reflects what he truly feels. It is a fact that our patriarch Avraham was the root of faith in G’d and of those who believe in the exclusivity and uniquness of G’d. When it comes to matters of faith it is indispensable that what one professes to believe and what one does in fact believe must coincide. Anyone who says one thing while believing another belongs to the group of individuals of whom the psalmist (Psalms 78, 36-37) has said: ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו-לו, ולבם לא-נכון עמו ולא נאמנו בבריתו, “Yet they deceived Him with their speech, lied to Him with their words; their hearts were inconstant toward Him; they were untrue to His covenant.” This is why the Torah has formulated the requirement to be “perfect” as a positive commandment in Deut 18,13 by writing תמים תהיה עם ה' אלוקיך, “be wholehearted with the Lord your G’d.” Being “wholehearted” is one of the highest virtues, and the Torah refers approvingly to such people as Noach, Yitzchak, and Yaakov as having practiced this virtue (compare Genesis 6,9; 25,27; Bereshit Rabbah 64,3). We read in Psalms 15,2 הולך תמים ופועל צדק, “he who lives without blame and does what is right and acknowledges the truth in his heart;” these words refer to Avraham. Psalm 101,2 “אשכילה בדרך תמים, “I direct my reason in the path of moral integrity,” extols the virtue of תמימות as one that David tries to attain. In Psalm 41,13 David credits G’d’s support of him by attributing it to his integrity; ואני בתומי תמכת בי ותציבני לפניך לעולם, “You will support me because of my integrity and let me abide in Your presence forever.” Solomon also was keenly aware of the importance of this virtue and this is why he referred to it both in Proverbs 10,9 הולך בתומים ילך בטח, He who walks in integrity walks securely,” and in Proverbs 11,20 where he writes ורצונו תמימי דרך, “but G’d delights in those who are blameless in their ways.”

א-ל שדי, “the G’d Shaddai.” The plain meaning is: “a powerful deity.” Rashi interprets the word שדי, as meaning that G’d proclaims Himself as sufficient, די, for any human being, i.e. His supervision, His Providence of the human being’s fate is adequate for anyone. They do not require additional patrons. Ibn Ezra, quoting Shemuel Hanaggid, derives the word שדי from שודד, meaning “victorious, conquering the heavens.” התהלך לפני והיה תמים, “serve Me and become perfect.” Rashi understands the words היה תמים as a call to Avraham to successfully pass all the tests G’d would subject him to. Ibn Ezra understands these words as a warning that Avraham should not question G’d’s commands by asking why these tasks are required of him. Nachmanides explains the word התהלך as similar to the commandment to the Jewish people in Deut. 13,5 אחרי ה' אלוקיך תלכו, i.e. “follow all the instructions of the Lord your G’d.” (after you have been instructed about them) The command התהלך לפני goes beyond this and asks Avraham to anticipate G’d’s commandments and to act in accordance with his understanding of what G’d would later on command him. [it is difficult to imagine a greater compliment to Avraham than our verse here. Ed.] והיה תמים, “and become perfect (in being in step with the wavelength of the Creator)” We find a similar directive addressed to the whole Jewish nation, i.e. each individual separately, in Deut. 18,13 תמים תהיה עם ה' אלוקיך. In that instance, the directive follows the injunction not to employ sorcerers, magicians, etc., but to have perfect, exclusive faith in the Lord, not to consult astrologers about what your future holds in store for you. G’d intimates to Avraham here, and to the people as a whole in Deuteronomy, that He alone holds the reins of our fate in His capable hands. He is capable and willing to do good for us even, if according to our horoscope, we appear to face insurmountable obstacles. This is what our sages meant when they interpreted the words (15,5) ויוצא אותו החוצה, “He took him outside,” to mean that He showed Avraham that there is a historical dimension beyond that indicated by astrology, i.e. הוציא אותו מהאצטגנינות שלו.

And I will establish My covenant between My Word and you, and I will increase you very greatly.

ואתנה בריתי AND I WILL MAKE MY COVENANT — a covenant of love and a covenant regarding the land — to give it to you as an inheritance through your observance of this precept.

ואתנה בריתי ביני ובינך, it is on this basis that I will establish My covenant between Me and between you. להיות לך לאלוהים ולזרעך אחריך, so that you will teach your descendants the lesson you have absorbed about Me.

And Abram fell upon his face, and Hashem spoke with him, saying:

ויפל אברם על פניו AND ABRAM FELL UPON HIS FACE through fear of the Shechinah, because before he was circumcised he did not have the strength to stand on his feet whilst the Holy Spirit stood over him; and it is to this that what is stated in the case of the heathen Balaam refers, (Numbers 24:4) “fallen down, yet with open eyes”. This is to be found in Baraitha of R. Eliezer (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 29).

AND ABRAM FELL ON HIS FACE. The purpose of this expression was to direct his mind towards the prophecy. When the prophecy concerning the commandment of circumcision was completed, Abraham rose and stood. When the word from heaven came to him a second time, saying to him, As for Sarai thy wife, etc., he once again fell on his face to direct his mind towards the prophecy, and he also prayed concerning Ishmael. here. in line with the verses: And they fell upon their faces, and said, O G-d, the G-d of the spirits, etc.; That I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

ויפול אברם על פניו, this was a voluntary act demonstrating his gratitude to G'd for entering into the covenant with him.

ויפול אברם על פניו, “Avram prostrated himself” from joy over this welcome message [that finally he qualified for performing this commandment. Ed.]

ויפול אברם על פניו, “Avraham prostrated himself before the Lord.” This was in order to show his readiness to receive prophetic communication from G’d. In this instance, the commandment to circumcise himself was the physical part of fulfilling the commandment to become “perfect,” unblemished. As soon as he had received the commandment of circumcision he received the prophecy that Sarai, renamed Sarah, would bear him a son. (verses 16, and again 19) Avraham fell on his face once more preparatory to his prayer that Ishmael should be a son worthy of his father. Seeing that nothing is beyond G’d’s power, אלוקי הרוחות, “the Lord of all spirits,” he thought it appropriate to offer this prayer on behalf of Ishmael [who must have displayed signs of not following in his father’s footsteps already at that time. Ed.]

As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations.

BEHOLD, MY COVENANT IS WITH THEE, AND THOU SHALT BE THE FATHER OF A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS. This refers to the covenant of the circumcision, as He will explain, “This is the sign of the Covenant, and after the covenant you will be the father of a multitude of nations.”Blessed be the Lord! By Him alone are actions weighed, for He preceded and commanded Abraham to enter into His covenant to be circumcised before Sarah became pregnant so that his seed would be holy.

אני הנה בריתי אתך, "I am now doing what I had told you, to make the covenant actual."

אני הנה בריתי אתך, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you.” Nachmanides writes that the mystical meaning of these words is the same as Kings I 5,58 יהי ה' אלוקינו עמנו, “may the Lord our G’d be with us;” or, it is similar to Genesis 28,15 והנה אנכי עמך “and here I am with you.” We also find a similar expression in Exodus 3, 12 where G’d assures Moses כי אהיה עמך, ”for I am going to be with you.” What G’d meant by His words was that this very covenant would be with Avraham and would enable him to become fruitful and to multiply. Subsequently G’d commanded Avraham to observe this covenant by performing the visible sign of it, the rite of circumcision. The constantly recurring sign of the circumcision is the Sabbath. There the Torah (Exodus 31,13) also writes that the Israelites would observe the Sabbath as a sign of the eternal covenant between G’d and the children of Israel. The similarity of the language of the Torah in both instances makes it clear that both ”signs” (the circumcision and Sabbath observance) refer to the same covenant although the Torah delayed mentioning this until Exodus 31,13.

“Behold, My covenant is with you.” The word “behold” [hineh] indicates something that already exists. One can explain that “My covenant is already present within you,” and this is indeed true, because this external circumcision serves a noble purpose — it provides proof of the circumcision of the heart and its purity. Without doubt, even before the physical circumcision, Abraham already had a pure and circumcised heart. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I know that My covenant is already with you because you are pure of heart. However, since I now want to make you a father of many nations, I need to provide an explanation to all the people of the world as to why I am appointing you as the father of many nations. This is to publicize your virtue and the purity of your heart before all the nations, through this external circumcision which testifies to the purity of the heart, so that your generations will know that I justly made you a father of many nations.” This is what is meant by And I will establish My covenant between Me and you — meaning, that same internal covenant of the heart which was previously hidden between Me and you, and which all the people of the world did not know about, I am now raising as a banner of that covenant so that all the people of the world will know of it. This is what is meant by for an everlasting [leolam] covenant — meaning, that covenant which was between Me and you will now be a covenant for the entire world, as all the people of the world [haolam] will know of it and reflect upon it.

אני הנה בריתי אתך, “as far as I am concerned, here is My covenant with you.” The covenant G’d refers to here is the covenant of the circumcision. G’d instructed him to perform the sign of the covenant before Sarah would conceive, so that the baby born from her would also have been conceived in a state of purity and holiness.

And your name shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

כי אב המון גוים FOR A FATHER OF A MULTIDUDE OF NATIONS — An acrostic on his name [אב (ר) הם]. But the ר which was previously in his name — denoting that he was the father (chieftain) only of אב (א) רם] ארם] which was his native country (cf. Genesis 21:7 with verse Genesis 21:10 of the same chapter), whilst now he became father of the entire world — nevertheless was not taken out of his name. For we find also, that the 'י in Sarai’s name continued to complain to God that it had been removed from her name when this was changed to Sarah, until it was placed as an additional letter into the name יהושע, as it is said, (Numbers 13:16) “And Moses called Hoshea (הושע) the son of Nun, Joshua (יהושע)” (Genesis Rabbah 47:1).

"Abraham" — the addition of the letter resh [over Abram], [yielding the meaning] "mighty one of a multitude of nations." The [divine] Name did not come to remove a letter from his name, but only to add. And "Sarah" (Genesis 17:15) is a general attributive name, unlike "Sarai." Blessed is the Name, to Whom deeds are reckoned — for He commanded Abraham to circumcise himself before Sarah conceived, so that his offspring would be holy.

והיה שמך אברהם, "henceforth you name will be Avraham. Immediately." כי אב המון גויים נתתיך, for the significance of this name change will commence as of this day. The word נתתיך in the past tense means that this process has already commenced. This is why לא יקרא עוד שמך אברם, your name from now on will now longer be Avram, ever. This was a different name change from when Yaakov was accorded the name ישראל. That name was an additional name which did not replace his original name Yaakov. The matter will be explained in due course.

ולא יקרא שמך עוד אברם, your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham. Bereshit Rabbah 44,10 already stated that when Abram cited that he had seen in his horoscope that he would not father any children, G'd agreed with him and told him that he was correct, that as Abram he would not father children but that as Abraham he would. The same would apply to Sarai as compared to Sarah. This Midrash is very difficult since the Torah reports Abram as siring Ishmael, not Abraham! Besides, why did the Midrash mention that Sarai did not bear children when Abraham had never even raised the problem of Sarai not having children? We must conclude therefore that Abraham already knew at that time or at least surmised that any meaningful seed of his could only be conceived through Sarah because (presumably) whatever he had foreseen in his horoscope applied to himself in conjunction with his wife. G'd confirmed this when He told him that his seed would be known through Isaac. This is why the Midrash included the name Sarah when describing a prophecy primarily directed at Abraham. Abraham realised that the need for Ishmael to be his son was to rid his sperm of any residual contamination of the original serpent. Fathering Ishmael then was not fathering in the true sense of the word.

ולא יקרא עוד את שמך אברם, “henceforth your name will no longer be called Avram;” anyone still referring to Avraham as Avram will be violating a positive commandment. (Talmud, B’rachot 13)[The underlying reason for this may be that by depriving him of his full name, the caller implies that he was still partially a gentile. This is loosely translated by me for the words לפי שנתלוה עמו גיות, used by the author. Ed.] Nechemyah 9,7 where reference to this name change is made, is no contradiction to what is stated in the Talmud, as it also records what has been written here. The Talmud refers to the difference from Yaakov who was given the additional name Israel, without the name Yaakov having been erased. Seeing that he had been a descendant of Avraham and Yitzchok, the name Yaakov never had a connotation of something connected to paganism which had to be erased. Already Yitzchok’s name never required to be changed. והיה שמך אברהם, “henceforth your name will always be: Avraham.” It is an ancient custom to change someone’s name as a sign that he had received a promotion. We find this with Sarah, Yaakov, Joshua, as well as with Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah. (Daniel 1,7)

והיה שמך אברהם, “and your name will be Avraham.” The additional letter ה is from the last letter ה of the Ineffable Name י-ה-ו-ה. This gave Avraham the physical strength to produce offspring. We find that the letter י which had been a part of Sarai’s name, i.e. שרי was divided between Avraham and his wife [they both now had a letter 5=ה instead of Sarai having a letter י =10]. By dividing this letter between them (each receiving the equivalent of 5), Avraham became the carrier of the מרכבה, the terrestrial carriage supporting G’d’s Presence together with Yitzchak and Yaakov who would not have been born without this change of name of both Avram and Sarai. כי אב המון גוים נתתיך, “for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” Our patriarch Avraham was as much a father of mankind as Adam in his time had been a father of mankind. Indeed we find that Avraham was called “Adam” in accordance with the interpretation by our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 14,6 where the words את האדם in Genesis 2,7 are understood as a reference to Avraham. They also interpret Joshua 14,15 האדם הגדול הענקים, “the great man amongst the giants,” as applying to Avraham. I have already hinted at this at the end of my commentary on Genesis 2,17. In this portion Avraham was given the commandment of circumcision concerning which no fewer than thirteen covenants were entered into between G’d and the Jewish people. Nedarim 31 explains all this in detail.

And I will increase you very greatly, and I will make you into assemblies, and kings who rule over peoples shall go forth from you.

ונתתיך לגוים AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE — Israel and Edom only are intended here for Ishmael was already born to him and He could not, therefore, have been making any announcement concerning him.

AND I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE. The language of Rashi: “Israel and Edom are referred to here, for Ishmael was already born to him, and He could not therefore have been making any announcement concerning him.”But in my opinion it is not correct that He should inform him of Esau at the time of the covenant of circumcision since Esau does not observe circumcision and has not been commanded thereon, as the Sages expounded in Tractate Sanhedrin:b. “For in Isaac shall seed be called to thee, but not all of Isaac.” Instead, [the proper interpretation is that] Israel alone is called “nations” and “peoples,” as in the verses: Yea, He loveth the peoples; They shall call peoples unto the mountains; After thee, Benjamin, among the peoples. Even after the birth of all the tribes, He said: A nation and a company of nations shall be of thee; And I will make of thee a company of peoples.

ונתתיך לגויים, “I shall make you into nations;” Rashi believes that the plural “nations” refers to the Jewish people on the one hand and to Edom (Rome) on the other. Seeing that Yishmael had already been born, Rashi does not consider this promise/prophecy as applying to the Arab nation. Nachmanides considers Rashi’s commentary as flawed, seeing that it is most unlikely that at the time when G’d was preoccupied with the circumcision He should prophesy to Avraham concerning an as yet unborn Esau. After all, Avraham was neither in charge of Esau nor did the duty to circumcise him devolve upon him instead of upon his father Yitzchok (if and when). According to Nachmanides both Yishmael and Esau’s descendants are called גויים, whereas the Jewish people are referred to as עם. He quotes Deut. 33,3 אף חובב עמים as proof. There are other verses of the same kind. [however, there are numerous occasions when the Jewish people are referred to as גוי, as in Exodus 33,13, Joshua 3,17, Genesis 25,23, Deut. 4,38 and numerous others. Ed.]

And I will establish My covenant between My Word and you, and between your descendants after you, throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your descendants after you.

והקמתי את בריתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT — And what is this Covenant? להיות לך לאלהים TO BE A GOD UNTO THEE.

להיות לך לאלוקים ולזרעך אחריך, to accept Me as your exclusive deity, without any intermediary, just as G'd is the sold G'd of all the enduring phenomena in the world (the planets, stars, etc.) Solomon phrased it thus in Kohelet 3,14: כי כל אשר יעשה האלוקים הוא יהיה לעולם. According to our author this verse proves that anything which G'd has created without intermediary is eternal, endures, whereas when we see creatures and other phenomena disintegrate, this is proof that they were brought into existence by intermediaries of G'd, by His agents, not by Himself. Observing the terms of this covenant was concluded with G'd directly, not with an intermediary.

And I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land of your sojourning — all the land of Canaan — as an everlasting inheritance, and I will be a God to them.

לאחזת עולם FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION — and there I will be your God; but whoever resides outside the land is as if he has no God (Ketubot 110b).

לאחוזת עולם, "I will be your G'd in order that you may carry out My will, and He gave them the land presently belonging to other nations in order that they keep His statutes." (Psalms 105, 44-45) When they do this they will achieve eternal existence individually, not merely as a species.

And Hashem said to Abraham: And as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you, throughout their generations.

ואתה AND AS FOR THEE — This ו (of ואתה) connects this verse with the preceding matter (v. Gensis 17:4, thus setting ואתה of here in contrast with the ואני of there): “As for Me, behold My covenant is with thee” — “and as for thee, thou shalt be careful to keep it”. And what constitutes the “keeping” of it? THIS IS MY COVENANT WHICH YE SHALL KEEP… EVERY MALE AMONGST YOU [SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED].

‘VE’ATAH’ (AND AS FOR THEE), THOU SHALT KEEP MY COVENANT. Rashi commented, “The vav of ve’atah connects the verse with the preceding matter [in Verse 4]: ‘As for Me behold My covenant is with thee, and as for thee, thou shalt be careful to keep it.’ And what constitutes this ‘keeping’ of it? This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you — this applies to those who were then alive; and thy seed after thee here. — this applies to those who are yet to be born.” The Rabbi is correct in his interpretation of the plain meaning of the verse. Now they See also Moreh Nebuchim (III, 49), where other reasons are given. have said concerning the reason for the commandment of circumcision that He has thereby placed a reminder in the organ of lust, which is the source of much trouble and sin, in order that it should not be used excepting where it is commandatory and permissible. By way of truth, See Seder Bereshith, Note 63. the meaning of the verse, Behold, My covenant is with thee, here. is similar in meaning to the verses: Behold, I am with thee; And He said, Certainly, I will be with thee; The Eternal our G-d be with us. He is thus saying that the covenant will be with him, and therefore he will be fruitful and multiply. After that He commanded that Abraham keep this covenant, and the circumcision will be as a sign of the covenant. Thus it is that this “sign” is as “the sign” of the Sabbath, (Exodus 31:17.) and therefore circumcision sets aside the Sabbath. Understand this.

ואתה את בריתי תשמר, "just as I keep My part of the covenant, I want you to keep your part of My covenant. Unless the covenant is respected mutually it will be invalid.

“And you shall keep My covenant.” What is the meaning of and you and why does it repeat you and your offspring? Here is the explanation: The main commandment was for the sake of his offspring, as they need this external circumcision in order to reach through it the internal circumcision and purity of heart. But you [Abraham], who already have a pure heart, did not need circumcision for your own sake, but rather for the sake of the entire world as mentioned. However, your descendants afterward need circumcision for their own sake. Therefore it says and you with the inclusive vav, meaning that you too shall keep this external covenant. And it gives a second reason for the matter: that if you also keep My covenant, then your offspring will see and do likewise — this is what is meant by you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. And it says this is the covenant which you shall keep between Me and you — meaning for future generations the purpose of circumcision is only to bring them to circumcision of the foreskin of the heart, a matter that is entrusted between Me and you alone. And it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you — that this external circumcision is a revealed sign of the internal covenant that is entrusted to the heart between Me and you. And My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant — meaning a covenant that all who come into the world will recognize. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, repeated this matter several times to teach that the main reason for this external circumcision is to reach through it the internal purity of the heart.

This is My covenant that you shall keep, between My Word and you and between your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.

'ביני וביניכם וגו BETWEEN ME AND YOU — “you” is plural and refers to all those belonging to Abraham who were then alive. ובין זרעך אחריך AND THY SEED AFTER THEE — those who are yet to be born. המול is an infinitive equal to לְהִמּוֹל just as you may say עַשׂוֹת in place of לעשות (i.e. the infinitive may be with or without ל prefixed).

The word "ha-mol lachem" ["to circumcise yourselves"] — is like "lehimol" (Genesis 34:17), and it is the infinitive form of one of those doubly-apparent [geminate] verbs, as in "and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin" (Genesis 17:23); its pattern is like "lehakhin" ["to prepare"].

And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between My Word and you.

ונמלתם AND YE SHALL CIRCUMCISE — This word, in spite of the נ in it, is not Niphal but the same as ומלתם and the נ in it is an addition to the root, which only sometimes appears in it, as, for example, the נ of נושך and of ונמלתם;(נושא is Kal like ונשאתם “and ye shall carry” (Genesis 45:19), but יִמּוֹל (Genesis 17:12 and Genesis 17:13) is a Niphal form — “shall be circumcised” — like יֵעָשֶׂה “it shall be done”, and יֵאָכֵל “it shall be eaten”.

"Ve-nimalthem" ["and you shall circumcise"] — is like "ushmartem" ["and you shall keep"], and the nun is part of the root. Similarly, "lo yadon ruchi" (Genesis 6:3) [has its root] alongside "nadnah" (Daniel 7:15).

לאות ברית, as a constant reminder to walk in His paths. The sign of the circumcision is to be like the stamp on the skin of a slave identifying him as belonging to a certain master.

ונמלתם, “you shall circumcise yourselves;” all those who had not been circumcised on the eighth day after birth. והיה לאות ברית, “it will be the enduring symbol of the covenant.” The act of circumcision will make you known as my servants.

And at eight days old, every male among you shall be circumcised, throughout your generations — those born in the house and those purchased with money from any foreign people who are not of your offspring.

יליד בית HE THAT IS BORN IN THE HOUSE — one to whom a handmaid gave birth in the house. מקנת כסף HE THAT IS BOUGHT WITH THY MONEY — one whom a person bought after his birth.

"Yimol lachem" ["shall be circumcised among you"] — is in the nif'al binyan. So too "himol yimol" (Genesis 17:13). But what is the reason for saying "himol yimol yelid bayit" ["he that is born in the house shall surely be circumcised"] a second time? The explanation is as follows: "And at eight days old, every male shall be circumcised among you" — that is, every one who is yours by descent; and likewise "he that is born in the house or bought with money." And you, Abraham — "he that is born in your house or bought with your money shall surely be circumcised" today, even if they are already adults.

Those born in your house and those purchased with your money shall surely be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.

המול ימול יליד ביתך HE THAT IS BORN IN THY HOUSE MUST NEEDS BE CIRCUMCISED — Here the statement that one born in the house must be circumcised is repeated but it does not say “after eight days” as in 5:12, thus teaching you that there are some cases of those “born in the house” who have to be circumcised on the first day of birth, as is explained in Treatise Sabbath (Shabbat 135b).

See Ibn Ezra on Genesis 17:12.

בבשרכם; the word בשר is a euphemism for the reproductive organ of the male, as for instance in Ezekiel 16,26 גדלי בשר, "with outsized male member." Or, Leviticus 5, 2-3 זב מבשר, "an uncontrolled seminal emission from his male organ." There are more examples of the word בשר having that same meaning. Seeing that the organ on which the covenant with G'd is marked is the organ instrumental in ensuring a man's continuity beyond death through the genes of his offspring, it is appropriate that the covenant which represents the eternal intimate and reciprocal relationship of G'd and the Jewish people should be symbolized in this manner.

המול ימול, “the first word refers to the removal of the foreskin, the second to the removal of the thin membrane covering the head of the penis below it, known as פריעה

והיתה בריתי בבשרכם לברית עולם, “and this My covenant shall remain on your flesh as an eternal covenant.” According to the plain meaning of the text these words mean that the removal of the foreskin will remain an irreversible sign that the person who has undergone this procedure believes in G-d and in His uniqueness. He will not change his belief either while he is alive on this earth or thereafter. It was part of the purpose of this commandment that G-d become the national G-d of the descendants of Avraham, as we read in verse seven of this chapter. A Midrashic approach to our verse views the commandment as similar to the offering of a sacrifice. Just as when a person offers a sacrifice on the altar and the blood of the offering achieves atonement for him, so the blood lost by the person being circumcised acts as atonement for him. This is why this rite has to be performed on the eighth day of the baby’s life. Just as an animal sacrifice is not admissible as such until the eighth day of the animal’s life (compare Leviticus 22, 27: ומיום השמיני והלאה ירצה, “and from the eighth day on it will be welcome as a sacrifice for G-d. In connection with the sacrificial offering the Torah writes (Exodus 29,33) ואכלו אותם אשר כפר בהם, “They- who received atonement through them (the offerings)- shall eat them;” so we make a festive meal to celebrate the induction of the circumcised baby into the Jewish community. In fact, the effect of the circumcision is far greater than that of an animal sacrifice. An animal sacrifice represents only a financial sacrifice by the donor whereas the rite of circumcision involves his body. The organ which is cut is one that radiates feelings to all parts of the body of the person concerned. This is why it is called ראש הגויה, “head of the whole body” in Negaim 6,7. This is why this organ was chosen to serve as a demonstration of self-sacrifice and why someone who undergoes circumcision is considered in the eyes of G-d as if he had sacrificed his entire body on G-d’s behalf. This is also why in Psalms 50,5 the psalmist Assaph describes circumcision as “who made a covenant with Me over sacrifice.” G-d Himself describes His pious as having made a covenant with Him by means of circumcising themselves. In Bereshit Rabbah 21,14 we find that Rabbi Abba interprets the words (Genesis 3,24) את החרב המתהפכת, as a reference to circumcision. He explains his reason as being Joshua 5,2 where the instruments used to circumcise the people are described as חרבות צורים “swords of flint.” The other Rabbis consider the word חרב in that verse in Genesis 3,24 as referring to the Torah. They point to Psalms 149,6 וחרב פפיות בידם, “and a two-edged sword in their hands,” as their reason. Rabbi Abdimai also interprets the entire verse there as connected to both Gehinom and circumcision; he considers circumcision as an insurance against a Jew becoming a permanent victim of Gehinom. G-d is portrayed as asking; “who will save My children from the blazing fire (in Gehinom)? The answer given is that the rite of circumcision will be the instrument saving Jews from Gehinom and its fires. In Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer chapter 29 we are told that Avraham circumcised himself on Yom Kippur. This is based on Leviticus 23,28 וכל מלאכה לא תעשו בעצם היום הזה, “you shall not perform any work on this very day.” We find the same expression בעצם היום הזה here where Avraham is described as circumcising himself in verse 26 with the words: “on this very day.” G-d reviews the blood of Avraham’s circumcision every year on that day and this contributes to His granting atonement for his descendants who continue to circumcise themselves. A rational-investigative approach to our verse: It is a well-known fact that surgery, i.e. removal of a person’s organ weakens the body of the person undergoing such surgery. There is not a single organ of a person’s body which if removed does not result in weakening his whole physique. The commandment of circumcision was designed to weaken sexual desire and to diminish the degree of physical enjoyment which results from sexual activity. Our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 80,11 have already made this point when they said that when a Jewish girl (Dinah) has sexual relations with an uncircumcised male it is more difficult for her to resist the temptation to repeat the experience. On the other hand, circumcision does not interfere in any way with a male’s ability to beget children. This is one of a number of natural abilities, and remains unimpaired. The ability to procreate is such a natural ability. The reason the Torah commanded that this commandment be performed on the eighth day of the baby’s life is because prior to that the baby is too weak to undergo the procedure without danger to its well being. It has not yet been weaned from its pre-natal condition. This is the way Maimonides explains the matter. A kabbalistic approach: the words והיתה בריתי בבשרכם לברית עולם mean that “My covenant on your flesh” shall be a symbol of an eternal covenant, ברית עולם. This is the deeper meaning of what Solomon said in Proverbs 10,25 וצדיק יסוד עולם, “and the righteous has an enduring, everlasting foundation.” This is also the meaning of Numbers 18,19 ברית מלח עולם, a covenant containing salt is enduring.” We derive this from an unusual nuance in our verse which by rights should have read והיתה בריתי בבשרכם לעולם, (without the word ברית being repeated). The repetition of the word לברית means that the covenant the Torah speaks of is between the legs of the male which are known as נצח והוד, “eternal and glorious.” This is also what is meant by the sages who coined the phrase המאיר עיני הלב, “who enlightens the eyes of the heart.” We find a comment in Eychah Rabbati 2,3 on the words (Lamentations 2,1) ולא זכר הדום רגליו ביום אפו, “and He would not remember His footstool on the day of His wrath.” The word הדום is viewed as an allusion to the blood between Avraham’s legs when he circumcised himself. On the day of His wrath G-d did not want to remember this deed in favour of the Jewish people. [The word הדום is understood by the Midrash as a double-entendre, meaning both something serving the legs and blood. Ed.] Seeing that the emanation מלכות is close to the emanation יסוד and we have demonstrated that the righteous is considered the foundation (יסוד) of the world, our sages interpret the Talmudic dictum מל ולא פרע כאלו לא מל, “if someone performed the removal of the foreskin without at the same time revealing the flesh beneath it, i.e. removing a thin membrane under the foreskin, a procedure known as פריעה, he might as well not have circumcised himself (or the baby) at all” (compare Shabbat 137). The reason is that such a person is considered as if he first separates something and then detaches it, whereas the purpose of any commandment is to “unite something.” This “uniting” symbolises the Oneness of G-d. Students of Kabbalah will understand what I mean.

And an uncircumcised male who does not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin — that person shall be cut off from his people; he has violated My covenant.

וערל זכר AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE — This phrase teaches that circumcision must be at that place where the distinction between male and female is evident (Genesis Rabbah 46:13). אשר לא ימול HE WHO DOES NOT CIRCUMCISE HIMSELF) as soon as he reaches the age when he is legally liable to punishment, ונכרתה THEN HE SHALL BE CUT OFF — his father, however, who did not have him circumcised is not punished on his account with כרת (excision, “being cut off from his people”), but is merely transgressing an עשה “a positive commandment” (for which the punishment is flagellation). ונכרתה הנפש THAT SOUL SHALL BE CUT OFF — i. e. he shall depart hence childless and shall suffer an untimely death.

AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE. Here Scripture teaches you that this circumcision must be at the location where the distinction between male and female is evident. Thus the words of Rashi. Our Rabbis have likewise mentioned other reasons. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said: “his foreskin, which is known, for it is in the genital organ. But not so are the expressions: uncircumcised in the heart; uncircumcised lips; their ear is uncircumcised. All of these latter are in a construct state. In my opinion the matter is clearly explained in Scripture. It does not say, “And ye shall circumcise your foreskin,” thus leaving the meaning in doubt, nor does it say, “the foreskin of your flesh,” just as it says the foreskin of your heart, and “the foreskin of your lips.” Perhaps reference is to Exodus 6:12, mentioned above. But instead it says, And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, here. meaning that you are to cut off the flesh which is your foreskin, namely, your flesh which obstructs, and there is no flesh in the body which obstructs and covers a limb [as is the case with the genital organ], where one can cut the flesh and remain without the foreskin, other than the “flesh that covers the corona,” which the Sages mentioned. In our text of the Mishnah there: “flesh that covers ‘the greater part’ of the corona.” Ramban’s version is similar to that of the Talmud Munich Ms. (See Dikduke Sofrim, ibid.) The word “flesh” in the expression, uncircumcised in flesh, is a euphemism for the genital organ, just as in the verses great of flesh, and an issue of his flesh. The word “flesh” in these two verses refers to the genital organ.

"And the uncircumcised male who does not circumcise" — the word "yimol" ["circumcise"] here is in the yif'al form, as in "ki yidor neder" ["if one makes a vow"] (Numbers 30:3), and it derives from "ve-nimalthem et besar orlatchem" (Genesis 17:11). Its meaning is: if he has reached the age of obligation and does not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin, he incurs karet — for the commandment regarding a young child rests upon the father, but if his father did not circumcise him, he must circumcise himself once he is in his own authority. And karet is [punishment] at the hands of Heaven. Those who err suppose that if a child dies without having been circumcised, he has no portion in the World to Come. But "ha-nefesh" does not bear the meaning they assign it; for "nefesh" means "person," and its sense is a body that has a soul — as in "nefesh ki techeta" (Leviticus 4:2). Some say that karet means dying before fifty-two years of age. Others say that karet means that one's name is cut off through the death of his offspring; therefore Scripture says "from her people" — for one who has children is as though he himself lives and his name is not cut off.

וערל זכר, and an uncircumcised male, etc.” according to Rashi this choice of words was chosen to teach us on which organ the act of circumcision has to be performed. According to Ibn Ezra, the part of the body on which circumcision would be performed had been well known, What was not known was the concept of ערלת הלב an uncircumcised heart and lip, as well as the uncircumcised ear. When such terms occur, the word ערלה always is in the construct mode, i.e. ערלת, “the uncircumcised state of, etc.” There was therefore no room for misunderstanding where this circumcision was to be performed. Nachmanides writes that here the Torah explains that the spot where the circumcision is to be performed is on the organ which separates man from woman. According to his view, the word בשר in the expression בשר ערלתכם, clearly relates to “flesh used as a cover,” as distinct from an organ, i.e. an appendage of a fleshy nature covering the organ itself. As there is no other such in the human being, the meaning is clear. You are circumcised when this cover has been removed from the organ in question.

And Hashem said to Abraham: Sarai your wife — you shall no longer call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.

לא תקרא את שמה שרי THOU SHALT NOT CALL HER NAME SARAI which means “my princess”— a princess to me and not to others — BUT SARAH, in a more general sense, SHALL BE HER NAME: she shall be princess over all (Berakhot 13a).

שרי, כי שרה שמה, Sarai, (“my princess) for Sarah, “princess,” of many nations, is her name. Rabbi Yoshua ben Korach, commenting on the name changes of both Avraham and Sarah, points out that there was no change in the total numerical value of the letters in their combined names, seeing that G-d had reduced the value of the letter 10=י, by substituting the letter 5=ה, in Sarah’s name, but had added the letter 5=ה to Avraham’s name.

Her name shall no longer be called Sarai. Since every yod [the letter י] denotes a masculine form, and we find this language used in masculine form as it says and the princes in Issachar (Judges 5:15). Because she was barren like males who cannot give birth, and now she was given a hei [the letter ה] in place of the yod, since every hei denotes feminine form, indicating that from now on she would be a female who bears children. And so that the yod would not have a complaint saying that half of its numerical value was removed from the Torah [since the numerical value of yod is 10 and the value of hei is five], therefore a hei was added to Abraham to give him dominion over all multitudes of nations and over the five chief limbs. According to the kabbalists, the hei has the power of procreation, as it is written Here is seed for you (Genesis 47:23), and as it says Am I in place of God? (Genesis 30:2) This is also the reason for the two heis in the name Bilhah. Therefore, two heis were given here — one to Abraham and one to Sarah. And the yod was taken from Sarah to Abraham, to indicate that Sarah’s merit caused this procreation, just as it says I too will be built up through her (Genesis 30:3) — in the merit of bringing her rival into her house. Thus, Sarah’s merit enabled Abraham to procreate. Another explanation for why they were given the hei is because God created the world with the letter hei, and He did not create it to be desolate but rather for habitation, therefore the hei would be the cause of their offspring for the purpose of settling the world. And it’s possible that what was said I will make your name great with the addition of hei hints that He would add a hei to his name, and through this cause I will make you into a great nation.

And I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son from her, and I will bless her; and she shall become assemblies, and kings who rule over peoples shall come from her.

וברבתי אותה AND I WILL BLESS HER — And in what did the blessing consist? In that she resumed her youthfulness, as it is said, (Genesis 18:12) “shall I have the pleasure of youth again?” (Genesis Rabbah 47:2) וברכתיה AND I WILL BLESS HER with teeming breasts. And this happened when she really needed this on the day of Isaac’s feast. For people were speaking spitefully about them, that they had adopted a foundling from the street saying, “This is our son.” Every one, therefore, brought her child with her, but did not bring the wet-nurse and she (Sarah) suckled all of them. To this refers that which is said (Genesis 21:7) “Sarah has given suck to children”. In Genesis Rabbah 47:2 this is alluded to in part.

"Ve-gam natati" ["and I have also given"] — is like "natati kesef ha-sadeh" ["I have given the money for the field"] (Genesis 23:13); both are in the past tense used in place of the future.

וברכתיה, both during her pregnancy, the act of giving birth, and in the raising of the son, all of these being painless. This is the exact reverse of the curse G'd decreed on Chavah and women in general, when He said בעצב תלדי בנים, "you will give birth to children in pain and sorrow." (Genesis 3,16) Sarah was promised to be spared that curse which other women are afflicted with. This may be the meaning of Isaiah 29,22 אשר פדה את אברהם, "who has redeemed Avraham i.e. from the painful experience associated with raising children. (Sanhedrin 19)

וברכתי אותה “and I have blessed her.” The blessing consisted in Sarah regaining her youthfulness and her experiencing her menstrual cycle as is mentioned in 18,12 where the Torah speaks of her saying אחרי בלותי היתה לי עדנה which Rashi interprets as: “after I had become wilted I again experience a menstrual cycle.” G-d also blessed her by providing her with an ample supply of mother’s milk as the Torah testifies when Sarah said (21,7) היניקה בנים שרה, “Sarah nursed a number of children at her breast.” The meaning of the words מלכי עמים, “kings of nations,” is a reference to both Yaakov and Esau.

And Abraham fell upon his face and rejoiced, and he said in his heart: Can a child be born to one who is a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?

ויפל אברהם על פניו ויצחק AND ABRAHAM FELL UPON HIS FACE AND LAUGHED — This word ויצחק Onkelos translates by וחדי which signifies joy (“and he rejoiced’’) but the similar verb in the case of Sarah (ותצחק Genesis 18:12) he translates as meaning laughter. From this you may understand that Abraham had faith and rejoiced, and that Sarah had no faith and sneered, and that is why God was angry with Sarah (when she laughed) but was not angry with Abraham. הלבן SHALL A CHILD BE BORN TO ONE WHO IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD? — There are some questions expressing astonishment which do not imply a doubt but rather affirm the certainty that the circumstance referred to has happened or will happen, as (1 Samuel 2:2) “Did I reveal myself [unto thy father’s house?]” (Of course, I did) and (Ezekiel 8:6) “Seest thou what they do?” (You, of course, have seen it). This question, too, affirms the certainty that it is possible for God to cause Abraham, at the age of hundred, to beget a son and this is in effect what he said to himself: Would there be done to another man one hundred years old this favour that the Holy One, blessed be He, is doing to me”? (Rashi means that the words must be translated, “would a child be born to any other person who is a hundred years old?”). ואם שרה הבת תשעים שנה OR SHALL SARAH, WHO IS NINETY YEARS OLD be worthy to bear a son? Although the previous generations used to beget at the age of five hundred years, yet in Abraham’s days the length of life had already become shorter and a diminution of strength had come upon people. Go and learn this from the ten generations from Noah to Abraham who begot their children at the then early age of sixty or seventy.

‘VAYITZCHAK’ (AND HE LAUGHED). Onkelos translated: “and he rejoiced.” This is correct since the word tzachak can be used intermittently for sporting or rejoicing, just as in the verses: ‘Mesacheketh’ (Sporting) in His habitable earth, ‘mesachkim’ (rejoiced) before the Eternal. In my opinion the intent of this expression is to convey the thought that whoever sees a favorable unusual event in one’s life rejoices to the point where “his mouth is filled with laughter.” It is this thought which Sarah expressed: G-d hath made laughter for me; everyone that heareth will laugh on account of me, just as in the verse, Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. And this is what Abraham did. When this good tiding was related to him, he rejoiced and his mouth was filled with laughter, and he said in his heart that this is an occasion for rejoicing as it is a very wonderful matter. Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And will this matter not give cause for rejoicing and happiness? Only, Scripture speaks summarily of his wonderment, as it is connected with the word vayitzchak. A similar case is the expression, Have I even here seen, which is connected with the beginning of the verse: for she [Hagar] said, “Have I even here seen G-d, revealing to me that He saw in my affliction, and shall I not call Him E-il-ro’i [the G-d who seeth me]?” Another such example is the expression, Did I reveal Myself unto the house of thy father, which is connected with the following verse, Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at Mine offering, thus stating, “Have I chosen you so that you kick at My sacrifice and Mine offering? Why then do you do so?”It may be that the question, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? is an expression of amazement, not one of impossibility, just as in the verse, Wilt thou judge the bloody city, which means, “Do you want to judge her and cause her to know all her abominations?” A similar case is the verse, Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone. Likewise is the verse, Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? That is to say, “Has the thought occurred to you to eat of the tree?” This verse likewise is saying, “Has the thought occurred to anyone that a child be born to him that is a hundred years old, and that Sarah, who is ninety years, shall bear?” After that Abraham said to Him that he wishes this miracle be with the life of Ishmael. here. SHALL A CHILD BE BORN TO HIM THAT IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD? There is no wonder that a person who is a hundred years old should beget children, for men beget as long as they have vigor even if they be ninety years old or a hundred years old, even in these generations. All the more in the days of Abraham, who had not yet lived two thirds of his life. So it is no wonder that he was yet in his vigor. Moreover, forty years after this, he begot many children from Keturah. “Forty years later.” Isaac was wed at the age of forty (25:20), and Abraham married Keturah after Isaac’s marriage (25:1). There was thus an interval of at least forty years between the time Abraham begot Isaac and when he begot children from Keturah. But Abraham’s saying, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old, expressed this thought: Since he did not beget a child from this woman while he was young, how could he beget from her after he was a hundred and she ninety? He knew that her womanly periods had ceased. Therefore Abraham did not say so originally when he was told, And I will make nations of thee, but only when he was told that he would beget a child from Sarah. Now He commanded him, And thou shalt call his name Isaac, here. on account of the rejoicing done by Abraham, which is proof that it was out of faith and joy [that Abraham said, Shall a child be born, etc.] Had it been said out of a sense of derision, G-d would not have told him to call his son by a name which would commemorate his lack of faith. (Bachya.) And after Abraham called him so, as G-d had commanded him, Sarah said, “Is he not rightly named Isaac? For G-d hath made laughter for me.”

"Shall a son be born to one who is a hundred years old?" — this is a matter of wonder, because the seed of an old man is cold and therefore he cannot beget. The greater wonder, however, is how a woman whose blood has ceased can give birth — for the child is built and formed from the blood. When you consider and reflect, you will see that Sarah's matter is more wondrous than Abraham's, for we find forefathers each of whom fathered a son when he was well past ninety years of age, and the lifespans of the generations in Abraham's day were much longer than those of subsequent generations. And as soon as the angel departed, [Abraham] immediately circumcised his son and all those born in his household and bought with his money.

?הלבן מאה שנה יולד; He meant that although it is possible for a woman to become pregnant after her prime, when this occurs it is only when she sleeps with a younger man. It has not been known to occur when her partner is also an old man. הבת תשעים שנהת לד, when she sleeps with any man whether young or old. (based on Abarbanel)

ויאמר בלבו, “He said to himself:” the expression ויאמר בלבו, as in Genesis 27,41 about Esau, or in Esther 6,6 where it is used about Haman, is typical for wicked people; on the other hand, when a similar expression is used in connection with righteous people the formulation is: ויאמר על לבו, as in Samuel I 27,1 in connection with David, or in Daniel 1,8 in connection with Daniel. The reason for this change in formulation is that the righteous are allowed to carry out their plans, i.e. what is in their hearts, as they are in charge of their hearts, whereas the wicked only think that they will be able to carry out their plans. The reason that in connection with Avraham the former formulation is used, is because the reader of these words is apt to think that even Avraham doubted G-d’s promise.

ויפול אברהם על פניו, “Avraham prostrated himself, etc.” This had already been mentioned in verse three. At that time Avraham prostrated himself in order to be able to receive G-d’s communication. In this verse he did so in order to pray for the continued well being of Ishmael. The reason the Torah mentions the word נפילה, “falling down” each time is to teach that until Avraham had circumcised himself he was not able to receive communications from G-d unless he first prostrated himself. This was because the foreskin is something G-d detests. We find something similar when Bileam, an uncircumcised Gentile prophet, received communications from G-d. He himself describes himself as נופל וגלוי עינים, “someone who has to fall down in order to receive revelations with his eyes.” Once Avraham had undergone circumcision we find that he was able to receive such communications while remaining upright. This is the meaning of 18,22: “and Avraham still remained standing in the presence of the Lord.” הלבן מאה שנה יולד?,”shall a child be born to a hundred-year old man?” The last thing that Avraham meant to question was that G-d could arrange for his fathering a child by invoking miracles. He questioned only if it was possible to arrange for this without interfering with the laws of nature. This is why he drew attention to his age. He meant that if he had been unable to sire a child while he was full of youthful vigour how could he do so now without recourse to miracles? Seeing that the Torah had already credited Avraham with believing G-d’s promise in 15,6 when he was only 70 years old, much had happened in his life since to strengthen his belief in G-d’s ability to perform supernatural miracles. The word ויצחק, “he laughed,” must not be understood then as derisive laughter but as an expression of joy such as in Psalms 126,2 אז ימלא שחוק פינו, “then our mouths will be full of laughter.” This is why Onkelos translates these words as וחדי, “he rejoiced.” The proof that the word is to be understood as an expression of joy is that G-d commanded him to name the child יצחק to reflect his joyous reaction to the announcement that he would become a father at that age. Had his reaction been one of disbelief it is hardly likely that G-d would have wanted him to name his son with a name which reflected his disbelief.

ויצחק, “he rejoiced, laughed internally.” Onkelos renders this word as וחדי, “he rejoiced.” He reacted like someone who has been told of an unexpected fortuitous event, something that qualifies for his shouting for joy. הלבן מאה שנה ייולד, “will a child be born to a hundred year old father?” Avraham expressed amazement, but not at the fact that a hundred year old man could sire children. He himself had at least 6 children when much older, and other males fathered children at such an age. His amazement concerned the fact that he would sire a child from a woman with whom he had lived as man and wife for so many decades without having succeeded to impregnate her with his semen. His amazement was reinforced further since he knew that Sarah at 90 had long ago ceased to menstruate.

And Abraham said before Hashem: Would that Ishmael might endure before You!

לו ישמעאל יחיה means O THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE: I am unworthy to receive such a reward! יחיה לפניך LIVE BEFORE THEE — live in reverence of thee; similar in sense is Genesis 17:1, התהלך לפני, which Onkelos renders by “worship Me”.

‘LU’ (O) THAT ISHMAEL MIGHT LIVE BEFORE THEE. The meaning of this word lu everywhere is as the word im (if), and it is also found combined in the word lulei, which means “if not.” [The Hebrew word lulei, ordinarily written with a yud at the end] is sometimes written with an aleph at the end., 43:10. It is also combined into the form of ilu, as in the verses: ‘Ve’ilu’ (But if) we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen; ‘Ve’ilu’ (And if) a thousand years twice told. The purport of this word ilu is “even if,” and its meaning is as if it said, “if,” the double use of the word being for the purpose of emphasis, as in the expressions: Is it only through Moses alone; The words “only” and “alone” (harak; ach) are redundant and used for emphasis. Was it because there were no graves; The Hebrew words hamibli ein are both negatives. Again the redundancy is for special emphasis. and other similar cases. Abraham thus said: “If Ishmael live before Thee, I will be pleased with this blessing with which Thou hast blessed me, namely, with seed from Sarah.” For since He promised him at first, One born of your own body is to be your heir, and the heir was to be one person, he [Abraham] had thought that this referred to Ishmael. But now that he was told that he will beget a child from Sarah and he understood that this child was to be the heir, he feared lest Ishmael die. Therefore, he said this: [O that Ishmael might live before Thee]. Live before Thee. Rashi explained: “Live in reverence of Thee, similar in meaning to Walk before Me, here. which Onkelos renders, ‘Worship Me.’” But this is not correct, since He said, And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. here. If the sense of Abraham’s prayer is, as Rashi explained, that Ishmael live in reverence of G-d, how could G-d assure him of that, since, as the Sages express it, “Everything is by hand of Heaven except the fear of Heaven,” (Berachoth 33 b) which is in the hands of man to be determined by his free choice. (Mizrachi.) Instead, its meaning is that he live and his seed will always exist.

ויאמר אברהם…לו ישמעאל יחיה לפניך. Abraham said…. "if only Ishmael will live (a righteous life) before You." Abraham prayed that Ishmael should enjoy divine assistance to live as a righteous person. The term "to live before You" is the source for the righteous being called "alive" in our rabbinic literature. Abraham "borrowed" a phrase from Deut. 4,11 where the Torah describes the fact that the Jewish people were "alive" at that time as due to their having cleaved to G'd. Abraham saw the need to pray for this as he had observed negative character tendencies in Ishmael (who was still a minor). Had Ishmael been truly wicked at that time, Abraham, though prejudiced as his father, would have been aware of such wickedness, just as any other righteous person could perceive such things. We have explained in connection with 15,2-3 that Abraham had worried about a son of his not being worthy because G'd described his seeds as comparable to dust. At this point Abraham prayed that Ishmael would turn out to be worthy.

לו ישמעאל יחיה לפניך, “if only Ishmael would live in awe of You.” According to Nachmanides what Avraham meant was that if Ishmael would live and not die prematurely. He had been under the impression up until now that seeing G’d had promised him זרע, seed, in the singular, that he would only have one child. Now that G’d promised him a son by Sarah, he was afraid that this might imply that Ishmael would die. He therefore said to G’d that he wished to accept a blessing of a son by Sarah only if it did not mean that Ishmael would die. Rashi views the word לפניך as “in awe of G’d.” Avraham prayed that Ishmael would be a G’d-fearing individual. This interpretation is not tenable, as history shows that contrary to G’d’s promise “I have accepted your prayer concerning Ishmael,” the latter did not live the life of a G’d fearing individual. The meaning of Avraham’s prayer concerning Ishmael must therefore be that his future would be ongoing, that the nation he would found would not die out.

And Hashem said: Indeed, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, for his descendants after him.

אבל VERILY — This word implies confirmation of a statement, just as (Genesis 42:21) “Verily (אבל) we are guilty”, and (2 Kings 4:14) “Verily (אבל) she has no son”. וקראת את שמו יצחק AND THOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME ISAAC — with reference to his laughter. Some say the name has reference to the ten (י) trials, the ninety (צ) years of Sarah’s age, the eight (ח) days of the circumcision and the hundred (ק) years of Abraham’s age (Genesis Rabbah 53:7). והקמתי את בריתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH HIM — Why is this stated? Is it not already written (Genesis 17:9) “as for thee, thou shalt keep My Covenant, thou and thy seed etc.”? But since is said, (Genesis 17:7) and I will establish My Covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations”, it might be inferred that the children of Ishmael and the children of Keturah (who are all descendants of Abraham) are included in this promise of the establishment of the Covenant, therefore it states here (Genesis 17:19) “And I will establish My Covenant with him (Isaac), not with the others” (cf. Sanhedrin 59b). If so, why is there a repetition of the statement that the covenant will be established with Isaac in the words (Genesis 17:21) ואת בריתי אקים את יצחק “but My Covenant will I establish with Isaac”? But it is repeated in order to add the words אשר תלד so as to teach that he was holy from his birth (Shabbat 137b). Another explanation of why 5:21 is repeated is: R. Aba said, “from here Scripture draws a logical conclusion regarding the son of the Mistress (Sarah) from what is said regarding the son of the handmaid (Hagar): It is written (Genesis 17:20) “Behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful”, and this refers to Ishmael: Surely then, it follows logically that “I must establish my covenant (of blessing) with Isaac also!” (Genesis Rabbah 47:5). את בריתי [I WILL ESTABLISH] MY COVENANT — The Covenant of circumcision shall be transmitted only to the descendants of Isaac.

‘AVAL’ SARAH THY WIFE. This is like the verse, “Aval” she has no son, the word aval meaning “only.” He thus said: “Only the son of whom I informed you, your wife Sarah will give birth to, and with him will I establish My covenant forever and with his seed after him; and Ishmael I will bless by making his children numerous, but this will not be because of My covenant with him.”

ויאמר אלוקים אבל שדה אשתך יולדת לך בן. G'd said: "But your wife Sarah will bear a son for you." Why did G'd add the word "but?" G'd may have wanted to explain to Abraham that if the gift of a son was something intended only for Abraham, it would suffice to grant his prayer and assist Ishmael to become worthy. However, there was another person to be considered, his wife Sarah. Inasmuch as Sarah was destined to bear a son, he, Abraham, had no right to waive the gift of a son by Sarah in order for Ishmael to grow up worthy of his father. The Torah was very particular using the word לך, "for you," in connection with the son Sarah would bear. She would bear this son in answer to her prayer. It is also possible that the Torah here hinted at G'd's displeasure that Abraham was satisfied with Ishmael, someone who contained residual poisonous material from the original serpent. Had it not been for Abraham's prayer regarding the future of Ishmael, his son Isaac might not have originated in what kabbalists know as the סטרא דנוקבא, an emanation on the left and female side of the emanations. Had Isaac originated in the other side of the emanations he might never have fathered an Esau. This matter had ramifications at the time of the עקדה, when Isaac received the soul who would bear children for him, i.e. the moment at which Rebeccah his life-partner was born.

והקימותי את בריתי אתו, “I will maintain My covenant (the promise contained therein) with him.” G-d means that Yitzchok will be the first person to be circumcised on the eighth day of his life.

וקראת את שמו יצחק, “and you will name him ‘Yitzchak.’” Yitzchak was given this name by G-d. This is why we never find that he was given another name such as his father or his son Yaakov who was given the additional name Yisrael. Both Avram’s name and Yaakov’s name had been given them by their respective fathers and not by G-d Himself. I have found a remark confirming this in the Jerusalem Talmud at the end of the first chapter of Berachot. The rhetorical question posed there is: “Why was Yitzchak’s name never amended whereas the names of Avraham and Yaakov were amended?” Answer: ‘’because the latter’s name was G-d-given, whereas the names of the former were given to them by their respective fathers.” The Talmud quotes our verse here as the source for claiming that G-d commanded Avraham to call the name of his son Yitzchak. You might retort that we also encounter Yitzchak’s name spelled with the letter ש instead of the letter צ in Psalms 108,9, and that this is as much of a change as spelling אברהם without the letter ה. Actually, the word ישחק is not a new name at all. The prophet wanted to draw attention to the element fire which was one of the basic elements in Yitzchak’s character as we know from the ספר יצירה where the author writes (edition of Gaon from Vilna chapter 6 Mishnah 2) “there are three אמות which are known as אמ'ש “which are air, water and fire.” Whereas the מ is silent, static, the א is constantly in motion so that the letter ש is an allusion to the great fire, a characteristic of Yitzchak. [Fire is perceived as vanquishing water, rising even during the process of water “extinguishing” fire and remaining behind on the ground. (abbreviated quote from the comment of the Gaon from Vilna). Ed.] Another reason why Avram’s name had to be changed whereas Yitzchak’s name did not need to be changed: G-d had given Avraham an additional destiny, i.e. to become a founder of many nations. This had to be reflected in his name being changed. Similarly Yaakov. His additional name Yisrael was in recognition of his having successfully contended with opposing celestial forces as attested to by the angel who struggled with him (Genesis 32,29). Yitzchak had not had similar experiences so that these did not require any changes or additions to his name. He had remained throughout his life on holy soil in the Holy Land.

But Sarah your wife will bear you a son. One must contemplate: Didn’t the Holy One, Blessed be He, already tell him I have also given you a son through her (Genesis 17:16)? And although the word “given” [in past tense], when used in God’s promise, is as if it has already been given, nevertheless it appears that He used the past tense because He had already given Sarah the letter heh which is the cause for reproduction, as mentioned. Furthermore, what’s the meaning of Abraham saying Will a hundred-year-old man father a child? Was Abraham, heaven forbid, doubting God’s ability? For the simple meaning suggests this wasn’t a sustained question, as evidenced by its parallel statement and will Sarah, at ninety years old, give birth? The explanation that seems closest to me is based on our finding the term “son” used even without actual birth, as it says regarding Moses and he became to her as a son (Exodus 2:10). Similarly, Abraham thought that since God said I have also given you a son through her without explicitly mentioning birth, surely His intention was that she would adopt a foundling from the street and raise him with blessing, and it would be as if he were truly their son. For why would God change nature when it’s possible to interpret His words in a way that aligns with nature? Therefore, he expressed his wonderment, Will a hundred-year-old man father a child? To this, the Holy One, Blessed be He, responded, But Sarah your wife will bear a son — an actual birth. And regarding what [God] said “and she shall become nations” in plural form, it can be explained that this hinted that in her merit, all the barren women throughout the world were remembered [by God and granted children], and through this it is as if many nations came from her. For from Sarah herself, only Israel emerged — one nation in the land — since Esau is not included [in this count], as it was already stated for in Isaac shall your seed be called.

אבל שרה אשתך, “but your wife Sarah, etc.” The word אבל in this instance means the same as the word everywhere else, i.e. We find a parallel for this in Kings II 4,14 אבל בן אי לו, “only (except) she has no son.”

And concerning Ishmael, I have accepted your prayer: behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will increase him very greatly — twelve princes he shall father, and I will make him into a great people.

שנים עשר נשיאים TWELVE PRINCES — like clouds shall they vanish, the word נשיאים being explained here as the same word in (Proverbs 25:14) נשיאים ורוח “Clouds and wind”

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, "Concerning (your prayer for) Ishmael, I have listened to you, etc." Inasmuch as the only reason Abraham had prayed for Ishmael was because he was at that time his only son, and he had not prayed for him again after Sarah had born Isaac, G'd listened to his prayer. We can understand this according to the principle postulated in Makkot 11 that even the conditional curse of a Torah scholar comes true. We have another principle that a blessing is much stronger than a curse, i.e. has far wider ramifications. G'd told Abraham that Ishmael would eventually become a בעל תשובה since Abraham had prayed for Ishmael to develop into a G'd-fearing person. This is the meaning of G'd's words: "Here I have blessed him." G'd used the past tense to hint that when He promised that Abraham would die in a ripe old age, He had already made provisions for Ishmael's conduct not to cloud Abraham's departure from this earth.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, “and concerning Yishmael, I have heard your request, etc.” I am going to bless him, but I will not include him in My covenant with you which I will maintain with Yitzchok, the covenant that I concluded with you between the “pieces” as detailed in chapter 15. In the interpretation of the [covenant of] circumcision, the covenant is mentioned 13 times to teach you it symbolizes a man who is 13 years old and had not had circumcision in his youth, and he intentionally does not circumcises himself - he is liable for extirpation.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, “and concerning Ishmael, I have heard (your prayer).” G-d meant that He would bless Ishmael because Avraham had offered a prayer on his behalf but not on account of G-d’s covenant with Avraham which included only Yitzchak. שנים עשר נשיאים יוליד, “he will sire twelve princes.” Ishmael had twelve sons and they have been listed by their names at the end of Parshat Chayei Sarah. We read there: בכור ישמעאל נבוית, וקדר, ואדבאל, ומבשם, ומשמע, ודומה, ומשא, חדר, ותימה, יטור, נפיש, וקדמה. This gives you a total of 12. As to the reason the Torah speaks of twelve princes and not of twelve nations, this is to inform us that their distinction lay in their being so extraordinarily fruitful and numerous, far more so than other nations. The word נשיא then reflects their numerical “superiority.” This is precisely what G-d predicted when He said: “Here I have blessed him and made him fruitful and greatly increased his numbers very much indeed. “ The expression נשיאים also implies that these people will disappear from the world after having attained great stature The word is related to Proverbs 25,14 נשיאים ורוח וגשם אין, ”Clouds, wind and rain are as naught.” Solomon uses this term to describe people or phenomena who achieve a brief moment of glory which soon disintegrates into nothingness. Job 7,9 speaks of כלה ענן וילך, “a cloud fades away and disappears.” You will note that the word נשיאם when used to describe the leaders of the Ishmaelites lacks the customary letter י in the plural ending (25,16). This shows that the kingdom of the Ishmaelites, while beginning with great fanfare, will gradually fade away into weakness. This is the deeper meaning of what the angel said to Hagar when he described the child she carried in her womb as והוא יהיה פרא אדם. “He will be an undisciplined person.” This meant that he will be like a wild person who initially vanquishes everybody. However, the angel added the words יד כל בו, eventually, “everybody will be against him.” ונתתיו לגוי גדול, “and I will make him into a great nation.” Rabbeinu Chananel wrote: we note that this prophecy was fulfilled for them only after 2333 years. [Rabbi Chavell writes that this is an accurate number seeing that Avraham was circumcised in the year 2047 after the creation. The Islamic religion was founded in the year 4374 after the creation. Allow for another ten years until it started spreading throughout the world and you will arrive at the number 2333 after Avraham was circumcised, the date of this prediction.] This delay was not due to their sins as they had been looking forward to fulfillment of the prophecy during all those years. Once the prophecy came true Islam conquered the civilized world like a whirlwind. We, the Jewish people, lost our position of pre-eminence in the world due to our sins. Seeing that at the time of writing we have yearned for the fulfillment of the prophecy that we will be redeemed for a mere 1330 years, we certainly have no reason to abandon hope that it will be fulfilled.

But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this appointed time in the coming year.

למועד הזו לשנה האחרת "at this season next year;" Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Idi: that year was a leap year [in which an additional month of Adar was added before Nisan], meaning "מועד" and "מועד" was one year apart from each other, and he calls it "next year" because of the additional month it has in it.

ואת בריתי אקים את יצחק, “and My covenant I will establish with Yitzchok;” the word אקים is to be understood as an acrostic from the phrase: אשר קידש ידיד מבטן, a phrase recited after every circumcision, meaning: “who is well beloved already when he emerges from the womb.”

And He finished speaking with him, and the Glory of Hashem ascended from above Abraham.

מעל אברהם [GOD WENT UP] FROM ABRAHAM — This is a more fitting expression to use of God, and we learn from it that the righteous are the Chariot of the Omnipresent God (Genesis Rabbah 47:6).

AND G-D WENT UP FROM ABRAHAM. This is an expression of respect towards G-d, (Gur Aryeh.) and we learn from it that the righteous are the Chariot of the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus the language of Rashi. But the saying of the Sages in the Bereshith Rabbah 7:8. is: “It is the patriarchs that constitute the Chariot.” This is an allusion to that which is written: Thou wilt give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham; And the Fear of Isaac had been on my side. The student learned [in the mysteries of the Torah] will understand.

ויעל אלוקים מעל אברהם, this formulation is juxtaposed with that when G'd terminated his conversation with Kayin where the latter is described as "walking away from G'd." (Genesis 4,16)

ויעל אלוקים מעל אברהם, “G-d ascended from above Avraham.” The patriarchs on earth are considered as occupying positions parallel to that of the cherubs in the celestial regions. This is why the Torah describes G-d’s departure as “from above Avraham.” We find a parallel expression in Ezekiel 9,3 וכבוד ישראל נעלה מעל הכרוב, “The Presence of the G-d of Israel rose from above the cherub.” Our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 47,6 are even more explicit when they stated: “the patriarchs are the real carriers of G-d’s entourage (מרכבה), i.e. “they are the real cherubs.

“And God went up from Abraham.” Rashi explains that from here we learn that the Patriarchs themselves are the divine chariot [merkavah] of the Omnipresent. This teaches that there is no intermediary between the Omnipresent, blessed be He, and the Patriarchs, and their partition [in heaven] is within [closer than] the partition of the ministering angels, as Rashi explained on the verse In due time it will be said of Jacob, etc. (Numbers 23:23), and as it is written (Deuteronomy 33:27), The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. For the Holy One, blessed be He, dwells above, and beneath Him are the Patriarchs who are the “arms of the world,” for they, as it were, support the Throne, and as it is written (Deuteronomy 33:26), Who rides through the heavens to help you [be’ezrecha, which can also mean with your help] — meaning, You help Me, as it were, in the way that they said (Yalkut Shimoni, Psalms 60:879) that the righteous add strength to the power above, etc. And the reason why it says And God went up is so that Abraham would attend to the circumcision and not delay while the Divine Presence was with Him.

And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house and all those purchased with his money — every male among the men of Abraham's household — and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins on that very day, as Hashem had spoken with him.

בעצם היום IN THE SELFSAME DAY — on the very day when he received the command of circumcision: by day and not by night — he was afraid neither of the heathens nor of the cynics. And he did it in broad daylight in order that his enemies and other people should not say, “If we had seen him we would never have allowed him to practise circumcision and carry out the commandment of the Omnipresent (Genesis Rabbah 47:9). וימל AND HE CURCUMCISED — This is a Kal form (active).

בעצם היום הזה, without any delay.

ויקח אברהם את ישמעאל בנו. Abraham took his son Ishmael, etc. Inasmuch as Ishmael had attained maturity, (he was 13 years of age) Abraham had "to take him," i.e. convince him, not merely order him to submit. The same applied to all the other members of his household who were no longer minors. Abraham was anxious that G'd's commandment to become circumcised would be accepted willingly. כאשר דבר אתו אלוקים, as G'd had told him to. We need to know why the Torah added these last few words. After all, anyone who reads the passage is aware that this is exactly what Abraham did. Perhaps the Torah wanted to tell us that the efforts Abraham made to have all the people concerned be circumcised willingly was what G'd had told him to do. Possibly, the Torah testified to the fact that Abraham complied with G'd's instructions immediately, without any delay. The Torah credited Abraham with the manner in which he related to any of G'd's demands upon him. Avodah Zarah 27 understands the repetition of המול ימול in 17,13 to mean that he who circumcises others must himself first have been circumcised. Perhaps this is what is meant by the words: "as He commanded him to do," i.e. Abraham circumcised himself first before he circumcised anyone else. If we accept this explanation we do no longer have to search for a reason why the Torah did not specifically mention that Abraham circumcised himself. There were two reasons why it is assumed that Abraham was the first to circumcise himself. 1) It was his nature to comply with any commandment of G'd immediately. Besides, how could he have persuaded others to do something he himself appeared to be afraid of doing? 2) In order for his circumcision of the members of his household to be halachically valid, he himself had to be circumcised first. When the Torah told us in verse 24 that Abraham was circumcised, this concerned only the time element. The Torah wanted us to know that just as Ishmael allowed imself to be circumcised at 13 years of age, so Abraham was 99 years of age. [The letter ו in the word ואברהם in that verse was necessary because it interrupts the story of Ishmael's circumcision. The Torah wanted to mention Abraham's circumcision before that of Ishmael; this is why it had to insert verse 24. Ed.]

וימל את בשר ערלתם, “he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” Avraham first engaged in circumcising the male members of his household before circumcising himself. We are told immediately afterwards: “on that very day Avraham circumcised himself.” Had he circumcised himself first he would have been sick and it would have been dangerous for him to proceed to circumcise the other members of his household.

And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin.

בהמלו WHEN HE WAS CIRCUMCISED — a Niphal form (passive), like (Genesis 2:4) בהבראם “when they were created”.

בהמולו בשר ערלתו, “when he was circumcised on the flesh of his foreskin.” The procedure followed exactly the instructions he had received in verse 11. The Torah teaches us here that this commandment leaves a permanent mark on the flesh of a person so that this mark can be considered the sign of the covenant. This is why this commandment is known for short simply as אות, “sign.” There are a total of tree commandments in the Torah which are called אות, “sign.” They are: circumcision, Sabbath, and phylacteries. All of them, i.e. performance of them by a Jew are testimony to his belief in G-d and His Torah. It is not appropriate for a Jew to not have at least two of these commandments as his advocates. Maintaining a claim to something successfully requires that the claim be supported by two valid witnesses (Deut.19,15). This is why a Jew needs to constantly move in the company of two such witnesses. They are the circumcision and the commandment of the תפילין, the phylacteries. They should never deport from him. A Jew who is careful to mind this may say of himself as did Rabbi Zeyra (Megillah 28) “I have never walked four cubits without Torah and without the phylacteries.” On the Sabbath, when the commandment to wear phylacteries does not apply, one still has both the Sabbath and the sign of the covenant on one’s flesh as the two valid witnesses which one should never be without. From the above we learn that observing the commandment to wear phylacteries fastidiously means that one is never without the protection of these two witnesses who may testify on one’s behalf. A Midrashic interpretation (Tanchuma Lech Lecha 20) on the words בהמולו בשר ערלתו: “the commandment is an important one as anyone who has undergone this procedure will not descend to Gehinom. This is based on the verse here ביום ההוא כרת ה' ברית עם אברהם, “on that day G-d concluded a covenant wirh Avraham,” and a verse in Leviticus 12,3 ובים השמיני ימול, “and he shall be circumcised on the eighth day.” Who is it that is liable to descend to Gehinom? The one concerning whom it is written afterwards את הקיני, ואת הקניזי, ואת הקדמוני, “and the Keyni, the Kenizite, and the Kadmoni all of whom were of uncircumcised heart.” All the wicked people will descend to Gehinom as we know from Ezekiel 32,18 בן אדם נהה על המון מצרים והורידהו... שם אשור וכל קהלה שם משך תובל וכל המונה... כולם ערלים מחללי חרב, שמה נסיכי צפון. “ Ben Adam, wail for the multitude of Egypt and cast it down... there is found Ashur and all her multitude, there is found Meshech, Tuval and all their multitude; all of them slain who fall by the sword and who descend uncircumcised to the bowels of the earth for they spread their terror in the land of life.” The author quotes verses of similar meaning from Isaiah 5,14, indicating that those who inherit Gehinom are the ones who do not have the legislation of מילה. On the other hand, we have a verse promising those who observe the ברית מילה covenant that they will not experience such a fate. For instance we read in Zechariah 9,11: גם את בדם בריתך שלחתי אסירך מבור אין מים בו,”You, for Your part have released your prisoners who have undergone the blood of your covenant from the pit without water.” Another verse alluding to the same promise is found in Proverbs 31,21 לא תירא לביתה משלג כי כל ביתה לבוש שנים, “her house does not need to be afraid of snow seeing her entire house is insulated with wool.” The Midrash understands the word שלג, snow,” as a reference to Gehinom. Thus far Tanchuma. This is why it has become customary to even perform the rite of circumcision on babies who died before this rite could be performed on them while they were alive. (compare Yore Deyah 263). The Jewish people merited this commandment as a result of which they have received three promises. 1) The kingdom of the house of David. that would endure forever. 2) the gift of the land of Israel which would remain our inheritance forever. 3) that the Presence of G-d would be manifest over the people of Israel. All these three promises have been hinted at in this paragraph. The promise involving the dynasty of the house of David is alluded to in the words ונתתיך לגוים ומלכים ממך יצאו “I will give you to be nations, and kings will come forth from you.” (17,6). This verse speaks of the consequences of this covenant. We also have a verse in Psalms 89,4-5 concerning David which uses similar language. כרתי ברית לבחירי נשבעתי לדוד עבדי עד עולם אכין זרעך ובניתי לדור דור כסאך סלה, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to My servant David ‘I will establish your offspring forever, I will confirm your throne for all generations.’” The gift of the land of ארץ ישראל is hinted at in our paragraph when the Torah writes (verse 8 in our chapter) ונתתי לך ולזרעך אחריך את ארץ מגוריך את כל ארץ כנען לאחוזת עולם, “and I have given to you and to your descendants after you the whole land of Canaanas an eternal possession.” The meaning of this verse is that though there may be times when others occupy this land it will never be theirs, and the Jewish people will return to it in due course after their exile.” The proof of the truth of this promise is that no nation which tried to settle in this land ever succeeded to make it a land of milk and honey as it had been when occupied by the Jewish people. It remained largely desolate ever since the destruction of the Holy Temple. The reference to he third promise that G-d’s presence would be manifest over the Jewish people is based on 17,8 והייתי להם לאלוקים, “I will remain as their G-d.” This means that only the Jewish people will be able to claim G-d as their exclusive national G-d. Hail to the nation to whom three such assurances have been given. No other nation has ever received such a package of promises. This is what David had in mind when he said (Psalms 144,15) אשרי העם שככה לו, אשרי העם שה' אלוקיו “hail to the people who have it so; happy the people whose G-d is the Lord.”

And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin.

בהמולו את בשר ערלתו WHEN HE HAD THE FLESH OF HIS FORESKIN CIRCUMCISED — With Avraham, [the word], et is not stated [as it is here with Yishmael], because the only thing he was missing was the cutting of the flesh, as [his foreskin] was already flattened through sexual relations. But Yishmael - who was only a child - was required to cut his foreskin and open [and push back] the circumcision. Hence about him, et is stated. (Genesis Rabbah 47:8)

וישמעאל בנו בן שלש עשרה שנה וגו, “and Ishmael his son who was 13 years old at the time, etc;” the details provided in this verse are meant to teach us that Avraham as well as his son were circumcised on the same day. We derive this from the expression: בעצם היום הזה, as elsewhere the Torah had told us that Avraham had been ninety nine and the Torah records that Avraham was eighty six years old on the day when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, and that he was ninety nine years old when he circumcised himself. The only possible reason why the Torah had to be so precise about both data was to teach us that just as Avraham had not delayed with carrying out G-d’s commandment, so also Ishmael submitted to the same commandment without delay. את בשר ערלתו, the flesh of his foreskin; according to Rashi, Ishmael, although still a child, had to proceed and perform the circumcision on himself. He adds that this was more painful for him than for his father, whose member had become softened through frequent use in sleeping with his wife. The additional word את, used by the Torah when describing Ishmael’s circumcision, is supposed to draw our attention to this distinction. According to the Talmud in Yevamot 72, even though the additional commandment for Jews to also remove the membrane mentioned earlier had not yet been given, Avraham understood that it would be given in the future, and he performed the circumcision precisely as we do nowadays. According to our sages in Yuma 28, Avraham even performed the rites known as eyruv tavshilim, preparing some food for the Sabbath following a festival when the festival occurred on the Friday, so that cooking on the festival would not look as if one had used the festival as merely a day to prepare for the Sabbath.

On that very day Abraham and Ishmael his son were circumcised.

בעצם היום הזה ON THE SELFSAME DAY when Abraham completed his ninety-ninth year and Ishmael his thirteenth year נמול אברהם וישמעאל בנו WAS ABRAHAM CIRCUMCISED AND ISHMAEL HIS SON.

IN THE SELFSAME DAY WAS ABRAHAM CIRCUMCISED. Rashi wrote: “In the selfsame day when Abraham completed his ninety-ninth year and Ishmael his thirteenth, they were circumcised.”But what reason is there to mention this? Moreover, there is already general agreement with the words of Rabbi Eliezer, 27a. See also Seder Noach, Note 148, for fuller discussion of this point. who said that in the month of Tishri the world was created, and in Tishri the patriarchs were born, with the exception of Isaac who was born on Passover. Now Scripture says that the birth of Isaac will be at this time in the next year, here. and Rashi himself wrote further on in Seder Vayeira that the tidings were given on Passover. Consequently, Isaac was born on the next Passover! Scripture thus tells of Abraham’s distinction with respect to the fear of G-d, as well as that of all the men of his house, i.e., that they were all zealous, fulfilling their religious duty as promptly as possible. Now the meaning of the phrase, was Abraham circumcised and Ishmael his son, is not that Abraham was circumcised first. Instead, it was Ishmael who was circumcised first, and then all the men of Abraham’s house, for it is so written: And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, here. and after that it says, And Abraham was ninety years and nine when he was circumcised. here. The reason for this was that Abraham was zealous concerning the commandment to circumcise them first, either doing it himself or perhaps inviting many circumcisers whom he supervised, and then he circumcised himself. Had he performed his circumcision first, he would have been sick or in danger on account of his advanced age, and he would then not have been in a position to concern himself with their circumcision. Vayeira.

"In that very same day" — and he did not delay the matter. Now, those born in his house numbered three hundred and eighteen, apart from those bought with his money. After that, Abraham himself was also circumcised on that very same day, as was Ishmael his son and those born in his house and bought with his money — all of them were circumcised with him willingly. The meaning is that he did not compel them; rather, they all hastened to act and to fulfill the will of Hashem.

בעצם היום הזה, on the very same daywhen G-d had issued the command; נמול אברהם, the day which later on would correspond in our calendar to the Day of Atonement was the day when Avraham performed the circumcision on himself. (Compare Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer chapter 29). If Avraham had divinedthe laws of the Torah through use of his intelligence, why had he not performed such an important commandment much earlier? It may have been in order not to discourage potential proselytes in the future. If people contemplating conversion to Judaism would have thought that the very first step in such a conversion was to be the painful rite of circumcision, they might have developed second thoughts. As to the question of why G-d had delayed the commandment until after He had concluded the covenant between the pieces with him, the reason was so that when he would sire Yitzchok, this son would have been the son of a fully fledged Jew already before developing in Sarah’s womb.

On this very day Abraham was circumcised, etc. Although it was already stated and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin and it is written when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, nevertheless, the text returns and explicitly states that he also performed his own circumcision on this very same day in full view of everyone, and he was not embarrassed before those who saw. For according to Rashi’s explanation, it is difficult [to understand] why the scoffers of the generation would protest against him. And according to our Sages’ interpretation (Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer 29), he was circumcised on Yom Kippur, as they derived from the parallel usage of the phrase “on this very day.”

בעצם היום הזה, “on this very day.” According to Rashi the meaning of בעצם היום הזה is: “on the day Avraham completed his 99th year He circumcised himself.” Nachmanides already queried this commentary, saying that seeing we accept the view of Rabbi Eliezer according to which the patriarchs were all born in the month of Tishrey, and this circumcision took place on Passover (the future date of Passover). In that case, Rash’is explanation would mean that the circumcision took place on what was going to be Passover. Therefore, Nachmanides understands the words בעצם היום הזה to mean that Avraham carried out the command on the same day it was issued. All male members of Avraham’s household were circumcised on that day, including his son Ishmael. The Torah tells us this in detail in order to compliment Avraham on the prompt execution of G’d’s command. Avraham circumcised himself last, as otherwise he would not have had the strength to circumcise his entire household which numbered probably more than a hundred, a considerable portion of whom were grown men. According to tradition Avraham observed all the commandments of the Torah, having divined G’d’s intent through his intellect. The question therefore is why he did not observe the rite of circumcision already many years ago, seeing that he knew that this would please the Lord? Some sages answer that this tradition that attributes to Avraham the knowledge of all the commandments which would be featured in the Torah, came to him only after he had circumcised himself. He advanced spiritually by giant steps as a result of having circumcised himself. This answer does not appear as likely, as if Avraham was intellectually mature enough at the age of three to recognize that there was a Creator who had created the entire universe, surely he had developed further intellectually in the 96 years intervening between then and the time when he circumcised himself. The more likely reason is that he wanted to wait until he was commanded to do so, as we have a rule that if one performs a commandment because it had been commanded by G’d, this is morally/ethically a higher ranking deed than doing the same thing without having been commanded. In the case of all other commandments Avraham knew that he would be able to perform the same commandment also after he would be commanded to do so. Removal of one’s foreskin is something irreversible, and will not be possible to be repeated again. Hence in this case Avraham waited until G’d issued His command.

And all the men of his household — those born in the house and those purchased with money from foreign peoples — were circumcised with him.

"Nimmolu ito" ["were circumcised with him"] — is in the nif'al binyan, from the root nun-mem-lamed, as is "ve-nishloch sefarim" (Esther 3:13).

וכל אנשי ביתו, “and all the males of his household;” where the previous verse had spoken only of Avraham, this one speaks of all the members of his household. This included slaves purchased by him, not born to members of his household, as well as anyone belonging to Yishmael. נמולו אתו, it does not say: מלו אתו, which would have implied that they were circumcised against their will, but they were all willing participants in this procedure.