Spark of Jewish Experience

Dear Friend,

Less than 1 week away!!! Next Tuesday, April 5, 2011, is the 2nd annual mock singing Seder. Learn all the popular songs that are a staple in the Seder: Bukarian, Sefaradic, Ashkenaz, American pop, etc. For men only. Plenty of wine and food. PLEASE RSVP to Rabbi Avi Matmon atsparkofjewishexperience@hotmail.com.

       In this week’s Torah reading, we receive more information about the commandment of circumcision (brit milah). It’s a dramatic moment as both the father and infant son transcend to this special mitzvah. Let’s explore two interesting aspects about this momentous event.

One may ask, why does the Torah state, it should be on the ‘eighth day’? Would it not be more logical to have the brit on the seventh day, considering what the commentary ‘tosefes beracha’ points out that the number seven is often used to indicate perfection? For example, we find that after the molad-the point at which the new moon begins to appear for a period of seven days, the moon grows a little each day, becoming complete at the conclusion of the seventh. Also, there’s more food for thought regarding the importance of the number seven; a marriage is celebrated with seven blessings on each day of the seven days following the wedding. Death is observed with seven days of mourning. A week is seven days; the shmittah cycle is seven years; there are seven heavens; man goes through seven stages of life; and King Solomon wrote that there are seven pillars of wisdom. In the physical world, a cycle, a full measure is seven. So we see the number seven is a staple in this world; therefore it’s only fitting that an important commemoration should be on this day.

But the number eight, according to our sages, is above perfection. There was a time where the Jews enjoyed a higher intimacy with G-d during the Temple, which represents the spiritual world. Rabbenu Bachya notes the number eight had a great significance in the Temple service. The High Priest wore eight vestments; eight musical instruments accompanied the Levites in the singing of the psalms; animals could only be offered if they were eight days old; there were eight poles for carrying the vessels in the sanctuary; there were eight varieties of species used in the making of the anointment oil; the inauguration of Aaron and his sons took place on the eighth day of the Temple’s dedication. It is indeed ‘above the planes of nature ‘. Therefore, any entity associated with the number eight represents a direct connection involving the spiritual world.

There are other important reasons for eight; there were eight generations from Abraham to when Joshua led Israel in entering the land of Israel; the tzitzis tassels affixed to the tallt has eight strands; Chanukah is celebrated for eight days-a spiritual miracle; forty-nine days are counted from the 2nd day of Passover which culminates with the arrival of the holiday of Shavuot, which marks the giving of the Torah at Sinai at the conclusion of the seventh week period following the exodus. Eight thus represents receiving of the Torah, the holiness of G-d Himself, and it is only fitting that a circumcised boy comes into the ‘congregation of Israel’ on the eighth day.

One may ask, why is the great prophet Eliyahu present at every brit? At the end of his mission, as a prophet, Eliyahu was disillusioned with the Jewish people for reverting back to sin after seeing dramatic miracles. He told G-d, the people of Israel are not performing circumcision, indicating they never will again. G-d said it seems you have so little confidence in my people. ‘They will perform brit milah, you’ll see. In fact, each brit that will be performed, you will attend’. (If Eliyahu wasn’t a morning person then he sure is now!)

We learn a valuable lesson to never give up hope. Even though the Jews were not performing the commandment of brit milah and were at a spiritual low, they eventually saw the importance of it and returned to perform it diligently. But even more surprising, is G-d’s harsh reaction towards Eliyahu for not believing in the Israelites. Eliyahu’s self-sacrifice to Israel is well-known. You see, G-d expects a lot from his people, because we are above normality; above the number seven; we are above the horoscope. We have the ability to change the scope of any situation through prayer and good deeds. In essence, we have the potential to be wrapped around the number eight which beams a light of holiness. Through the number eight, which is our essence, ‘hope’ takes on another meaning, and our dreams to excel spiritually could be in reach.