A Leopard can’t change its spots - but a man can…

Parshas Shmini

ספר ויקרא פרק יב
ב) דבר אל בני ישראל לאמר אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר וטמאה שבעת ימים כימי נדת דותה תטמא:
ג) וביום השמיני ימול בשר ערלתו:
3) And on the eighth day you shall circumcise the flesh of the Arlah
ספר החינוך - מצוה ב
משרשי מצוה זו, לפי שרצה השם יתברך לקבוע בעם אשר הבדיל להיות נקרא על שמו אות קבוע בגופם, להבדילם משאר העמים בצורת גופם כמו שהם מובדלים מהם בצורת נפשותם,
, ורצה להיות ההשלמה על ידי האדם, ולא בראו שלם מבטן, לרמוז אליו כי כאשר תשלום צורת גופו על ידו, כן בידו להשלים צורת נפשו בהכשר פעולותיו:

Sefer Ha’Chinuch– Mitzvah of Milah
The root of this mitzvah is because HASHEM wanted to permanently place in this nation a sign in their body that would separate them and show them that they belong to HASHEM. Just as their body is distinct from the other nations, so too, is their soul.
HASHEM wanted this completion of the person to be done by a man, and that he not be born that way. This is a sign that just like the body can be perfected by man, so too he is able to perfect his soul.


The Jew has a distinct role amongst the nations
The Sefer HaChinuch explains that HASHEM separated the Jewish people from all the nations. We were given a distinct role in this world. Our lives and everything we do should be different than any other people.

To remind us of this, HASHEM gave us a sign, a permanent reminder of our uniqueness – the Mitzvah of Milah. A change in our bodies shows that just as the body of the Jew is different than that of a Gentile, so too is our soul.


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I would like to thank R’ Daniel Goldstein for his help with this Shmuz.


For more on this topic please listen to Shmuz #143-145 The Stages of Change