The Eighth Day.

Our Parasha begins with childbirth, and in the case of a male child, on the eighth day,

the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

This became known not just as Mila circumcision, but something altogether more theological,

Brit Mila, the covenant of circumcision.

That's because even before Sinai, almost at the dawn of Jewish history,

circumcision became the sign of God's covenant with Abraham.

Why circumcision?

Why was this from the outset not just a mitzvah, one command among others, but the very

sign of our covenant with God and His with us? And why on the eighth day? Last week's parisher was

called Schmini the eighth day because it dealt with the inauguration of the Mishkan, the sanctuary,

which also took place on the eighth day?

Is there a connection between these two quite different events?

The place to begin is a strange midrush recording an encounter between the Roman governor

Tyrannus Rufus and Rabbi Akiva.

Rufus began the conversation by asking,

whose works are better those of God or of man?

Surprisingly, the rabbi replied, those of man.

Rufus responded, but look at the heavens and the earth.

Can a human being make anything like that?

Rabbi Akiva replied that the comparison was unfair. Creating heaven and earth is clearly beyond human capacity. Give me an example drawn from matters that are within human scope. Rufus then said, why do you practice circumcision? To this, Rabbi Akiva replied, I knew you would ask that question. That is why I said in advance

that the works of man are better than those of God. The rabbi then set before the governor

...