A Charge to the Physician Mohel
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Beyond surgical precision lies a sacred covenant - one that physician-mohels must navigate as they perform brit milah, the Jewish ritual circumcision dating back to Abraham. While medical training qualifies physicians to perform circumcisions, the ritual's profound religious significance demands understanding far deeper than surgical expertise. Through analysis of rabbinical discourse and compelling Holocaust narratives, particularly Rabbi Ephraim Oshry's "Responsa From the Holocaust" and Yaffa Eliach's "Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust," a stark distinction emerges between medical procedure and divine commandment. A documented case from a Polish labor camp, where a Jewish mother performed brit milah on her newborn despite mortal danger, exemplifies how this ritual transcended physical act to become a definitive expression of Jewish identity even during history's darkest hours. The research reveals that physician-mohels serve not merely as medical practitioners but as vital transmitters of an ancient covenant essential to Jewish continuity. Their role extends beyond the operating room into the realm of spiritual obligation and cultural preservation, positioning them as contemporary guardians of a tradition that has defined Jewish communities for millennia.

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Published 1990
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Albert Lewis