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The Power of the Brit Milah Ritual

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The ancient Jewish ritual of brit milah weaves together three temporal dimensions—past, present, and future—through a carefully orchestrated ceremony that transcends ordinary time. Through detailed analysis of the traditional ritual sequence, participant roles, and symbolic representations, a systematic pattern emerges in which the infant passes through a designated cycle of honorees before reaching two paradoxical focal points: the physically absent yet actively acknowledged Elijah, and the physically present yet silent sandak. The ritual's structure reveals an intricate interplay between visible and invisible participants, with Elijah serving as divine agent and herald of messianic future, while the sandak embodies Abraham and the patriarchal past, and the mohel represents the present generation. Examination of the ceremonial elements and participant dynamics demonstrates how brit milah functions as a temporal bridge, connecting Jewish generations across history. This temporal linking through ritual proves fundamental to Jewish continuity and identity as an eternal people, establishing each circumcision as a four-dimensional ceremony that simultaneously inhabits multiple historical moments.

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    Published 1990

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  • Publication Credits

    Kiva Shtull