“Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram; He said to him: I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be faultless” (Genesis 17:1). “Abram was ninety-nine years old.” “Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel, like a first fruit on the fig tree in its first season…” (Hosea 9:10) – Rabbi Yudan said: A fig tree is initially picked one fig at a time, then two at a time, then three at a time, until one picks it with baskets and rakes [at one’s side].1At first the figs ripen individually; afterwards all the remaining figs ripen at once.
So, too, initially, “Abraham was one and he inherited the land” (Ezekiel 33:24), then there were two – Abraham and Isaac; then three, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and then: “The children of Israel were fruitful, teemed, increased, and grew exceedingly mighty” (Exodus 1:7). Rabbi Yudan said: Just as a fig has no refuse other than its stem, just remove it and its imperfection is eliminated, so, the Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘You have no refuse [on your body] other than the foreskin, remove it and the imperfection is eliminated: “Walk before Me, and be faultless.”’