Abraham Falls on His Face and Circumcision Saves Israel from Gehinnom

"And Abraham fell on his face" (Genesis 17:3) — before he was circumcised, he would fall; once he was circumcised, he did not fall. And the wicked descend into Gehinnom only by way of the foreskin, as it is said, "Therefore Sheol has enlarged her appetite and opened her mouth beyond measure" (Isaiah 5:14). But in the World to Come, the Holy One, blessed be He, delivers Israel from Gehinnom by the merit of circumcision, as it is said, "She is not afraid for her household because of the snow, for all her household are clothed in scarlet" (Proverbs 31:21).