Walking the Land and the Dust of Circumcision Balaam and Elijah

(Genesis 13:16-17) "Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its breadth." It was taught: If one walked through a field, whether in its length or in its breadth, he acquires up to the place he walked for Rabbi Eliezer used to say: walking acquires. But the Sages say: he does not acquire until he takes formal possession. What is the reason of Rabbi Eliezer? "Arise, walk through it." And the Rabbis say: it is because of God's love for Abraham that He said this to him, and so on. And when Balaam came and saw the wilderness full of the foreskins of Israel, he said: Who can stand against the merit of this blood of the covenant of circumcision, which is covered with dust? As it is said, "Who can count the dust of Jacob?" (Numbers 23:10). From here the Sages instituted that the foreskin and the blood should be covered with the dust of the earth, since they were likened to dust, as it is said, "and I will make your seed as the dust of the earth" (Genesis 13:16). And so Israel kept circumcising until they split into two kingdoms, and Ephraim withheld circumcision from themselves. Then Elijah, may he be remembered for good, arose and was filled with great zeal: "And he said, I have been very zealous" (1 Kings 19:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You are forever zealous you were zealous at Shittim over forbidden relations, and you are zealous here. By your life, Israel shall not perform a circumcision until you behold it with your own eyes. From here the Sages instituted that a seat of honor be made for the angel of the covenant, who is called Elijah, of blessed memory, the angel of the covenant, as it is said, "and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire" (Malachi 3:1).