Let's delve into a passage from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, specifically chapter 29, that sheds light on some of the attitudes and practices surrounding conversion and circumcision.
Rabbi Jochanan, a prominent figure in the Talmud, offers some striking insights here. He states that gentiles, or "heathens" as the text puts it, who choose to come to Israel and convert are circumcised only through their own free will and consent. It's understood that they do so "in the fear of Heaven," meaning with sincere religious intent.
But then comes a rather cautious note. Rabbi Jochanan says, "We do not believe a proselyte until seven generations (have passed), so that the waters should not return to their source." What does that mean? Well, the idea is that we don't fully trust the sincerity of a convert until their lineage has proven their commitment over several generations. There's a fear that they might revert to their former ways, that the "waters" of their previous beliefs might flow back.
Now, things get even more complex when we talk about slaves. According to this passage, slaves were circumcised both with and without their consent. And unlike gentile converts, "no confidence is placed in slaves." The text draws a parallel to the slaves circumcised by Abraham himself. Remember, the Torah tells us, "All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him" (Genesis 17:27).
But why did Abraham circumcise his slaves? The text suggests it was primarily for ritual purity, "so that they should not defile their masters with their food and with their drink." In other words, it was less about spiritual transformation and more about maintaining a state of ritual cleanliness within the household.
The passage then takes a rather stark turn, describing the perceived impurity of the uncircumcised. "Whosoever eateth with an uncircumcised person is as though he were eating flesh of abomination," it says. Harsh words. It continues, "All who bathe with the uncircumcised are as though they bathed with carrion, and all who touch an uncircumcised person are as though they touched the dead." The uncircumcised are even described as being like the dead in their lifetime, and their prayers are said not to reach God. The text quotes Psalms 115:17, "The dead praise not the Lord."
In contrast, the text emphasizes the power of prayer from circumcised Israelites, saying their prayers ascend to God like a "sweet savour," citing Psalms 115:18, "But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise ye the Lord."
This passage from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer is a powerful reminder of how ancient societies grappled with issues of identity, purity, and inclusion. It reveals a hierarchical worldview where circumcision served not only as a religious rite but also as a marker of social status and perceived spiritual worthiness. It’s a window into a world very different from our own, a world where the lines between the sacred and the profane, the included and the excluded, were drawn with stark clarity. It leaves us to consider how far we’ve come, and how we continue to wrestle with these very same questions of belonging and acceptance today.