Language:
English
Year of publication:
2023
Titel der Quelle:
Routledge Handbook on Jewish Ritual and Practice
Angaben zur Quelle:
(2023) 305-313
Keywords:
Berit milah History
Abstract:
Circumcision has for a long time been taken to be a crucial ritual for male Jews, and it has often been credited with keeping the distinctiveness of the community alive after so many millennia. Yet like many rituals it seems not to have any particular benefits apart from a few health aspects, which themselves are not clear cut. It also results in mutilation of the body of a child at an age where he cannot give informed consent, and often seems designed to hinder sexual pleasure. In modern times some Jews have questioned the ritual yet it remains overwhelmingly popular and, of course, is widely practiced by other religious and secular groups. Following the trajectory of this very specific instruction is helpful in understanding the role that rules play in Judaism.
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