GOD ALMIGHTY. Shaddai is an adjective meaning mighty. Shaddai in like a mighty voice (ke-kol shaddai)¹ is an adjective meaning mighty. (Ezek. 1:24) is similar. Also, Shaddai in And mighty will be thy silver² by kesef (silver). And mighty will be thy silver means you will have a great amount of money. (shaddai betzarekha) (Job 22:25) is similar because the word betzarekha (thy silver) has the same meaning as the word betzer (silver) in And lay thy treasure (or silver) (betzer) in the dust³) will be thy silver. Thus Shaddai is an adjective meaning mighty (Job 22:24). The word Shaddai follows the paradigm of davvai (faint), in And my heart is faint (davvai) (Lam. 1:22). Many derive Shaddai from the same root as shoded (overpowering),⁴) define shoded as: deals violently with, despoils, devastates, ruins. Cf. Jer. 6:26. Thus shoded has the connotation of overpowering. In keeping with the concept of I.E., but more important out of respect to God, we have translated shoded as overpowering. meaning, He is victorious and overpowering. The reason God used this name at this time was to impress upon Abraham the fear of God so that he would circumcise himself. The correct interpretation of the divine names is as follows: Shaddai is an adjective describing God’s power over creation. The Tetragrammaton, God’s revered and awesome name, stands in contrast to it. The world exists by virtue of these two names.⁵ emphasizes His power over creation. Thus these two names stand opposite each other; i.e., these names teach that there is an Eternal God who created all (Tetragrammaton) and has the power over all (Shaddai). Furthermore, on a more “practical” level it is via the Tetragrammaton that the world was created, and via the name Shaddai that nature is overcome. Others comment that the Tetragrammaton stands for creation and Shaddai, for destroying or limiting the creation (Krinsky). See I.E.’s comment on Ex. 3:15, 6:3. Whoever understands the secret of God’s name will accept my interpretation.

footnotes: ¹ Our translation follows that of I.E. Cf. Kimchi on Ezek. 1:24. I.E.’s point is that here, too, Shaddai ² I.E. on Job. 22:24, 25 renders betzer ³ Hence the verse is to be rendered: And mighty (Shaddai ⁴ Brown, Driver and Briggs (Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament ⁵ The Tetragrammaton expresses God’s essence, His eternality, and His being the cause of all existence. Shaddai

AND BE THOU WHOLE-HEARTED. Do not question the reason for circumcision.

ABRAHAM. The new name with the addition of the resh means the mighty one of a multitude of nations. This is so because the new name did not come to diminish a letter from Abraham’s original name but to add one.⁶ there is no meaning for the resh in Abraham. I.E. argues that it does not have a meaning, for the resh is an integral part of the new name. Abraham means avir hamon goyim, for av hamon goyim with the resh added gives avir hamon goyim. I.E. is in contradistinction to Rashi who comments that the resh in Abraham was carried over from Abram and did not signify anything. We have followed Vat. Ebr. 38 in our translation, which reads, Abraham im tosefet ha-resh avir hamon goyim.

footnotes: ⁶ Prima facie

Sarah, unlike Sarai, is a general adjective.⁷ Blessed be the Lord before whom all actions are weighed. He commanded Abraham to circumcise himself before Sarah became pregnant so that his seed would be holy.⁸

footnotes: ⁷ Sarai connotes my princess; Sarah connotes princess over all (Cherez). ⁸ By being the seed of a circumcised father.

[EVERY MALE AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED.] Himmol (shall be circumcised) is to be read as if it had a lamed prefixed to it. It is an infinitive.⁹ might be taken to be an imperative, hence I.E.’s comment. It belongs to the verbs having a vav as the middle letter of their root.¹⁰, its root being mem, vav, lamed. It is like va-yamal¹¹. in and circumcised (va-yamal) the flesh of their foreskin (v. 23). It follows the paradigm of le-hikkon (to be prepared).¹² is caf, vav, nun. Le-himmol is the same form as le-hikkon. Both le-himmol and le-hikkon are nifal infinitives.

footnotes: ⁹ Hence it means shall be circumcised. Himmol ¹⁰ It is an ayin, vav ¹¹ Whose root is also mem, vav, lamed ¹² Cf. Ez. 38:7; Amos 4:12. The root of le-hikkon

AND YE SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED. U-nemaltem (and ye shall be circumcised) is similar to u-shemartem (and ye shall keep).¹³ is a kal. Similarly u-nemaltem (and ye shall be circumcised) is a kal, meaning: and ye shall circumcise. The nun of u-nemaltem is a root letter.¹⁴. There are thus two roots meaning to circumcise, viz., nun, mem, lamed and mem, vav, lamed. (See I.E.’s comments on verse 10 and note 10). Yadon (shall be sheathed) in My spirit shall not be sheathed (yadon) (Gen. 6:3) and nidneh (sheath) (Dan. 7:15) are similar.¹⁵ (Dan. 7:15) and dalet, vav, nun, yadon (Gen. 6:3). (Rendering Gen. 6:3 according to I.E. See I.E. on Gen. 6:3).

footnotes: ¹³ U-shemartem ¹⁴ Its root is nun, mem, lamed ¹⁵ There are two roots for the Hebrew word for sheath, viz., nun, dalet, nun, nidneh

SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED AMONG YOU. Yimmol (shall be circumcised) is a nifal, as are himmol yimmol (must needs be circumcised) (v. 13). Why does Scripture state twice, He that is born in thy house…must needs be circumcised?¹⁶ This is the answer: Scripture first states that in the future all males, those of thy seed and also those born in the house or bought with money, shall be circumcised on the eighth day. It then states, “ Abraham immediately circumcise all males born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money although they are adults.”¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁶ Verse 13 seems to repeat what is in verse 12. I.E. asks why. ¹⁷ It might have been thought that since the command speaks of circumcision on the eighth day, those past that age when the command was given were exempt. Thus verse 12 speaks of the future and verse 13 of the present. Thus there is no repetition.

AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE WHO IS NOT CIRCUMCISED. Yimmol (is circumcised) is a kal. It is like yiddor (voweth) in When a man voweth (yiddor) a vow (Num. 30:3). It comes from the same root as u-nemaltem (and ye shall be circumcised) in and ye shall be circumcised (u-nemaltem) in the flesh of your foreskin (v. 11).¹⁸ and u-nemaltem as nifals. I.E. renders them as kals, as actives whose root is nun, mem, lamed.. Our verse should thus be rendered: And the uncircumcised male who does not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin. The meaning of the verse is, a male who reaches the age when he is obligated to observe the commandments of the Torah and does not circumcise himself is subject to the penalty of karet (being cut off). The verse refers to an adult because while a person is yet a child, the obligation to circumcise him falls upon his father. However, should his father fail to do so, then upon reaching maturity he must circumcise himself. Karet (being cut off) is a penalty inflicted by God. Those who err hold that a child that dies uncircumcised does not have a share in the world to come.¹⁹ 263:5. It is clear from I.E.’s refutation of the belief that an uncircumcised child does not have a share in the world to come that those who held this view based it on the verse: And the uncircumcised male…that soul (nefesh) shall be cut off from his people (v. 14). They interpreted nefesh as soul and cut off as referring to the world to come (Weiser). However, the meaning of the word nefesh is not as they think, a soul²⁰ as soul., but a person; it means a body containing a soul. Similarly, If anyone (nefesh) shall sin (Lev. 4:2). Some say that karet refers to death before the age of fifty-two. Others say it means the eradication of one’s name via the death of one’s children. Therefore Scripture states, that soul shall be cut off from his people, for a person who leaves children is considered to live on even after his death, and his name is not cut off.

footnotes: ¹⁸ J.P.S. renders both yimmol ¹⁹ It is for this reason that Jews customarily circumcise, prior to burial, a child who dies uncircumcised. Cf. Shulchan Arukh Yoreh Deah ²⁰ They translated nefesh

AND MOREOVER I WILL GIVE THEE. Natati (I will give thee) in our verse is like natati in I will give (natati) the price of the field (Gen. 23:13). Observe, although both are perfects, they are to be rendered as imperfects.

SHALL A CHILD BE BORN UNTO HIM THAT IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD. Abraham was amazed at being told that he would have a son because the sperm of an old man is cold²¹ and therefore aged men are infertile. However, he was even more amazed that Sarah, a woman whose menstrual cycle had ceased, would bear a child, since the embryo is made and constructed from the woman’s menstrual blood. If you will reflect you will conclude that Sarah’s conceiving was a greater wonder than Abraham’s begetting a child. For we find instances of men over ninety begetting children in later generations,²². 38 reads, “We find that King David’s forefathers each sired a son when over 90.” Cf. I.E.’s comment on Ruth 4:17. and the life span of people in Abraham’s time was much longer than in later times.²³. 38 reads, “The life span of people in Abraham’s generation was longer than that of David’s generation.” As soon as the angel left, Abraham immediately circumcised Ishmael and all those born in his house and those bought with money.

footnotes: ²¹ Medieval medicine believed in four humors. ²² However, we do not find in Scripture any report of an aged woman bearing a child. Vat. Ebr ²³ Since men of later generations whose life spans were shorter than that of Abraham sired children when over 90, it diminishes the uniqueness of Abraham’s experience. Vat. Ebr

IN THE SELFSAME DAY. Abraham did not hesitate to carry out the commandment of circumcision. Behold, Abraham’s household consisted of three hundred eighteen males born in his house²⁴ aside from those bought with his money. After circumcising them, Abraham circumcised himself on that very day.²⁵ (v. 23). After stating this, Scripture notes, And Abraham was ninety years old and nine when he was circumcised (v. 24). Thus Abraham was circumcised last. Now Ishmael his son plus all those born in his house and bought with his money were voluntarily circumcised with him (Abraham) (v. 27). For the meaning of “with him” (v. 27) is that Abraham did not have to force his household to comply with God’s commandment. They all voluntarily hurried to do and fulfill God’s will.

footnotes: ²⁴ Cf. Gen. 14:15. ²⁵ The Bible states, And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money…and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day

WERE CIRCUMCISED WITH HIM. Nimmolu (were circumcised) is a nifal. Its root is nun, mem, lamed.²⁶ in the mem of nimmolu to make up for the missing nun of the root. The nun of nimmolu is the nun of the nifal. Ve-nishlo’ach (were sent) in And letters were sent (ve-nishlo’ach sefarim) (Est. 3:13) is similar.²⁷ in nimmolu presents a problem. When a letter having a nun as the first letter of its root is conjugated in the nifal as a shelamim it is not vocalized with a cholam (Weiser). I.E. thus points out that we find the same with nishlo’ach. Nishlo’ach is a shelemim nifal and it, too, is vocalized with a cholam, i.e., nishlo’ach rather than nishlach (Filwarg).

footnotes: ²⁶ Hence there is a dagesh ²⁷ The cholam