(Gen. 17:2:) AND LET ME PUT MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU. R. Hanina ben Pazzi said: Abraham did not know where to be circumcised.¹¹². Gen. 3:18; similarly Gen. R. 46:4; Lev. R. 25:6. The Holy One gave him a hint to tell him where to be circumcised (in Gen.17:2, cont.): AND LET ME MULTIPLY YOU, i.e., out of the place from which you are fruitful and multiply. Bar Qappara said: Abraham had interpreted according to the principle of qal wahomer.¹¹³ There is a comparison with trees. Where do they have an obligation concerning foreskin? At the place where they produce fruit.¹¹⁴ I also must be circumcised at the place where I produce fruit.

footnotes: ¹¹² Tanh ¹¹³ The rabbinic term for an argument a fortiori. ¹¹⁴ So Lev. 19:23, which can be translated as follows: WHEN YOU COME INTO THE LAND AND PLANT ANY TREE FOR FOOD. YOU SHALL LEAVE ITS FORESKIN, i.e., ITS FRUIT, UNCIRCUMCISED. THREE YEARS IT SHALL BE UNCIRCUMCISED FOR YOU IT SHALL NOT BE EATEN.

(Gen. 17:3:) THEN ABRAHAM FELL ON HIS FACE. Before he performed circumcision, he would fall on his face before the Holy One .¹¹⁵., Gen. 3:20. After he performed circumcision he did not fall on his face . Moreover, the wicked go down into Gehinnom only because of foreskin, as stated (in Is. 5:14): THEREFORE SHEOL HAS ENLARGED ITS DESIRE AND OPENED ITS MOUTH FOR THOSE WITHOUT A STATUTE (i.e., without circumcision). In the world to come, however, the Holy One will save Israel from Gehinnom by virtue of circumcision, as stated (in Prov. 31:21): SHE (i.e., Israel) HAS NO FEAR FOR HER HOUSEHOLD ON ACCOUNT OF (Gehinnom's) SNOW BECAUSE ALL HER HOUSEHOLD ARE DRESSED IN SCARLET.¹¹⁶ 10:4, according to which the household of Israel wears the two parts of circumcision, the cutting off of the foreskin and the rolling back of the inner lining of the prepuce.

footnotes: ¹¹⁵ Tanh ¹¹⁶ Scarlet is the color of the blood from circumcision. Buber suggests reading SCARLET as TWICE in accordance with PRK

The End of Parashat Lekh-Lekha.