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For 3,700 years, the Jewish people have upheld the practice of Brit Milah across generations, even during challenging times. This reflects our profound commitment to the covenant that G-d made with Avraham and his descendants.
In this unit, we will explore the commandment of Brit Milah and emphasize its profound significance as expressed in the Torah. We will watch a brief example of a modern Brit Milah ceremony and highlight how the practice has continued throughout history as a direct continuation of Avraham Avinu's covenant. We will also study the divine revelation in this chapter, which includes the command to change the names of Avraham and Sarah, signifying a shift in their roles. Avraham becomes "the father of a multitude of nations" (Bereishit 17:5), and Sarah, through her name change, is promised a son and becomes "she shall give rise to nations; rulers of peoples shall issue from her" (Bereishit 17:16). Their roles expand from a national mission to a universal one encompassing the entire world. The significance of names will be another focus. In the Torah, a person’s name reflects their essence, mission, or character. Naming a child expresses the hopes or meaning parents wish to bestow. We will examine other name changes in the Torah and discuss how changes, such as in a person’s name or location, can profoundly impact their lives. Following G-d’s announcement that Sarah will have a son, Avraham reacts both with surprise and in a surprising manner. Surprised: He laughs, astonished by the promise of Sarah bearing a child. Surprising: Avraham addresses G-d, saying, "O that Yishmael might live by Your favor!" (Bereishit 17:18), expressing his expectation that Yishmael would fulfill the covenant, not anticipating Sarah’s son. We will study G-d’s response: "Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Yitzchak" (Bereishit 17:19). Yitzchak is confirmed as the heir to Avraham's lineage: "My covenant I will maintain with Yitzchak, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year." (Bereishit 17:21). Building on our discussion of names, we will highlight that Yitzchak’s name was given even before Sarah conceived, emphasizing the importance of names and their connection to one’s destiny. At the conclusion of the revelation, Avraham hurried to fulfill G-d’s command that very same day. He circumcised Yishmael and "and all men of his household" (Bereishit 17:27). The key values emphasized in this unit are: Brit Milah as a cornerstone of identity: It marks a significant beginning in establishing the identity of Avraham and his descendants. Historical continuity: For 3,700 years, the Jewish people have upheld the practice of Brit Milah, persevering through hardships and exile, maintaining the covenant established with Avraham Avinu. Divine intervention and miracles: G-d’s ability to perform miracles, such as granting a child to a couple beyond the age of fertility. Life changes and their impact: Personal changes, whether in name or actions, can profoundly influence the course of one’s life. Zeal and devotion to mitzvot: Avraham’s immediate and eager fulfillment of G-d’s command to circumcise himself, his household, and Yishmael demonstrates love and dedication to mitzvot. Despite the difficulty of the task, Avraham exemplifies the principle of zerizim makdimim le-mitzvot—the diligent hasten to perform commandments.
El éxodo de Egipto. Mapa con explicacionesResponsible Decision-Making:
Identifying problems, analyzing potential solutions, practicing critical thinking: Developing solutions while integrating social and ethical responsibility.
In learning about the fulfillment of the mitzvah of Brit Milah during times of persecution, we will identify the problem of endangering oneself to observe the commandment. Students will explore different potential solutions, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
The term "Brit" in the Torah refers to a binding covenant between two parties, symbolizing commitment. A prominent example of such a covenant is the Brit Bein HaBetarim (Bereishit 15), where G-d promises Avraham the inheritance of the Land of Israel. It is important to note that in the previous covenant, Avraham was passive, merely observing the vision of the covenant and its significance. In contrast, in this instance, Avraham is required to take active, and not easy, steps—both for himself and for his descendants.
The Brit Milah discussed in this chapter is a central foundation of the Jewish people and their identity. It is the oldest of the commandments. Throughout history, the Jewish people have sacrificed their lives to uphold the mitzvah of Brit Milah, and across all generations, it has been observed by the vast majority of the Jewish people from all streams and sectors.
Brit Milah is eternal. The role of Avraham's descendants in the covenant is to circumcise their sons at eight days old, while "G-d’s part" in the covenant is to be their G-d and grant Avraham’s descendants the land of Canaan.
Brit Milah is connected to the power of the continuity of Jewish life and the sanctity of human life. This teaches us that it is possible to sanctify the body and elevate it to a higher level of connection to G-d.
We will begin the lesson by watching a video titled "Brit Milah"—an experiential video in which students will observe a Brit Milah ceremony taking place today. The video will demonstrate the various roles involved in the ceremony, as well as provide a live example of how the current practice of Brit Milah is connected to the original commandment given to Avraham Avinu. The video is available through this link, and additional videos are provided for the teacher's discretion.
Students can also review the key terms and roles associated with Brit Milah.
[Link to the glossary of terms related to Brit Milah.]
Discussion After the Video and Familiarization with the Ceremony:
In the next step, we will focus on the verses describing the commandment of Brit Milah given to Avraham Avinu and explore its origins.
The teacher will display the relevant verses on the board and ask the students to highlight every instance where the word "Brit" appears in the passage. Additionally, G-d refers to this covenant several times as "My covenant" (Briti) and warns that anyone who does not uphold His covenant will have their soul "cut off" (v'nichreta hanefesh ha'hi). This highlights the significance of Brit Milah for G-d and the Jewish people throughout the generations.
It’s important to note that the word "Brit" in the Torah refers to a binding agreement between two parties.
Alternatively, the teacher may ask the students to study the passage about G-d's revelation regarding the covenant in pairs and answer the questions provided. The questions can be found on this worksheet.
Following this prophecy, G-d announces the name changes of Avraham and Sarah. Avram becomes Avraham, and Sarai becomes Sarah. Notice that both of their names are altered by the addition of the letter “heh,” symbolizing G-d’s involvement in their lives.
Through these name changes, new roles and destinies are assigned to them, and Sarah is promised that she will bear a son. The name of their son is also revealed here, a name of great significance—Yitzchak.
As an introduction to the topic, we will briefly discuss the meaning of a person’s name. Here are some questions to consider:
This can be expanded upon by explaining that a Jewish name connects us to our past, our identity, and our belonging to the Jewish people.
Encourage the students to share their answers briefly. (A "quick digital poll" can also be conducted: How satisfied are you with your name? Does your name hold significance for you?)
You can use the website https://www.mentimeter.com/ to create such a survey for the class.
Now, let’s focus on the name changes of Avraham and Sarah.
In the next activity, we will explore the significance of their name changes and delve deeper into their new roles. We will bring in Rav Kook’s interpretation, which explains that Avraham and Sarah transitioned from a national role to a universal one—taking on the responsibility of caring for all people in the world.
The activity can be found here.
The teacher will ask the students what insight, feeling, thought, or question they are leaving this lesson with. (You can allow them to choose if it's an insight, feeling, or question, or ask them to focus on just one of them.)
A Check-Out sheet is attached here.
(Instead of a worksheet, you can also create a "word cloud" where students write and see the words chosen by the other students. You can use the website https://wordart.com/create.)
You can either do a round where each student shares, or have them write their insight on a piece of paper.
You can read more about the Check-Out practice in the "Sparks" section.
We began the lesson with a video showing a Brit Milah ceremony and a worksheet on the roles in the ceremony today, emphasizing the continuity of fulfilling the covenant of Avraham Avinu across generations until the present day.We studied the verses in which G-d commands Brit Milah and discussed the importance of Brit Milah as an eternal covenant between G-d and Israel.We talked about the announcement of the name changes for Avraham and Sarah, and from that, about the change in their roles.We delved into the topic of the importance of a person’s name, as well as the possibility of changing one’s name as a factor that can lead to a profound internal change in a person’s life.We continued by studying the announcement of Yitzchak's birth and Avraham’s reaction to it, discussing the meaning of laughter and surprise in life.
Ongoing Assignment:
Throughout all the stories of Avraham, we will build, together with the students, a "picture" of Avraham Avinu’s character. The teacher can create a shared board, presentation, or a physical poster displayed in the classroom that will be used throughout the period of studying the stories of Avraham.
At the end of each lesson, the students will add their answer to the question: "What did I learn about Avraham in this lesson?"
(Values, ways of thinking, characteristics, interpersonal relationships, leadership).
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