Thursday March 28, 2024
SNc Channels:

Search
About Salem-News.com

 

Jun-09-2012 17:00printcomments

The Book of Deuteronomy Excludes Circumcision

"The one who has crushed or mutilated genitals will not be admitted in the assembly of the Lord." (23: 2)

Moses
Modern exegesis considers that, unlike the other books of the Bible, the Book of Deuteronomy was written under the direction of Moses with a great unity of style.

(PARIS, France) - Modern exegesis[1] considers that, unlike the other books of the Bible, the Book of Deuteronomy was written under the direction of Moses with a great unity of style. Then, it is not content with condemning sexual mutilation in the Second Commandment. Contrary to other books of the Torah, it does not speak about excluding the "noncircumcised" from the temple and the meal of Passover but insists upon the fact that the only condition of the Second Covenant is the respect of the Ten Commandments. Indeed, introducing them[(*)], it takes care to affirm:

"Observe everything I lay down for you, without adding anything to it... " (13: 1)

We are in the presence of a Preliminary Commandment. Forbidding everything and thus sexual mutilation, that is not included in the following, it reduplicates the Second:

"… I am your God, a jealous God, who prosecute the crime of fathers… "

"The crime of fathers" can only be circumcision.

The Deuteronomy then speaks on thirteen occasions (4: 5, 4: 8, 4: 14, 4: 45, 5: 7, 5: 31, 6: 1, 6: 20, 7: 11, 7: 12, 8: 11, 11: 1) of "the laws and rules…" (4: 1) it advocates. But circumcision does not figure there any more than in the Ten Commandments. Neither does it figure in the regulations of verses 12: 1 to 27: 26. On the other hand, Moses excludes distinctive physical signs; the consecration of the Jewish people to the divinity does not allow it to distinguish itself through gross exterior signs:

"You are the children of the Eternal, your God: do not cut your body, do not shave yourself between the eyes, in the honour of a dead man. Because you are a people consecrated to the Eternal, your God, and you are the one he, the Eternal, chose to be for him a special people amongst all the peoples spread over the earth." (14: 1)

Taking the opposite requirement to the exclusion of the intact, he distrusts the last (sexually maimed) survivors of the old warlike generation:

"The one who has crushed or mutilated genitals will not be admitted in the assembly of the Lord." (23: 2)


In order to notify the abolition of the commandment imposed to Abraham, he points out that the Eternal changed his mind between both Covenants:

"The Eternal did not conclude this covenant with our fathers but with ourselves, who are here today, all alive." (5: 3)

He does not ignore the ancient Covenant:

"... he will not forget the covenant of your fathers..." (5: 3)

but he seems to refer to the version of chapter 15 of the Book of Genesis, which does not mention circumcision, rather than to that of chapter 17. Then he explains the great difference of nature between both Covenants, a difference that condemns the Covenant through submission:

"The Eternal talked with you face to face…" (5: 4)

Both Covenants are discrepant; whereas Abraham had kept his face on the ground, the New Covenant is an alliance between equals, in which Moses obtained the abolition of sexual mutilation from Pharaoh:

"And now, Israel, the Eternal, your God, only expects from you that you should revere the Lord, your God, follow his ways in everything, love him and serve him with all your heart and all your soul, observing the precepts and laws of the Lord which I impose on you today, so that you would be happy." (10: 12-13)

On the other hand, we have seen that through prescribing "circumcision of the heart", Moses takes an ethical stand against circumcision of the flesh:

"Thus circumcise your heart, stop stiffening your neck." (10: 16)[(*)]

Inviting the Hebrews to relax, he underlines an obsessive symptom, undoubtedly a sign of pride but also of emotional distress, fear of beheading, of total castration, of impotence. This "circumcision" is granted by God as a grace:

"And the Eternal, your God, will circumcise your heart and your descendants’ heart so that you love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and make your living." (30: 6)

A reference to Abraham’s Covenant, mention of the descendants is significant of the replacement of circumcision of the body by that of the heart.

It is obvious that the Book of Deuteronomy forbids circumcision.


[1] cf. the article “Bible” of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

[(*)] An Eleventh Commandment synthesizes the first: “Thou shalt love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength.” (6: 5). Jesus-Christ extended it by recommending: “You will love your neighbour as yourself.”

[(*)](*) Verses 10: 16 and 30: 6 are the only acceptations of the term “circumcision” in the whole book of Deuteronomy.

Sigismond (Michel Hervé Navoiseau-Bertaux)

Michel Hervé Navoiseau-Bertaux (Sigismond) is the author of "Sexual mutilation: excision, circumcision, the victims' point of view", for free at circabolition.multiply.com; he is an Independent psychoanalysis researcher (Chercheur indépendant en psychanalyse) based in Paris, France, who works with Salem-News.com to help raise awareness of the massive societal problems connected to the blindly accepted, mutilating practice of circumcision. He says, "Non violence is as fundamental as violence, love and hatred, justice and injustice. But power is at the tip of the tongue and the sweet violence of speech, if one takes hold of it, can silence weapons."

(La non violence est aussi fondamentale que la violence, l'amour et la haine, le juste et l'injuste. Mais le pouvoir est au bout de la langue et la douce violence de la parole, si l'on s'en empare, peut faire taire les armes.)





Comments Leave a comment on this story.
Name:

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.



Michel Hervé Bertaux-Navoiseau April 9, 2013 9:23 am (Pacific time)

@ Ralph "But in Genesis 17:12, God specifically directed Abraham to circumcise newborn males on the eighth day." Actually, the "god" in Genesis 17 merely was the Egyptian human god: the pharaoh!


Michel Hervé Bertaux-Navoiseau April 9, 2013 9:22 am (Pacific time)

And above all, circumcision is a racist operation: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/february252013/circumcision-dangerhmn.php.


Michel Hervé Bertaux-Navoiseau April 9, 2013 9:19 am (Pacific time)

"Creation is the most wonderful thing any human can think of and the creator (God) must be beyond our immagination (perfection)." Yes, Sir: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/november212011/circumcision-organs-hn.php.


Michel Hervé Bertaux-Navoiseau April 9, 2013 9:17 am (Pacific time)

" "The crime of fathers" can only be circumcision." Here's a much more elaborate demonstration: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/december022009/circum_h.php.


Michel Hervé Bertaux-Navoiseau April 9, 2013 9:15 am (Pacific time)

"do not cut your body" Why should this refer to circumcision, too?" Why should it not?


Michel Hervé Bertaux-Navoiseau April 9, 2013 9:14 am (Pacific time)

"It obviously was a commandment intended against tatoos, scarification, etc." You say so! I will not conclude, in a libeling and insulting way, that you'd be a "charlatan", you're just a blind believer. Freedom of expression may be cruel and harsh to believers, it is still freedom. Sorry I gorgot to put my name in the preceding messages.


Anonymous April 9, 2013 9:09 am (Pacific time)

Now, my translation is the litteral one into English of the better translation ever, that of the French Rabbinate.


Anonymous April 9, 2013 9:08 am (Pacific time)

I understand that Anon interprets the Bible according to the Jewish religious dogmas, which, according to my demonstration, are pure lies, intended to conceal that Abraham and Moses opposed the pharaonic circumcision of both boys and girls cf. http://www.salem-news.com/articles/november172010/genesis-deciphered-hn.php and http://www.salem-news.com/articles/december022009/circum_h.php.


Anon July 1, 2012 2:06 am (Pacific time)

I'm pretty certain this guy is a charlatan. His logic is really weak, for one. He also has some (deliberate?) misunderstandings of the meaning of passages. > "The one who has crushed or mutilated genitals will not be admitted in the assembly of the Lord." (23: 2) I have no idea what translation he's using, but almost all translations refer to this specifically (by name) as castration or having your penis cut off, and nothing else. > "... he will not forget the covenant of your fathers..." (5: 3) If you read this passage it actually refers to a conditional statement, roughly "if you worship idols, you'll be exiled from Israel but God won't forget the covenant of your fathers and will still watch over you". So the logic just doesn't fit this comment taken out of context. No reason to think it means "you can stop circumcising now" at all. > "The Eternal did not conclude this covenant with our fathers but with ourselves, who are here today, all alive." (5: 3) Again, don't know where he's getting translation from because the word "conclude" is inappropriate. I'm pretty sure he's using his own translation. The meaning of this pasage is abundantly clear: "the covenant is not dead, it is alive with you". It certainly doesn't mean "circumcision ends today". > "You are the children of the Eternal, your God: do not cut your body" Why should this refer to circumcision, too? It obviously was a commandment intended against tatoos, scarification, etc. Totally unconvinced circumcision is included. I haven't checked the other quotes' validity yet but based on what I've read so far I think this guy is a total fraud that we should not only ignore what he says, but expose him.


Anon June 22, 2012 7:49 am (Pacific time)

In reference to Deut. 5:9, the author of the article foolishly wrote: "The crime of fathers" can only be circumcision.


Human Curse June 11, 2012 11:50 am (Pacific time)

keep it up, mankind... you're doing a great job of screwing up future generations.


Kevin Elks June 11, 2012 12:44 am (Pacific time)

I was circumcised at the direction of my mother for (false)religious reason, it ruined my life. Without any reference to text of any religion I say this from the point of view of 'common sense' because we have been given a brain to think. Creation is the most wonderful thing any human can think of and the creator (God) must be beyond our immagination (perfection). To even consider that God would create us and then want us to amputate or mutilate part of his creation is an insult, a blasphemy and an earthy foult of those that would slight God. It is so evident that evil people have used God to control un-God like affairs. Simple if you use your brain.


RikiTiki June 10, 2012 6:30 pm (Pacific time)

Have any research studies been performed to discover if countries with low rates of circumcision have lower rates of violence - crime, war, etc. -than countries where circumcisIon is commonplace?


Ralph E. Stone June 10, 2012 7:08 am (Pacific time)

But in Genesis 17:12, God specifically directed Abraham to circumcise newborn males on the eighth day.


Anonymous June 9, 2012 5:12 pm (Pacific time)

I am circumsized, I never thought much of it until I read it on salem-news a couple months back, so decided to do a little reearch myself. It is now my belief, that circumcision is not a good idea, and it is used to control us. Here is a link that I found helpful, with enough info to keep ya busy for awhile :-) http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/

[Return to Top]
©2024 Salem-News.com. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Salem-News.com.


Articles for June 8, 2012 | Articles for June 9, 2012 | Articles for June 10, 2012
Annual Hemp Festival & Event Calendar

googlec507860f6901db00.html
Special Section: Truth telling news about marijuana related issues and events.

Click here for all of William's articles and letters.

Sean Flynn was a photojournalist in Vietnam, taken captive in 1970 in Cambodia and never seen again.