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What changed in Avrohom after Bris Milah if he had already risked his life at Ur Kasdim? Before Bris Milah, Avrohom's relationship with God was purely cognitive—truth filtered through his logic, creating conflict between intellect and emotion. Bris Milah transformed him by opening emotional connection (yedi'ah), allowing God's will to become his desire, enabling him to perform the Akeidah with full heart rather than mere discipline.
The shiur addresses a fundamental question: what was the essential transformation in Avrohom Avinu effected by Bris Milah? Since Avrohom had already demonstrated supreme mesirus nefesh at Ur Kasdim by allowing himself to be thrown into a furnace, what could circumcision at age 99 possibly add to his spiritual perfection? Why did he not fulfill this mitzvah (מצוה) earlier if he observed the entire Torah (תורה) before it was given, as the Mizrachi assumes? The Midrash Tanchuma records that when commanded to perform Bris Milah, Avrohom protested that he was already complete (shalem), and that circumcision would make him imperfect (chaser). Hashem (ה׳) responded that Avrohom was actually lacking in five limbs without circumcision, hence the addition of the letter hei to his name. This exchange reveals that Avrohom genuinely believed himself to be spiritually complete—a perspective that seems incomprehensible if he truly understood the Torah's requirements. How could Avrohom be so mistaken about his own spiritual state?
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Parshas Lech Lecha 17:1
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