Derasha
The Parasha contains not just one Bris but two. There is Bris Mila of course but there is also the Bris Bein HaBesarim (the covenant between the parts). An old joke. (I would say, “stop me if you’ve heard it,” but that’s the essence of a captive audience.) We know that Hashem went around to the nations trying to shop the Torah. Esav and Yishmael both asked what was in it, and both declined based on the inconvenience of the answers. The Jews had a different question: How much does it cost? “Free,” went the answer. "Great," we said, "we’ll take two."
Of the two Brisim, only one of them is physically painful. But the other is psychically terrifying. Yet it seems as though Avraham doubled down.
The reason there had to be two was because there are two separate issues: One is directed toward the Mitzvot and the other refers to the learning of Torah.
Bris MIla is about the proper approach to Mitzvot. It is about a clear and innocent acceptance. This is not just the case with Chukim, the commandments without any clear explanation. In fact, it’s not clear that Mila is a Chok. This is simply a model for all Mitzvot. One can delve into the reasons for Mitzvot -- it’s a worthwhile exercise. But that shouldn’t shape one’s attitude. One does the Mitzvot because one must. This is another reason some suggest for why there is no reward for them. One doesn’t get a reward for what one is supposed to do. When one sees discussions about rewards for the Mitzvot, that is about a gift.
One of the indications that Mila is not a Chok is because the Rambam gives a reason for it. R’ Moshe Shapiro once offered another approach. He pointed out that the Talmud in Megilla analyzes the order of the blessings in the Amida. It asks why the blessing for healing comes in the eighth slot. The Gemora answers that it is for Bris Mila, which comes on the eighth day. But if it’s about the healing of a wound, there are many wounds besides this one. What’s more, the blessing we say ends with the phrasing “Rofei Cholei Amo Yisrael,” that Hashem heals the sick of his nation Israel. Everyone, not just Jews, needs healing for their wounds.
R’ Moshe explained that this is all based on a misunderstanding. Bris Mila does not tell us about healing because of the wound that is made which now needs healing. Bris Mila itself is a healing. The Orla, the foreskin, is a wound. The Midrash says that the Orla appeared because of the sin of Adam HaRishon. Its removal allows us to begin to address that, to fix it. This is a model for all Mitzvot, as the child learns from the beginning that healing or fixing what has gone wrong is the thrust of the Mitzvot.
Bris Bein HaBesarim, on the other hand, is about creativity in Torah. It’s not like Mitzvot, which fall upon all of us more or less equally. Every individual has an area of Torah. If one is not getting joy in learning, it is because one is not learning the right area.
The joy of finding the area of learning that fits you is not the only lesson, however. This Bris is psychically challenging because of the promise of trouble. Famously, Avraham was told about the darkness of what eventually became Egypt. And there are hints as well about the other exiles -- Bavel, Medai/Persia, Yavan, and Edom. He is made aware of a long future which will have its share of suffering from exile. This also accompanies learning. R’ Tzadok of Lublin says that each of these exiles preceded a further revelation of Torah. All of the Torah was revealed at Har Sinai but it gets further articulation over time. What we call Mikra (scripture), Mishna, Talmud, and the Secrets of the Torah were all part of the tradition from the beginning. But they were revealed in new ways and took new shape over time. Each of the exiles had an effect on a different aspect. After Bavel, it was scripture. After M’dai/Pras, it was Mishna. The Greeks affected the further articulation of Talmud. And now Edom has seen explosions in the realm of the secrets of the Torah.
Both of these areas of Jewish life -- learning and Mitzvot -- are created in the Brisim of Avraham Avinu. He and Hashem have laid the foundation for Jewish creativity in both realms.
