Expert: Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner - 2/5/2010

Question
When God established His covenant with Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 17, He required every male to be circumcised.  If I understand this correctly, this was their sign that they were part of God's covenant people. My question is:  how do women become part of God's covenant community?

Thank you for your help.

Answer
Dear Maggie,

Thanks for writing and it is an interesting question.

As you state, males are circumcised on the 8th day unless medically not permitted. By the way, Yom Kippur is trumped for a brit milah, a ritual circumcision.

There was no formal initiation of women into a Jewish covenant physically, but women were part of a family/clan/tribe/etc. and through religious behavior shared with men, both were perceived to be in that covenant.

In more contemporary times women have raised this issue and there are several results.

There is a beautiful, very modern and arising out of the liberal Jewish movements, ceremony called brit hanerot, the covenant of candle-lighting, as one of the customary roles for a Jewish woman was to light the Shabbat and holiday candles - olive oil lamps before there were candles. There are various "scripts" and can be found on line I am sure entering the title into Google. If not, please let me know.

There were some radical attempts to mimic the drawing of a drop of blood, but they have been essentially disregarded by almost everyone as inappropriate. Today, I would also hope that what is called "female circumcision" is not practiced -  certainly not in the name of Judaism - in the western world, although in Africa and Asia it still exists.

It also has occurred to me that when a woman begins to experience a monthly period, the body's awareness that it has not become pregnant, I would hope that her parents and the community of educators would assure her that it is not only natural, but it is part of Jewish study, practice and a sign of a covenanted woman.

By tradition, she is not permitted intimate relations with her husband until 7 days after her period, the so-called "clean" or not-spotting days of waiting, and then she would go to the mikveh for a ritual immersion before resuming her relationship with her husband.

Traditional Jews do practice this separation and many also observe the privilege of going to "mikveh" and for that reason I have always had a visit to the mikveh as part of my educational program for students. They see that it is a modern building and facility. They are encouraged to realize that it is private and respectful. Brides - and often today grooms - will go to the mikveh just before the wedding as a spiritual preparation for a "new life" together as husband and wife. And, there are also circumstances when men will use the mikveh.  It is a "ritual" of "moving on" from whatever circumstances have occurred in the past - prior to Yom Kippur and an act of atonement and beginning anew, after a divorce, close contact with death, suffering a nightmare - the reasons vary from intense and general to often very personal and individual needs. I have also gone to mikveh before concluding a Sefer Torah with my congregation as a Rabbi.

Today also, converts immerse as they become members of the Jewish People concluding their study - and also a brit milah, real or symbolic [another topic] - and in that fashion we also convert babies and children in the cases of adoption where we are converting the child.

It can be a very fulfilling and moving spiritual experience, depending upon how one is guided through it and instilling early on a positive and serious Jewish attitudes. Water is an old symbol in our lives, and it is a powerful source of fulfillment. Maybe we should develop a ceremony for females around this symbol, but I'm still thinking about it further.

Thanks for writing and giving me a chance to catch up on an important concept - the Jewish reaching out to God for covenant.

Rabbi Dov