Yevamot II 71: Uncircumcised

The Gemara continues to explore connections between those who are prohibited from partaking of teruma and those who are prohibited from eating the korban Pesach, the Paschal lamb.  In particular, today's daf examines those who are strangers, those who are uncircumcised and have not circumcised their sons & slaves, and those who are apostates.  There is a discussion in our notes regarding the epistemology of apostate: m'shumadut.  Perhaps it refers to the root m/sh/d, to be forced to convert.  Perhaps it refers to meshumada, short for the Aramaic eshtamoda, or alienate.  Thus apostates are said to be Jews who have alienated themselves from the blessing of being Jewish.  Each of these people are disqualified from some communal offerings, like the korban, but permitted to partake of others, such as tithes.

The notion of 'stranger' is used to describe an apostate as well as a visitor.  Similarly, it is not enough to exclude the uncircumcised.  What of the Arab who was circumcised?  Or someone of another clan that circumcised its men?  Or what if the child who was born without a foreskin?* In this second case, the rabbis teach that it is permitted for the infant to benefit from teruma up until his eighth day.  After that point in time, he is only allowed to benefit from teruma if he has been circumcised.  If the infant is ill with an illness affecting the entire body, he is allowed to recover for seven days after the illness has passed; his status allows him to partake of teruma while being uncircumcised. This is discussed with regard to whether or not the infant's father is permitted to eat from the korban pesach.  If the father is wilfully restricting his sons or slaves from circumcision, he cannot eat from the korban.

The Gemara discusses hypothetical cases where an infant might have to delay his circumcision.  

• an infant born a tumtum, where the genitals are unknown
• an infant whose head is somehow born but it's body remains in its mother's body
• an infant who remained alive in this position due to his mother's fever

The Gemara uses verses from Joshua to better understand how men can be circumcised at different times.  As well, the rabbis discuss the notion of 'circumcising a second time'.  They believe that this refers to a circumcision that folds back the membrane of skin over the corona of the penis.  Abraham was not circumcised in this way.  The rabbis look to find proofs regarding the rite of circumcision - its timing; its procedure.  

Again we learn the importance placed upon separating one from another: us from them, right from wrong.  The inclusion or exclusion of Jews from different rites and privileges seems to be one of the major themes running through Talmudic texts.  In this case, we are understanding who is allowed to participate in basic rituals.  So many guidelines, so many rules, so many consequences... and yet these traditions have somehow been maintained in some detail over thousands of years. 

* Rabbi Akiva taught that covenantal blood must be dripped from such a child.