New User ? Sign Up  |  Sign In  |  Help
Strange Questions
Get the Answers at Strange Questions!
ask
answer
explore
Search for questions :
My Profile

BobToday

Open Questions Bookmark and Share

Do you have to be circumcised to be Jewish?


I want to convert to Judaism, but I'm not so hot on getting circumcized. Isn't that only for babies?

4764 day(s) ago

    Comment(s) (0)
    Report Abuse
   Find Interesting  
   Email to Friends  
   Bookmark  
   Subscribe to Answer Alert  
No comments yet !!!     Be the first to comment !!!
Answers (2)

Nate
Orthodox Jews almost always require a cirucmcision for converts however exceptions can be made for those with medical issues. More secular Jews while they sometimes require a ciruccmision they don't always require a circumcision. Circumcision is not synonyms with being Jewish there are some Jewish parents who do not do it to their children, some don't do it because of medical issues some don't do it for other reasons and as stated before there are converts who do not undergo a circumcision either because of medical issues or because they don't want it done. If you truly want to convert but don't want to lose your foreskin then do some research and find a Rabbi and Synagogue that doesn't require being circucmised they are out there. If you choose to undergo a circumcision you are not required to undergo a Bris Phalah (sorry if I spelled that wrong) you are required to a Bris Milah. The difference between the two is in the Bris Milah (the original way) only requires the tissue beyond the glans to be cut away in the Bris Phalah (new way added around 2,000 years ago) the entire foreskin is required to be removed however most Rabbis perform Bris Phalahs and it would be harder to get a Bris Milah. The penile frenulum (you have one under your tongue) is not required to be removed, so if you get a circumcision done make sure if you want to keep it you let them know you want to keep it, because if you don't speak up they might remove it.

Posted 4763 day ago

( 0 )
( 0 )
    Comment(s) (0)
   Report Abuse
No comments yet !!! Be the first to comment on this answer !!!


Roper
Yes, any male who wants to be considered a full member of the Jewish faith must be circumcised, no matter their age. Even men who are already circumcised must undergo a second ritual circumcision. That’s not really the hard part, though. You don’t really have to do anything to be circumcised, and the procedure is perfectly safe. The hard part is everything else that requires some work and effort on your part.

Circumcision for male converts to Judaism has been a debated issue for quite some time. Rabbi Eliezer, a prominent authority in the 1st century A.D., issued a proclamation stating that converts must be circumcised according to the teachings of the Midrash, a holy book of Judaism. The book says that anyone not observing circumcision or the Sabbath may not enter the land of promise.

Another book, the Babylonian Talmud, states that converts need not be circumcised as long as they are ritually immersed in mikveh, a type of Jewish holy water. Unfortunately, this is considered the lesser of the two versions of the Talmud to many Jewish scholars. When in conflict, the Jerusalem Talmud usually wins out.

Circumcision and the ritual immersion are actually the last steps to converting to Judaism. Before the rituals are performed, you must be accepted among the Jewish people. This is not just converting to a different religion, but to an entirely different way of life.

You will be required to study every aspect of the Jewish holy books. Not a day should go by when you do not read and memorize sections of the Torah. You will have to learn all of the prayers and some songs, which all have to be spoken in Hebrew. Most rabbis performing the conversion will require a good knowledge of the Hebrew language.

The most important aspects of the religion to be studied are laws and ethics. The Five Books of Moses are paramount. Studying Jewish history is secondary. After all of the studying, you will be given a test. If you pass the test successfully, you will finally be allowed to undergo the final ceremonies.

So, you see, circumcision is not just a requirement, but it is a great honor…if you believe in that kind of stuff.


Posted 4764 day ago

( 0 )
( 0 )
    Comment(s) (0)
   Report Abuse
No comments yet !!! Be the first to comment on this answer !!!

Edit your answer. Click save when done.
Question Title Do you have to be circumcised to be Jewish?
Your Answer
Character Count ( Max. - 5000 ) : 100
Email this question link to friends
Please enter e-mail address and name for each friend..
Friend #1 -
Friend #2 -
Friend #3 -
Friend #4 -
Friend #5 -
  Your comment on this question
Max Allowed : 5000 Characters Current Count : 0
  Your comment on this answer
Max Allowed : 5000 Characters Current Count : 0

Copyright © 2024 Terms & Conditions