Brit milah (Circumcision)

The words "Jerusalem" and "Israel" accompany a Jewish child from the very beginning of his life. Already at the first religious Jewish ceremony, Brit Milah, some recited texts may, depending on different Jewish traditions, include: 'If I forget you, Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget her cunning; Let my tongue cleave to my mouth, if I don't remember you, if I don't set Jerusalem as my primary joy". Or, "Hear Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One". It is customary that the person blessing pauses after saying "and his name in Israel shall be called," and the father whispers to him the name of the baby.

Brit Milah literally means "covenant of circumcision". It is performed on a Jewish male eight days after he is born, by a mohel -- a person who has mastered the set of Jewish laws regarding circumcision and received extensive practical training.

Abraham vowed that he would teach children of Israel to serve God with perfect devotion. In return, God promised to guarantee the survival of Abraham's progeny, that became the nation of Israel that have since been known as the Jews.

As long as there would be human beings in the world, God assured Abraham, there would always be children of Israel. This covenant or pact between God and Abraham was sealed through the act of brit milah.