Derasha 1 on Lech Lecha 17:9

TT #1 · Parashas Lech Lecha · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 17:9

Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם וְאַתָּה֙ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֔ר אַתָּ֛ה וְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃

God said to Avraham: As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT: circumcision performed by a non-Jew is invalid — “you shall keep My covenant… and your offspring,” not a non-Jew.

Core Text

Core Text מִנַּיִין לְמִילָה בְּעוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים שֶׁהִיא פְּסוּלָה? … דִּכְתִיב וְאַתָּה אֶת בְּרִיתִי תִשְׁמֹר… וְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ — וְלֹא עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים.
English of Core Text: From where do we know that circumcision by a non-Jew is invalid? … as it is written “you shall keep My covenant… and your offspring after you” — and not a non-Jew.
On the daf / in context: The addressees of the command to keep the covenant are limited to Avraham and his seed, excluding a gentile as the agent of milah.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

The identity of the circumciser is fixed by the covenant’s own wording.