The mitzvot of Lech Lecha

The first mitzvah of the parsha

2. The commandment to circumcise

Genesis 17:10

The root of the mitzvah

God wished to set a lasting sign on the body of the people He chose, so that Israel would be distinct from the other nations in their bodies just as they are distinct in their souls. The sign was placed on the organ through which the human race continues. And man was not created complete from the womb; his completion was left in his own hands, to hint that just as he can complete his body, so he can complete his soul through good deeds.