Opinion
Follow Germany's lead on circumcision
Eran Sadeh
Published: 24.08.12, 12:52
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
191 Talkbacks for this article
1. I think the progressive liberals are a bit too fixated
Adam ,   Yeruka   (08.24.12)
On infants penises. Seriously, mind your own business. Parents do what they feel is best for their children and don't need you preaching to them about it. Some parents pierce their baby's ears, force toilet train. Every sane parent does what he or she feels is best and you have no right to tell others how to bring their children up. Stop worrying about my kid's "member" and grow a pair to accompany your own!
2. Self-hater, is all that can be said
Alex   (08.24.12)
There's no scientifical reason behind a ban, quite the contrary. Circumcision is one subject that unites religion and science.
3. Why have I not read about these interventions due to circumc
Arnold ,   Canada   (08.24.12)
Surely this would be known within the Jewish community if all these hundreds of babies suffered. I think it is all BS.
4. Persian wants to reinvent our laws
Tarbouche ,   Aswad   (08.24.12)
Sadeh, I dare say, would have had real traditional upbringing, if he'd lived in Iran's jewish community, and been nor taught the laws of Moses He is confused and caught in a debate he does not understand Bravo Ynet, for putting more of the same KRAPP on your site
5. The Only Response!
Robert Blum ,   New Albany, USA   (08.24.12)
Christianity adopted our Torah. Jews know that the Torah, (which Christians refer to as the 'Old Testament or Bible), is immutable! Nevertheless, Christians created an addendum to it, which they call 'New Testament', which Jews believe is a testament to nothing(Read '26 Reasons Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus'). The point here is that the Torah teaches that Jews are in fact the 'Chosen' people of G-d; chosen to receive His Torah and to live according to ALL of its precepts, regardless how each generation's modernity, dismisses such precepts as nonsense, as dangerous or as out-dated and erroneous! The Torah teaches us that we have an eternal pact with G-d to perform such religious circumcisions, as a personal sacrifice of the physical pleasures in exchange for a commitment of ourselves to spiritual elevation instead; holding spirituality on a higher plane, expressed in OUR JEWISH WAY! Aside from this pact, which may not be altered, as it is stated in OUR immutable Torah, the health benefits have also been documented. You are clearly of an ilk that holds condemnation as a supreme remedy for resolving issues that bring about a result that you feel is comfortable for you and your like thinkers, who stand opposed to disquieting customs and religious needs which in fact have NO effect or relationship whatsoever to you or to your personal life-style. Your narrow thinking and quick condemnation is a sickening statement about what you are, and we, observant Jews are repulsed by your ilk and in turn condemn you and your self-serving ignorance and intolerance!
6. Eran Sadeh imaginary friend above commands us
ygalg ,   israel   (08.24.12)
who cares about facts? we have 5000 years old "tradition". old must be wise and rational ... no?
7. Circumcision
Ceaser ,   Ariel, Israel   (08.24.12)
The commandment of circumcision is that on the 8th day we are required to circumcise every male as a sign that he is part of the Covenant set between The Jewish people and Hashem. By ignoring this commandment, Mr. Sadeh voids the Covenant between our ancestor Abraham and Hashem. In so doing he also voids any connection that we as the Jewish People have with this Land. Mr Sadeh please be successful and go wherever you wish and please forget that you have any reason to be here in this Land.
8. thumbs up!!!
iselin ,   Oslo, Norway   (08.24.12)
I never thought I would see an article such as this on ynet. I couldn't agree with you more. The integrity of children's bodies is more important than religion, much of which is myth and folklore. For those who will counteract this statement with historical proof, more is needed than remnants of scrolls and tombs and geographical sites to prove that circumcision is divinely ordained and justified and worth perpetrating on healthy babies. I would expect people to have more sense now than thousands of years ago and to be able to look at this ritual objectively for exactly what it is - a primitive blood rite, but I am surprised all the time.
9. Purim Torah
shuli ,   uk   (08.24.12)
i see Purim has come early What is this XXXX doing on this website
10. ha ha ha , what a rubish.so go and live in Germany
hadad ,   u.k   (08.24.12)
11. dear mr sadeh...
yehudi ,   eretz yisrael   (08.24.12)
...if you really 'predict' that the state of israel will outlaw circumcision 'within a few years', i suggest you seek psychological treatment. your article is irredeemably biased, poorly presented, and ultimately quite offensive. someone needs to 'protect the child' from the likes of people like you. YOUR RIGHT TO MEDDLE WITH OTHER PEOPLES FORESKINS DOES NOT TRUMP MY RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION. and it never will. have a nice life!
12. Is this member serious?
homer jones ,   nyc usa   (08.24.12)
I don't think so!
13. ynet has become a left wing pro german rag
JL   (08.24.12)
14. Did I goto the wrong webpage
Eliyahu ,   Oklahoma, USA   (08.24.12)
Saw this piece and thought I had visited the Haaretz site.
15. WHO recommends circumcision for health reasons...
Alexander ,   Ramat Gan, Israel   (08.24.12)
... and sponsors mass circumcisions among African men to reduce the spread of AIDS. But Mr. Sadeh here apparently knows more than the entire world's medical professionals. Must be great to be so clever.
16. All opinion
John   (08.24.12)
Nearly all of his comments are of personal opinion. "More ethical" = relative statement; ""more humane" = relative statement, and so on.
17. Mr. Sadeh opposes circumcision
Jake   (08.24.12)
He doesn't want himself and his fellow d!ckheads to be exposed.
18. You forgot on "Whole member"
Amichai ,   Huntsville, US   (08.24.12)
You forgot that a "whole member" is against our covenant with Hashem. If you choose not to abide by it, fine. You liberals purport to know what is best for a baby boy's body, but we of The Covenant know what is best for his soul. Your real opposition to the practice is that you detest the very thought of worshiping something other than your own ego.
19. Why Ynet publishes this rubbish
Rosie   (08.24.12)
Eran is a STUPID IDIOT that wants to be provocative. Self hating
20. He's right. It's not necessarily logical or practical.
allan ,   canada   (08.24.12)
but that only serves to highlight why we do it. We perform the bris milah for the same reason that we perform all the other mitzvot-because that's what hashem commanded us to do, whether it makes sense to us at the time or not.
21. Circumcision is much healthier. It has kept the Jewish
a ,   canada   (08.24.12)
people alive for thousands of years.
22. the benefit of circumcision is the spiritual
allan ,   canada   (08.24.12)
benefit of the individual. This opinion piece does not address this central issue at all. Does eran sadeh have any proof that the baby retains all the same spiritual benefits if they are not circumcised?
23. right on
John de Frece ,   Ramat Gan   (08.24.12)
yo are completely right I bitterly regret circumcising my 2 boys
24. hahaha
alex ,   brasil   (08.24.12)
comon! Ynet, is this article a joke?!
25. bris
mike ,   us   (08.24.12)
Where do you come up with your facts such as: Ten out of every 100 circumcised children will have to undergo surgery to expand the opening of the urethra. This has no basis in reality. It is hard to argue something when you blatantly present wrong information. I won't even go into the other mistakes you made!!
26. #8 Norwegian meddling with our penises
Alex   (08.24.12)
What's your obsession with our penises? I've seen "intactivist" sites with whole archives of perverted pictures of uncircumcised penises (the more foreskin the better they seem to imply). You can let your penises rot from various infections, smell and smegma in Norway if you like, but keep it to yourself. We have both religion, culture and science backing up circumcisions. Heck, Saudi Arabians is more open minded than your kind...
27. Brit Milah - Circumcision
Habib Seliman ,   New York, USA   (08.24.12)
This is a fundamental aspect of who we are as a people and a core component of our cultural existance moving forward into the future. Perhaps the answer lies in having the 'Mohelim' additionally trained and educated in the fundamental aspects of human physiology, clincal hygine and licensed by civil authorities whether it be in Israel, New York, Germany or where ever. This ritual has been going on for thousands of years before the onset of modern scientific and medical practices. Today we are fortunate, we can use every tool that we now have available to make sure that when the ritual is done, all safeguards are in place to protect the baby. From my own experiences in life and comparing notes with other Jewish males friends on the topic of circumcision, none of us have a complaint. Quite the contrary, the Jewish circumcised male seems to be quite in demand by both Jewish and non Jewish partners. Perhaps a global ban on female circumcsion and youth body (read gental) piercings would be more appropriate.
28. A very good article. Banning this barbaric custom is a MUST.
Michael ,   California, USA   (08.24.12)
There are other Jewish customs out of date, such as Kashrut, and Shabbat, an Mikveh, and Mitzvot and Commandments. Life marches forward and human coexistence dictates moral and practical laws. Ancient texts and fairy tales as a basis for laws and orderly existence belong in a dungeon with the cobwebs.
29. Sounds like someone has Jew-penis envy
Arie   (08.24.12)
30. I'm neutral, but 10 out of 100 must be a bogus statistic
Logic ,   Israel   (08.24.12)
The author should cite his statement about 10% needing future urethral surgery. I don't believe it, since otherwise non-Jews would have stopped doing this procedure long ago if the side effects were so severe.
Next talkbacks
Back to article