The Domain of God
Fr. Paul Tarazi explains the technical link between the blood of birth-giving and the blood of circumcision in the Biblical story.
Listen to the episode here (15 minutes): https://ephesusschool.org/the-domain-of-god/
Some talking points:
Link between the blood of birth-giving and the blood of circumcision.
Why is the blood of birth-giving linked with ritual impurity? Because this is touching on the domain of God: the breathing (nefesh in Hebrew) and the “bloods” (yes, plural— damim in Hebrew). This is life and only God may give it or take it away. The shedding of blood during birth-giving has the “taste” of death although life comes out if it.
This is the link with circumcision.
Abraham has no toledot (“genealogy”) in the text because his toledot is linked to the covenant of circumcision. And this covenant with the source of life is itself the continuance of life.
This is the connection with the famous “bridegroom of blood” in Exodus 4:24.
Even if you don’t quite follow what he’s saying, you should listen to hear what a real teacher of the biblical text sounds like. If a teacher doesn’t know biblical Hebrew and Greek, they don’t have anything to offer you except fake theology, feel-goodisms, and church doctrines— none of which are the biblical text.
Listen to the episode here (15 minutes): https://ephesusschool.org/the-domain-of-god/