Seder 93: Leviticus 19:23-25----More on "Uncircumcised" Fruit

  When the Israelites planted a new tree in the Promised Land, they were not to eat any fruit that happened to grow during the first three years.  This initial fruit was considered to be "uncircumcised."  

The adjective "uncircumcised" (Hebrew arel) is applied in a figurative way to several things in the Bible:

• fruit (Lev 19:23);
• lips (Ex 6:12, 30);
• hearts (Lev 26:41; Jer 9:26; Eze 44:7, 9);
• ears (Jer 6:10).

In each case there is some "blockage" that needs to be removed or improvement that needs to be carried out. 

Jewish teacher Sharon Rimon relates a midrash in which a Roman official asks Rabbi Akiva why boys are not born circumcised.  Akiva observes that there are a number of instances where God gives people things to do.  He gives us grain, from which we make bread; he gives us flax, from which we make linen, etc.  In general, God gives us these things to do so that we can be partners with him in creation and grow in the process.