What is one supposed to answer to someone who asks, "What is the point of Metzitzah?" "Isn't is vulgar?" etc...

Is there some way to explain it that won't revolve around "that's what God told us to do", because I'm talking about a person that doesn't care about that stuff. He just wants a rational explanation of something that seems really crazy to him.

Thanks.

Metzizah isn't because it's what Hashem said, It's a medical procedure (assumingly,to keep the blood flowing, which Chazal thought it's a Sakana not to do

I knew that

I meant if I guy asks you 'Why not use modern-day equipment instead of your mouth?..." nad such, what would you answer him?

This is a very hard question because it doesn't deal with logic. Since there are no scientific or logical way to define revolting. It's all a product of our personal likes and dislikes combined with our society's. If you grow up as that Metzizah is the norm, there is no revoltation to it. Like you are revolted by the sight of pork, and have an uneasy feeling about it. If a non-jew eats it, are they doing revolting behavior?

Right. That's exactly what I was thinking. I was saying to myself when he asked me "Well, is it my fault that society is so dirty and explicitly offensive that you have to think what you're thinking...?"

Anyway, I agree with what you're saying. I guess that some people just won't (or don't want to) understand.

Yair

quote:

Originally posted by Yair:
I knew that

I meant if I guy asks you 'Why not use modern-day equipment instead of your mouth?..." nad such, what would you answer him?

You would answer that many Mohelim today use a glass pipette.

I think that this whole argument against using the mouth and such, by the non-Jews or non-Frum person is a dig at us Orthodox Jewish People. I remember it being compared, not so long ago, with the anti-Shechita laws....

There is a machlokes among the Poskim going back to the time when tubes became available for Metziza .The Beeir Yizchak (R'Yizchzk Elchanan from Kovno) was permitting it ,the Binyan Zion (R' Yaakov Ettlinger from Hamburg)forbade it. The main reason why it was forbidden was because in would made inroads from the reform movement that was prevalent at that time and gaining power and strenght .It would send a signal that halachos are outdated chas veshalom and give credit to the reform movement. There is also mentioned a reason according to Kabala (which actually is because Hashem said so)