transitive verb. 1 : to perceive the odor or scent of through stimuli affecting the olfactory nerves : get the odor or scent of with the nose. 2 : to detect or become aware of as if by the sense of smell I smell trouble. 3 : to emit the odor of. intransitive verb. 1 : to exercise the sense of smell.
The command is compulsory for Jews. Circumcision is also practised by secular Jews and connects Jews of all tendencies, from orthodox to reform, with another. It is not only a tradition but a central part of the Jewish identity. It is of essential significance and constitutive for being a Jew.
First published online: September 2, 1997. Female circumcision, the partial or total cutting away of the external female genitalia, has been practiced for centuries in parts of Africa, generally as one element of a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage.