History of male circumcision of the glans. Later during the Talmudic period (500–625 CE) a third step, known as "Metzitzah", began to be practiced. In this step the "mohel" would suck the blood from the circumcision wound with his mouth to remove what was believed to be bad excess blood. As it actually increases the likelihood of infections such as tuberculosis and venereal diseases, modern day mohels use a glass tube placed over the infant's penis for suction of the blood. In many Jewish ritual circumcisions this step of Metzitzah has been eliminated. First Maccabees tells us that the Seleucids forbade the practice of
A Serious Man Jewish women's certitude in crisis, anticipating Judith's affirmative stand that her husband should pay for her lover's funeral. "The Wall Street Journal"s Joe Morgenstern disliked what he saw as the film's misanthropy, saying that "their caricatures range from dislikable through despicable, with not a smidgeon of humanity to redeem them." David Denby of "The New Yorker" enjoyed the film's look and feel, but found fault with the script and characterization: ""A Serious Man", like "Burn After Reading", is in their bleak, black, belittling mode, and it's hell to sit through ... As a piece of movie-making craft, "A Serious Man"