Mohel Mohel A mohel ( , Ashkenazi pronunciation , plural: "mohalim" , "mohala", "circumciser") is a Jew trained in the practice of "brit milah", the "covenant of circumcision." The noun "mohel" ("mohala" in Aramaic) "circumciser", is derived from the same verb stem as "milah" "circumcision." The noun appeared for the first time in the fourth century as the title of a circumciser (Shabbat 156a). For Jews, male circumcision is mandatory, as it is prescribed in the Torah. In the Book of Genesis as a mark of the Covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham: "Throughout all generations, every male shall
What Is a Nation? What Is a Nation? "What is a Nation?" ("Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?") is an 1882 lecture by French historian Ernest Renan (1823–1892), known for the statements that a nation is "a daily referendum", and that nations are based as much on what the people jointly forget, as what they remember. It is frequently quoted or anthologized in works of history or political science pertaining to nationalism and national identity. Renan wrote "What is a Nation" in order to symbolize the nationalism which was born in France as a result of the French Revolution of 1789. Renan begins his essay by noting