One way was by reciting salvation history , bonding by appropriating a common story . Another way was by performing ritual acts , bonding by appropriating common symbols . They reaffirmed a new generation of male identity with Israel through ritual circumcision . Then they began their warfare for the Promised Land. The norm for Israel was infant circumcision.
Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin.
It's a male thing. It sometimes makes us squirm to think about it and some people today oppose it. That makes us squirm more. Female circumcision is an important justice issue for women today. SOME scholars think this line means literally a second time, because the Egyptian way to circumcise was less thorough, and so it needed to be done again to be satisfactory for Israel.