12. Baruk ‘Avrǝham, ‘Adi Gezarā, Salām Kidāna

The prayer consists of three sections that could be heard separately on other occasions such as weddings (in the case of the first) or ‘Āstaseryo and the Seventh Sabbath (the third). However, when they are performed together in the present order they turn into a specific piece for circumcision. In the context of circumcision, the first section tells about how God blessed Abraham before imposing on him the commandment of circumcision. The second section refers to the obligation to cut the flesh of the foreskin on the eighth day with reference to Genesis 17:11-12. The third section mentions a covenant of eternal peace, with the circumcision itself called an eternal covenant. The piece proceeds by naming those who have been awarded such an eternal covenant: Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob/Israel, Moses and Aaron and, finally, their offspring.

These three pieces in the hemiola pattern are sung one after the other without a pause. While the rhythm of these pieces does not seem obvious at the beginning, it rapidly becomes marked by the Qessoch stamping their feet and emitting sounds of hissing. The period of the hemiola varies according to the length of the verses, from 4-4-8/4-4-8, to 3-3-6/3-3-6, to 3-3-7/3-3-7, to 3-4-5/3-4-5.