Foreskin
![Abraham Took Ishmael with All the Males Born in His House and Circumcised Them; as in Genesis 17:23: "And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him."; illustration from the 1728 "Figures de la Bible"; illustrated by Gerard Hoet (1648–1733) and others, and published by P. de Hondt in The Hague; image courtesy Bizzell Bible Collection, University of Oklahoma Libraries Abraham Took Ishmael with All the Males Born in His House and Circumcised Them, by illustrators of the 1728 "Figures de la Bible", Gerard Hoet (1648–1733) and others, published by P. de Hondt in The Hague in 1728](/bundles/ncbsw/media/Figures_017_Abraham_Took_Ishmael_with_All_the_Males_Born_in_His_House_and_Circumcised_Them.webp)
Since the foreskin covers the male genitals, it represents the love of self and love of the world, which cover over our potential for good and truth and prevent us from achieving conjunction with our spouses, with the Lord, and with each other. The removal of the foreskin in circumcision represents the removal of these evil loves so that we can receive heavenly things.