Shovevim #2

The Torah begins בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ. The Torah is not a history or science book but a guide to the deeper meaning of life and creation. Beyond describing that the sky and land were created, the Torah is also teaching us about the source of their existence. את can also be read אות - sign. The world stands on the "sign" of the sky and land. The "sky" in Kabbala is the male while the "earth" is an allusion to the female [why this is so is beyond the scope of this post]. The whole creation stands on the merit of shmiras habris - that is the "sign" to which the Torah refers. This sign marks us [literally] as Jews. It is interesting that a goy cannot have a Bris Milah and even if he is circumcised it doesn't count and he is considered uncircumcised. [The halachic ramification of this is spelled out in Maseches Nedarim]. Only Jews have this special sign between them and Hashem. [The first letters of the words את השמים ואת הארץ are the same gematria  as the word  טוב. Shmiras Habris makes us "good"] 

Before being given the Torah, Hashem tells us ושמרתם את בריתי והייתם לי סגולה מכל העמים - Guard my Bris [Milah] and thereby, you will be my special nation.

The pasuk says ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת - The term Shabbos, according to the Zohar Hakadosh, is a reference to the Bris. We are being commanded to guard our Bris Kodesh. The pasuk continues לעשות את השבת לדורותם  - We have to make sure that our kavana in the zivug is to continue the generations of holy Jews [and not just for pleasure, G-d forbid], ביני ובין בני ישראל אות היא לעולם - This Bris is an eternal sign of the connection between Hashem and His people.

Look at Bilaam. He knew the Divine secrets, as the pasuk says ויודע דעת עליון and his evil, insidious plan was to make the Jews fall in the area of Shmiras Habris [see the end of Parshas Balak]. So the way to remain connected to our Divine souce and to be His holy people is to guard our Bris.

ושמרתם את בריתי והייתם לי סגולה מכל העמים.

[Based on the sefer Tiferes Shlomo Breishis, Page 47]