בְּרִית, prop. circle, ring, chain, hence oath (of fidelity), solemn injunction; covenant treatise. [כרת ב׳ to cut a ring out; to make a covenant; בא בב׳ to enter into the ring, to promise fidelity; הפר ב׳ to break the ring, to break one’s oath &c.] Sabb. 137ᵇ; בריתו של אברהם אבינו (sign of) the covenant of Abraham, circumcision. Ab. III, 11; a. fr. Y. Peah VIII, 21ᵃ מפני ב׳ של א"א on account of the covenant of Abraham (for the sake of human dignity). Num. R. s. 18, a. fr. ב׳ כרותה לשפתים a law is made for the lips, i.e. words are ominous (ref. to לא נעלה, Num. XVI, 12). Gen. R. s. 34, v. אָוִיר; a. fr.—הַבְּ׳ וכ׳ by the covenant (an oath), indeed. Tosef. Ḥall. I, 6 ב׳ וכ׳ (Var. הב׳); Pes. 38ᵇ indeed, those are the very words &c.; (some explain) indeed?, are those the very &c. (is it a tradition for which no reason needs to be given)?; Y. Peah V, 19ᵇ bot. הב׳.—Pl. בְּרִיתוֹת. Ber. 48ᵇ sq. שלש ב׳ three covenants (three times the word b’rith, Deut. XXVIII, 69; XXIX, 8). Tosef. Sot. VIII, 10; 11 ב׳ Var. (ed. Zuck. כְּרִיתוֹת); Sot. 37ᵇ; a. fr.