During a Brit, last week, Rabbi Pesach Krohn mentioned how special it is when someone has a brit during Pesach as there is a close connection of these two events.
Indeed, I found these connections:
- An uncircumcised person may not eat Korban Pesach (See Shmot 12:48)
- Both mitzvoth seem to be the only two positive commandments for which there is the punishment of karet if one does not perform them. (Mishna, Kereitot 1:1) (Although, there is a Pesach Sheini allowed for certain circumstances.) Refer to Breishit 17:14 regarding milah and Bemidbar 9:13 regarding Pesach.
- The Haggada quotes the 2 Mitzvos as being a zechus (merit) for our nation to enable us to leave Egypt as we lacked Positive Mitzvos (Yechezkel 16,6: “vo'e'evor alayich vo'er'eich misboseses bedamayich va'omar loch 'bedomayich chayi' va'omar loch 'bedomayich chayi,)
(I know that there are others mentioned in Tanac"h, so feel free to edit in, if desired.)
Why does the Torah place such a strong connection of these two items. I'm esp. interested in the 2nd connection that I mentioned, as to why these two mitzvoth are the only positive ones for which failure to perform gets karet.