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B"H
QUESTION: When Abraham asked G-d, (Breishis) "How shall I know that I will inherit it (the land of Canaan)?" G-d told him to offer sacrifices and to part them into halves, except the fowl. What was G-d intimating thereby to Abraham by telling him to do so, and how does this answer his question, "How shall I know that I will inherit it?" Also, the reply that G-d made to Abraham: "Know assuredly that your seed shall be a stranger in a land which is not theirs, and they shall afflict them and serve them four-hundred years, but afterwards they shall come out, etc.," how does G-d's reply serve to answer Abraham's question? What connection is there between the two statements? ANSWER: In answer to your first question, our Rabbis say that G-d intimated to Abraham that he (Abraham and his descendants) would always inherit the land of Canaan by virtue of their offering up sacrifices unto their G-d. (Talmud) As for your second question, G-d was basically telling Abraham that He is all-powerful and capable of not only giving him (his descendants) the land of Canaan, but even in an otherwise harder situation than by simply living as mere strangers in that land, He would still be capable of giving them the land -such as when they had been driven off into slavery and into bondage into a far-off land! G-d was saying that He is still capable of bringing them out of such straights, and causing them to possess the land even against such odds! (A thing which runs contrary to human reason or logic.) In other words, G-d was simply saying to Abraham, if you should doubt My promises, know assuredly that I am able to do far beyond what you expect of Me, even in more difficult situations than this! |
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David,
Why did we never divide the birds? |
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And, didn't we know that HaSh-m would give us the land BECAUSE He walked between the halves of the animals as a sacred oath? I thought that the oath itself WAS the sign.
Just questions, Yocheved |
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Yocheved, If you're speaking about our father, Abraham, at "bris bayn beisarim," this was simply the instruction given unto him. In succeeding generations, when Israel offered sacrifices upon the altar in Jerusalem, birds were not divided. This, too, was "gezeiras hakasuv." Birds were killed by wringing their necks after slitting their throats with the fingernail (Heb. "Malika"). They didn't even require ritual slaughter. Those that were offered as whole-burnt offerings, were burnt in this way upon the altar. Those that were offered as sin-offerings (Heb. "chatas"), were eaten in this way by the priests! Yes, even without ritual slaughter - only "malika." This was unique to bird offerings. David |
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No doubt, there are many exegeses on this particular section (Braishis 15:7-10). Our explanation follows that of Shemuel in Nedarim 32a, who says that Abraham was punished by G-d for asking, "How shall I know that I will inherit it?" G-d brought upon his progeny two-hundred and ten years of subsequent bondage and servitude in a strange land. The matter of the halves (sacrifices) made by Abraham has also been explained in the Talmud (Taanis 27b), which was G-d's way of intimating to him that if his descendants should offer sacrifices, they will always inherit the land. And even when the Temple should be destroyed, if his descendants would read about the sacrifices, it would be as though they offered sacrifices to G-d. |
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OK, But why weren't the birds halved?
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Yocheved, Your explanation about the halves, and how there was once an ancient custom to pass between the dissected limbs of an animal when two people made a covenant, follows RASHI's commentary in Breishis 15:10. Had you read on just a little ways, RASHI goes on to explain why the fowl were not dissected. There, he says: "The idolatrous nations have been likened unto bulls, rams and he-goats, as it is written, 'The Ram that you didst see having horns are the kings of Medai and Persia, etc.' (Daniel, ch. 8) ... Israel, on the other hand, is compared to the fledgling young of a pigeon, as it is written: 'My pigeon is in the clefts of the rock.' (Song of Solomon, ch. 2). Therefore, he divided the beasts, in order to allude about the nations, viz., that they will come to an end and disappear. But the fowl he did not divide, in order to allude that Israel will exist forever." David |
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You are right, I hadn't read that! That is beautiful! I have always wondered the meaning of that, thankyou!
Yocheved Chana |
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