פרשת לך לך - סוד ברית בין הבתרים

Unraveling the Mystery of the Covenant with Avraham:

In the Bris Bein Habesarim, Hashem instructs Avraham to take a heifer, a she-goat, and a ram, and to cut each in half, laying the pieces opposite one another. As Avraham awaits further instruction, he is shown a vision of a divine fire passing between the pieces, marking Hashem’s binding promise to give Avraham’s descendants the land of Israel and to protect them through their trials.

Yet this covenant is filled with enigmatic details. The animals are all specified to be "Meshulash", which is usually translated as “three years old.” But the literal meaning is “triangular” or “three-sided”—a word choice not typically used for age. Why would the Torah choose this cryptic word, which appears nowhere else? And why were animals of this age, usually unsuitable for sacrifices, selected for this pivotal covenant? The ritual seems to recall pagan practices, so why would Hashem ask Avraham to perform a ceremony reminiscent of those?

Adding to the mystery, Avraham is instructed to include a turtle-dove and a young bird, but not to cut them. Yet the Torah states, “He did not halve the bird" without specifying which bird it means. Why the ambiguity? Could it signify something essential to this covenant?

Each of these details carries deeper symbolic meaning,defining the future of Israel. Join us as we delve into these questions and uncover the hidden messages, and how they illuminate the path of future generations.

Shiur is given by Rabbi Fridmann from Badatz Miami. www.badatzmiami.com