by JONATHAN ZECKLER

Based on “Sefer Haikarim, Ch45”

The word covenant in Hebrew is BRIT – it is applied to affirmation or oath or something which is performed by two persons to bind them to each other (in love and friendship).

They make a certain sign the existence of which points to the covenant — like a witness to an event.

Gen 9, v12

And G-d said (to Noah) “This is the token of the covenant (i.e. the rainbow) that I make between you and Me…”

Similarly, Lavan said to Jacob:

Gen31,44

“Now come let us make a covenant…then he raised a heap of stones….this heap is witness…”.

We find in the Bible the method of making a covenant was that they cut an animal in two parts  and the covenanting parties passed between the pieces.

 See Jeremiah 34v18 – “I will make the parties who violated my covenant who did not fullfill the terms of the covenant that they made before Me, like the calf that they cut in two so as to pass between the halves

Similarly, when G-d made a covenant with with Abraham Gen15 v9-10, when Hashem made a covenant with Abraham He said to him: “ Take me heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old and a ram of three years old ….and he divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other…”

An aside – Rashi on the above explains:-

The nations that worshop stars are compared to bullocks, rams and goats…Daniel 8.20  – “the ram which you saw having two horns  – they are the Kings of Media and Perisa, and the rough hegoat is the king of Greece” and Israel is likened to a dove – see Song of Songs 2 “my dove in the clefts of the rock..”

The star worshipers were therefore alluded to as eventually perishing. Israel the dove would last forever.

In the sequel Abraham sees in a prophetic vision the glory of Hashem passing between the pieces Gen15,17 – “And it came to pass that when the sun went down  there was thick darkness behold a smoking furnace and a flaming torch that passed between the pieces.”

So why make a covenant?

The purpose behind making a covenent between friends, is because the covenant creates a permanent bond between the parties for the pupose of cementing and binding the two to each other – they are now “one body” and each should take of each other as of himself.

This is why the animal is cut in two and both parties pass between the parts as a sign that just as the two parts of the animal when alive formed a living being and each part of the animal felt the pain of the other and only death separated those two parts so to the parties making the covenant are to be as one body while living and nothing but death parts them.

If one party to the covenant sees the other in danger then that party must risk even death to save the other party.

Each must disclose any evil plots against the other and assure the other that they will come to help as required and be jealous for him as he would for himself.

Each should reveal to the other their inner most secret thoughts – for a friend is like a person’s self.

“thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself…”  Lev19,18.

The essence of perfect love is that the lover becomes one with the loved.

Ahava and Echad have the same numerical value i.e. 13. Meaning that the loved is not different than himself.  Hence he should trust him and reveal his secrets to him as he reveals them to himself.

Hence,  as soon as Hashem makes the covenant with Abraham he reveals to him the evil that will soon befall Abrahams heirs – “Know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them and they shall afflict them 400 years; and also that nation whom they shall serve I WILL JUDGE..” Gen15,13-14

Then in the immediate seqeul “In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham saying “Unto thy seed I have given this land…”

Hashem having disclosed the downfall of the Jewish people then reveals that He would help the Children of Israel and rescue them from their persecutors.

The meaing of the coventant between the pieces therefore, is that Hashem will be with us in distress and sypmthise with us – as the Rabbis say in Megillah 29a – “the Shekinha suffers in the suffering of Israel  – as it says in Ps 91,15: “I will be with him in trouble”.

Therefore, the covenant of Hashem with Abraham created “one body” which cannot be broken or replaced or even separated by death, this due to the eternal nature of G-d which as a consequence of the bond in turn means that the Children of Israel are eternal regardless of the attacks or their nature as part of the People of Israel is Hashem and He will always due to the bond save us even if it appears all is lost. However, it is incumbent on the Jewish people to keep up their end of the deal and ensure they remain loyal to God and His commandments. Hashem is our rock our salvation and upon him we, we the dove, entrust ourselves.

The Everlasting Covenant –

It was and is inevitable that the Jews would and will stray and the nations of the world say that we broke the covenant as mentioned above  – therefore, the divine Wisdom (Hachochma Haelyonit) determined to make a permanent covenant with Abraham and his seed- so that they would be His people and that they would merit His Inheritance and that HE should be their God always.

After the vision of the parts comes the commandment of the circumcision – Gen 17,7 – for Abraham and all his descendants – the circumcision acts the sign to an everlasting covenant, namely that Hashem would be a God to us (See Rashi) –  the Brit Olam.

To this day the Children of Israel – carry this sign on their body – a proof of the union between Hashem and the seed of Abraham who maintain His covenant – by us keeping this commandment in every generation it shows that the Divine bond is still with us.

When one is gravely ill as long as there is a sign of life then there is hope – we see doctors today never give up hope unless there is no sign of life – as long as there is a sign there is hope.

Similarly, the nations of the world write of the Jewish people, write of the State of Israel, wishing that our cousins will do as they promise and throw us into the sea – they say that God has abandoned us and formed new covenants with other people – they say we are without hope, that our expectation is lost and that we are cut off.

But when we see the sign of the covenant being maintained from year to year (as per the commandment of God – Gen 17:9-12) in an unbroken chain from Abraham – this points to the existence of the bond between the Divine and us  – therefore, we know that we have the strength to live, survive, overcome and ultimately claim that which Hashem promised us in the following verse Gen 17:8 –

“And I will give unto you and unto your seed……the land of Cannan for an everlasting possession and  I will be to them for a God”

The Children of Israel and the State of Israel will return to its original strength and will cleave to Hashem.