Chasidut for Genesis 15:17
וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 15,17., “and behold a smoking furnace and flaming torch that had passed between these pieces;” in this instance the Shechinah, G’d’s presence, passed between the pieces of the sacrifices, prior to G’d making a covenant with Avraham;
[this was similar to heavenly fire descending on the communal offerings offered by the Israelite in the Tabernacle. Ed.] The reason it is described as עבר, briefly passing, is so that we would not confuse this phenomenon with the Shechinah that rested permanently on the Tabernacle during the Israelites’ wanderings in the desert.
[this was similar to heavenly fire descending on the communal offerings offered by the Israelite in the Tabernacle. Ed.] The reason it is described as עבר, briefly passing, is so that we would not confuse this phenomenon with the Shechinah that rested permanently on the Tabernacle during the Israelites’ wanderings in the desert.
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