Beraishit 15.17- בראשית

Covenant Between the Parts-continued

The Flaming Torch and the Smoking Furnace

17.’ And it was, that when the sun set, and there was darkness, and behold), a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces- וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה (3538=19=10=1).

The verse can be divided so:

·         And it was that when the sun set, and there was darkness, and behold- וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָהוַעֲלָטָה הָיָה וְהִנֵּה (890=17=8);

·         A smoking furnace and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces- תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה (4508=17=8counting final Nuns and Mem as 700 and 600).

Rashi comments here that Hashem showed Abraham that in the future the four Kingdoms would fall into "Gehinnom"- גהינם (108) (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 28). 

The Four Kingdoms that will be annihilated at the End of Days are found in the Book of Daniel (Chap.8):

·         Babylon-                           בבל  =34

·         Median-Persian-  מדי ופרס   =400

·         Greece-                              יון    =66

·         Edom (Rome)-              אדום   =51

                                  551+6 words=17=8

Our Sages teach us that there is also a fifth nation that persecutes the Jewish People –Ishmael-ישמעאל. This is Islam- אסלם.

Interestingly the word "Islam"- אסלם is spelt with the same letters as the Angel of Death-"Samel"-סמאל. This is no coincidence.

The gematria of Ishmael- ישמעאל is 451.

The joint gematria of all five nations including Ishmael is:

551+451= 1002+6 words=1008

From here we now understand the significance of the phrase in the vision of Abraham:

The Bird he did not divide

הַצִּפֹּר לֹא בָתָר

1008

Thus Hashem will annihilate (cut in two) His enemies that have persecuted His Children, the Children of Israel, over the centuries, but the Jewish People (the bird- הַצִּפֹּר) he will save. He will send Ishmael/Islam to do it.

Islam-Ishmael

 אסלם-ישמעאל

1142=8 (Mem 600)

Ishmael-Samel

ישמעאל-סמאל

582+2 words=17=8

At the End of Days Islam Hashem will turn Ishmael loose upon all the four other nations and destroy them. Then Hashem will save the Jewish People in the Final Redemption and give them the lands of the 10 nations that were promised to Abraham.

The gematria of the words “and it was that when the sun set”- וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה is 684=18.

The gematria of the words “there was darkness”- עֲלָטָה הָיָה is 134=8.

The gematria of the words “smoking furnace”- תַנּוּר עָשָׁן is 1726+2 words=18 counting final Nun as 700.

The gematria of the words “and a flaming torch”- וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ is 431=8.

The gematria of the words “smoking furnace and a flaming torch”- תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ is 1507+4 words=1511=8.

The gematria of the word “pieces”- גְּזָרִים is 260=8.

The gematria of the words “between the pieces”- בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים is 1537+2 words=18 counting final Nun and Mem as 700 and 600.

The gematria of the words “passed between these pieces”- עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה is 1850+4 words=18.

The "smoking furnace"- תַנּוּר עָשָׁן and the "flaming torch"- לַפִּיד אֵשׁ in this verse correspond to the "Pillar of Cloud"- עמוד הענן (945= 18 counting final Nun as 700) and the "Pillar of Fire"- עמוד האש   (426+2 words=14=8) that accompanied the Children of Israel for forty years in the Wilderness from the time of the Exodus from Egypt.

The following gematria supports this opinion:

Flaming Torch/ Pillar of Fire-Smoking Furnace/ Pillar of Cloud

 לַפִּיד אֵשׁ :עמוד האש - תַנּוּר עָשָׁן :עמוד הענן

2222=8