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In this week's Parashah, we learn about Avraham Avinu leaving his past behind and living a life completely connected to Hashem. Despite promises from Hashem, at the beginning of Perek 15, Avraham starts to have doubts and asks Hashem to promise that he will have children to inherit everything. In one of the most dramatic episodes in the Torah, Pasuk after Pasuk describes the intricate details of Avraham cutting animals in half for him to walk through. As the sun set and the dramatic music reached its crescendo, a deep sleep overcame Avraham, and with it came the beginning of the Brit Bein HaBetarim. Hashem starts this covenant by describing how the Jewish people will be slaves in a land that was not their own for 400 years! At this moment, Avraham Avinu was in a state of doubt, which is why he needed this covenant. So why would Hashem start with this negative of the enslavement of Avraham’s children?
There was a famous Michael Jordan commercial that may lend insight. The commercial has Jordan giving a voice-over in which he says, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed!”
The Brisker Rav says the beginning of this Brit is supposed to give us strength throughout history. Avraham Avinu needed to hear about our failure and our suffering in order to understand and believe that our religion and nation are true and everlasting! This statement of enslavement isn’t a prophecy but the covenant itself! The fact that Hashem destined us for slavery in Egypt for 400 years isn’t meant to be taken literally. In fact, Rashi (15:13) says the Pasuk doesn’t say we will be in Egypt for 400 years, but rather “in a land not [our] own.” All of our suffering throughout history is referenced in this Brit. Unfortunately, the list of our suffering is long and never ends. From Rome to Bavel, from Germany to our current anti-semitic climate, we are no strangers to being downtrodden. Hashem is telling Avraham that these sufferings are proof that Hashem is with us! No other nation, especially as small as the Jews, has gone through even a fraction of what our people have been through, and yet the only place where you can find our oppressors are in museums, while Jews are leaders, standing proud in the face of adversity. It is actually our suffering, our failures, and our enslavement that brings proof to our everlasting existence! We do not know why we have to go through such suffering, but from the Brit Bein HaBetarim, we can look at all of our sufferings as a strength that Hashem is fulfilling the promise made to Avraham.
Pirkei Avot (1:15) teaches, “Say little, but do a lot.” Rabbeinu Yonah comments, in the Brit Bein HaBetarim, Hashem says He will “Dan,” “Judge” (15:14). The word Dan is written with just two letters. Rashi comments that these two letters reference the 10 Makkot and all the miracles that Hashem did to take us out of Egypt. Suppose all the miracles associated with Yetzi’at Mitzrayim were alluded to with just two letters in the Torah. How much more amazing will the Ultimate Ge’ulah be when there are so many Perakim written about it throughout Tanach?!
We should all be Zocheh that all our sufferings and failures will be seen for what they truly are, stepping stones for success, and see the ultimate success, the Final Ge’ulah!