The Eagles Descended

(Genesis Chapter 15)

For this covenant, Abraham was required to bring a three-year old heifer, a three-year old goat, a three-year old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon, and to wait for Yahveh's appearance. Fire from heaven was supposed to descend onto Abraham's offerings, thereby sealing the covenant between him and Yahveh.

Instead, the "eagles" descended upon the carcasses. A great flock of birds of prey descended upon the offerings that Abraham prepared for the covenant. Abraham, however, did not give up on fulfilling his part of the covenant. He picked up a large stick and attacked the birds with all his strength. This battle continued for many hours. The long, dangerous and exhausting fight was described by the Torah in just a few words:

"The eagles descended upon the carcasses, and Abraham drove them away."

Throughout his desperate battle, Abraham must have raised his eyes heavenwards, thinking, why is Yahveh holding back His fire from the sacrifices that he had so painstakingly prepared in order to fulfill the covenant. But throughout the day, Yahveh was absent.

"The eagles descended upon the carcasses, and Abraham drove them away. And when the sun began to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham, and a great dark terror fell upon him. And Yahveh said to Abram: Know with certainty that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will enslave them and afflict them for four hundred years. But I shall judge also the nation that they will serve, and afterwards they will emerge with great wealth. And you will come to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. And the fourth generation will return here, for the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete to this day. And it was, when the sun went down and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and a fiery torch passed between these pieces." Genesis 15:11-17

The sun was setting, Abraham prevailed over the birds of prey, but collapsed with exhaustion. Only then did Yahveh come, found Abraham sleeping, and scheduled the next meeting between them for four hundred years' time!

What is the meaning of Abraham's battle against the eagles? This battle would symbolize his spiritual and physical battle against the nations surrounding him and against their wickedness ~ a battle to introduce Yahveh's ways of righteousness and justice. It was specifically at the climax of his battle, that Abraham showed signs of fatigue and doubt, and he withdrew.

Was Abraham punished for this missed opportunity?

"Your descendants will be strangers" is not a punishment, but rather a historical necessity in light of Abraham's withdrawal to his tent. So long as the sin of the Amorites (idolatry) was not complete, Yahveh will not banish them from the land. Once the accounting of their sins began, it must last up to four generations, as we read in the Ten Commandments, "You shall have no other gods before Me." Until the sin of the Amorites was complete, and until Yahveh visited their sin upon them after four generations, there would be no land for Abraham's descendants. Therefore, the descendents of Abraham were destined to be strangers in a land that was not theirs. Even though Abraham's children dwelt, for part of this time, in the Land of Israel, they were still considered strangers, for the Amorites ruled over them.

Why were slavery and affliction decreed upon Abraham's descendants? Why didn't Yahveh suffice with, "Your descendants will be strangers" without adding that "they will enslave them and afflict them"? In fact, the status of "strangers" lasted four hundred years, while slavery and affliction lasted for a much shorter period of time within those four hundred years. Even the two hundred and ten years of exile in Egypt were not all years of slavery and affliction, for throughout Joseph's lifetime and throughout the lifetime of his brothers slavery was postponed.

Yahveh appointed a period of time for Abraham's descendants to be strangers, because their Promised Land was not yet available for the Nation of Israel. And indeed, it was necessary for the people of Israel to experience these periods of slavery and affliction, in order to prepared them for their High Calling.