Rashi on TanakhGenesis 15

After these events. Wherever אַחַר is used it signifies immediately [after]. [When] אַחֲרֵי [is used] [it means] long afterwards. [Thus, immediately] “after these events,” [i.e.,] after this miracle occurred to him that he killed the kings, he became anxious and said, “Maybe I have already received my reward for all my righteousness.” Therefore, God said to him… Fear not Avram, I am your shield. From punishment. [I.e.,] that you will not be punished for all the people that you killed. And as for you anxiety that you have already received you reward, “Your reward is very great.”

Continue to be childless. Menachem ben Saruk explains it [עֲרִירִי] as meaning “heir,” comparable to עֵר וְעוֹנֶה. עֲרִירִי [would then mean] without an heir as you would say “It will תְשָׁרֵשׁ all my crops,” meaning, “it will tear up its roots.” Similarly עֲרִירִי means childless — in Old French desanfantez. [However,] it seems to me that עֵר וְעוֹנֶה is of the same derivation as וְלִבִּי עֵר, [meaning, “my heart is awake”], whereas וַעֲרִירִי means “destruction” as in “Destroy it, destroy it,” and as in “Destroying the foundation,” and as in “Shall be completely destroyed,” and as in “For the cedar will be destroyed.”

And the manager of my household. As Onkelos translates it, [meaning:] “That my entire household is fed by his orders,” as in “According to your orders shall they be fed.” [Avraham meant] “He is my steward. But, if I had a son then my son would be in charge of my possessions.”

Damascus. According to Targum, he was from Damascus. But, according to Midrash Aggadah [he was so called] because he pursued the kings until Damascus. In the Talmud they explained it [דַּמֶּשֶׂק] as an acrostic of דּוֹלֶה וּמַשְׁקֶה [he draws water and gives to drink] from the Torah of his master, to others.

Behold, You have not given me children. And what benefit [is there] from all that you shall give to me?

He [then] took him outside. According to the plain meaning: He took him from his tent, outside, to see the stars. However, according to its Midrash, He said to him, “Leave your astrological calculations that you have seen in the constellations that you are not destined to have a son. It is Avram who will have no son, but Avraham will have a son. Similarly, it is Sarai who will not give birth, but Sarah will give birth. By My calling you by a [different] name [your] destiny will change. An alternate explanation: He took him out of the terrestrial void and lifted him above the stars. This explains the use of the term הַבֶּט [which signifies looking] from above to below.

He believed in Adonoy. [Meaning:] he did not ask of Him a sign concerning this. Whereas, concerning the inheritance of the land he asked Him for a sign and said to Him, “With what [sign] will I know?”

And this He accounted to him for righteousness. [Meaning:] God considered it—for Avram— as merit and righteousness for the trust that he [Avram] placed in Him. An alternate explanation [of the question] “How will I know…?”: He did not ask for a sign but, rather, said to Him, “Tell me by what merit will they [my descendants] remain in it?” God replied to him, “In the merit of the sacrifices.”

Three heifers. Three heifers are a symbol for the three bulls: 1) the bull offered on Yom Kippur; 2) the bull [offered] when the law is “hidden” from the people; and 3) the heifer whose neck was broken.

Three goats. Symbolic of the goat that is offered inside [the Beis Hamikdosh]; and the goats of the added sacrifices of the holidays; and the goat offered as an individual’s sin-offering.

And three rams. [Symbolizing] 1) a sin-offering [for certain offenses where the person is] certain [to have committed them]; 2) a sin-offering [where the person is] in doubt [whether he committed those offenses]; and 3) a ewe brought as an individual’s sin-offering.

A dove and a young pigeon. [Meaning:] a turtle dove and a young pigeon.

He split them. [Meaning:] he divided each into two parts. The verse does not exclude its literal meaning, since He was establishing a covenant with him that He would keep His promise to give possession of the land to his descendants, as is written: “On that day, Adonoy made a covenant with Avram, saying,” etc. And it is customary for the parties to a covenant to divide an animal and to pass through between its parts, as it is said: “Who passed through between the parts of the calf,” here, too, the smoking furnace and the flaming torch which passed through between the pieces was the representative of the Divine Presence which is referred to as “fire.”

The bird, however, he did not split. Because the idol-worshiping nations are compared to bulls, rams, and goats, as it is said: “Many bulls have surrounded me, etc.” And it says: “The ram that you saw with horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.” And it says: “The he-goat is king of Greece.” Whereas Israel is compared to young doves, as it is said: “My dove, who is in the rock crevices.” It is for this reason that he split the animals to signify that the nations gradually perish. “The bird, however, he did not split,” signifies that Israel will exist forever.

Birds of prey. It is the name of a bird so called because it swoops and is greedy for the carcasses to fly quickly upon its food as in, “And you swooped upon the spoils.”

Upon the carcasses. [Meaning:] on the pieces. Another version: the Targum of הַפְּגָרִים is פַּגְלַיָּא. But, since people have become accustomed to translate אִישׁ בִּתְרוֹ [v. 10] as “He placed the pieces,” they mistakenly confused פַּגְלַיָּא with פַּלְגַּיָּא and [therefore] translated הַפְּגָרִים as פַּלְגַיָּא. And whoever translates it thus is mistaken since you cannot equate pieces with carcasses because [only] בְּתָרִים should be translated פַּלְגַּיָּא and פְּגָרִים should be translated פַּגְלַיָּא from the word פִּיגּוּל [something loathsome] as in, “It is loathsome,” similar to פֶּגֶר [carcass].

Drove away. Meaning blowing and making it fly away, as in, “He causes the wind to blow.” This symbolizing that Dovid ben Yishai will attempt to destroy them [the nations] but will not be permitted by Heaven [God] until the King Mashiach, will come.

And behold, a dread of deep darkness. Symbolizing the oppression and darkness of the exiles.

That your descendants will be foreigners. [The time] from Yitzchok’s birth until Israel left Egypt was four hundred years. How is this so? Yitzchok was 60 years old at Yaakov’s birth and when Yaakov descended to Egypt, he said, “The years of my temporary residence are one hundred and thirty years,” making a total of 190. They were in Egypt 210 [years] — the numerical value of רְדוּ, making a total of 400 years. If you might suggest that they were in Egypt 400 [years], [this could not be so] because Kehos was of those who descended to Egypt. If you calculate the [total] years of Kehos, Amram and the eighty years of Moshe when [the Israelites] left Egypt, you will find only [a total of] 350. And you must still subtract from that all the years that Kehos lived after Amram’s birth and that Amram lived after Moshe’s birth.

In a land that is not theirs. It does not state, “In the Land of Egypt,” but rather “In a land that is not theirs.” and from the time that Yitzchok was born, [it is written:] “And Avraham resided, etc.” And concerning Yitzchok [it says:] “Reside in this land.” “And Yaakov resided in the Land of Cham.” “We have come to live in the land temporarily.”

But also that nation. [The word] וְגַם [but also] includes the Four Kingdoms that will also perish because they enslaved Israel.

I will judge. With ten plagues.

With great wealth. [Meaning:] with much money, as it is said, “They emptied Egypt.”

You will join. And will, therefore, not witness all this.

Your fathers. His father [Terach] was an idol-worshipper and He foretells that he will join him. This teaches you that Terach repented.

You will be buried at a good old age. He [God] foretold that Yishmael will repent in his [Avraham’s] lifetime. and that Eisav would not embark on evil ways in his [Avraham’s] lifetime. It is for this reason that he [Avraham] died five years before his [appointed] time and it was on that very day that Eisav rebelled.

The fourth generation. [I.e.,] after they will have been exiled to Egypt they will remain there for three generations, and the fourth will return to this land. Because it was in the Land of Canaan that He spoke with him and established this covenant as is written: “To give you this land as an inheritance.” And so it was: Yaakov descended to Egypt. Now, go and count his generations. 1) Yehudah, 2) Peretz, 3) Chetzron and 4) Calev son of Chetzron [who was] of those who entered the Land.

For the sin of the Emorites will not be complete. To warrant being sent away from his land until that time. [This is] because God does not punish a nation until its measure [of evil] is filled, as it is said: “When her measure is filled, when You send her away, then will You contend with her.”

The sun set. This is similar to וַיְהִי הֵם מְרִיקִים שַׂקֵּיהֶם. וַיְהִי הֵם קוֹבְרִים אִישׁ, meaning: and this thing happened.

The sun set. [Meaning:] it set.

And it became very dark. [Meaning:] darkness during the day.

And behold, a smoking furnace. He foretold to him symbolically that the [Four] Kingdoms will fall into hell.

Set. The accent is on the first syllable. It is thus made clear that it [the sun] had already set. If the accent were on the last syllable, [i.e.,] on the letter aleph, it would mean “as it was setting,” an explanation which is not possible, for it has already stated: “As the sun was setting,” and the passing of the smoking furnace took place after this. Consequently [the sun] had already set. This difference [holds true] with every feminine word that has a two-letter root, such as, בָּא [come], קָם [rise], שָׁב [return]. When the accent is on the first syllable, it is past tense, such as in this case, and as in “Rachel came”; “My sheaf arose”; “Behold your sister-in-law has returned.” But, when the accent is on the last syllable, then it is in the present tense, denoting that which is now happening and is continuing to happen, as in “She is coming with the sheep” [or] “In the evening she comes and in the morning she returns.”

To your descendants I have given. A promise from God is considered as if it has already happened.

The great river. Since it is associated with the Land of Israel He refers to it as “great,” though it is the last one [mentioned] among the four rivers that flow from Eden, as it is said: “And the fourth river is P’ras [the Euphrates].” [This is analogous to] a common proverb: “A king’s servant is a king.” “Associate with the ruler and they will bow to you.”

The Kenites. Ten nations are listed here, [yet] He gave to them only [the land] of Seven Nations. The three [whose lands were not given], Edom, Moav, and Ammon which are [referred to here as]: Keini, Knizi, and Kadmoni are destined to be possessed in the future, as it is said: “They will overpower Edom and Moav and the Ammonites will obey them.”

The Refa’im. [Refers to] the Land of Og [King of Bashan] about which it is said: “That [Bashan] is called the land of the Repha’im.”