EXTRA on Lech Lecha 15:17

Complete Passuk

וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

When the sun set and it was very dark, there appeared a smoking oven, and a flaming torch that passed between those pieces.

Core Text

תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ — רָמַז לוֹ שֶׁיֵּרְדוּ הַמַּלְכֻיּוֹת לְגֵיהִנֹּם. וְהַלַּפִּיד הוּא שְׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל שְׁכִינָה שֶׁעָבַר בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים.

English: A smoking furnace and a flaming torch — He hinted to him that the monarchies would descend into Gehinnom. And the torch is the agent of the Shechinah that passed between the pieces.

On the daf / in context: Rashi, drawing on Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, reads the smoking furnace as a vision of the fate of the oppressive empires, while the torch represents the Divine Presence sealing the unilateral covenant (God alone passes between the parts).

What Is Learned: The brit is sealed by God alone; the dark theophany already contains both the suffering of exile under the empires and their ultimate judgment.

Supplementary classical material not listed by Torah Temimah under this exact passuk.