Covenant with the Patriarchs

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The Everlasting Covenant
TANAKH
God's promise to remember God's covenants with the patriarchs ensures the redemption of the Jewish people, even if their own merits are insufficient. The book of Leviticus, the third book of the Torah, includes God's commitment to remember God's covenants with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, as well as God's promise regarding the land of Israel.
Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob; I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land.
Leviticus 26:42
Embodying the Traits of the Patriarchs
CHASIDUT
The traits of the patriarchs—Abraham's kindness, Isaac's might, and Jacob's harmony and truth—are essential for spiritual growth and practical guidance. Rabbi Nathan of Breslov’s prayers in Likutei Tefilot are designed to help internalize these traits, enabling spiritual abundance and original Torah thoughts, especially on Shabbat.
The Well, the Clouds of Glory and the Manna / The Covenant / Defeating Amalek / Drink, Clothing and Food / Teaching Torah / Fear of Sin / Expressing Wisdom Carefully / Original Torah Thoughts / The Double Portion / Guarding Against Pride / Guarding Against Unseemly Speech
The well, the clouds of glory and the manna that accompanied the Jewish people throughout their wanderings in the wilderness remained with them in the merit of Moses. These three entities came to them originally due to the spiritual influence of the three patriarchs…
Likutei Tefilot, Volume I 58:1
Circumcision Among Abraham's Descendants
REFERENCE
The descendants of Abraham, including those of Ishmael and Keturah, observed circumcision more strictly than the Jews did during their forty years in the desert. Gershom Bader’s early 20th-century work explores the historical practice of circumcision among Abraham's descendants, highlighting a unique period of non-observance by the Israelites.
Long before the Torah was granted, the descendants of Abraham observed the commandment of circumcision. It may even be assumed that the descendants of Ishmael and the sons of Keturah observed this commandment with greater strictness than did the Jews who did not practice circumcision for forty years while in the desert.
The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume II; The Amoraim of Palestine and the Jerusalem Talmud, Introduction 14
The Mystical Bond with the Divine
KABBALAH
The Zohar reveals the profound and mystical relationship between the Shechinah (divine presence) and a righteous person, likening it to human love and jealousy. This foundational Kabbalistic text, traditionally attributed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, explores esoteric interpretations of the Torah and the intimate connection between the divine and the righteous.
Thus, when there is a righteous man in the world, the Shekinah attaches herself to him and never leaves him. This creates, as it were, jealousy on high, which provokes love towards her in the same way as the male is incited to love the female through jealousy; this is implied in the expression “And I will establish my covenant with thee”, as much as to say: “Desire hath awakened through you.” The same idea is contained in the words “but my covenant will I establish with Isaac” (Gen. 17, 21).
Zohar, Noach 20:154
A Prophetic Dream of Return
COMMENTARY
Yaakov’s dream was not just a personal vision but a prophecy about the future and the return to prominence after various exiles. Rabbeinu Bahya, a medieval Jewish commentator, connects Yaakov’s dream to the prophetic experiences of the patriarchs, starting with Avraham's covenant between the pieces.
According to this Midrash Yaakov’s dream contained a prophetic message that at the end of all the various exiles the Jewish people would resume their leading role in the world, seeing that all the patriarchs had similar visions starting with the covenant between the pieces when Avraham was first told about the exile his descendants would experience before they would inherit the land of Israel as their homeland. We have already quoted these various Midrashim in connection with our commentary on Genesis 15,12.
Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 28:12:5
The Covenant Continues Through Jacob
TANAKH
The distinction between the blessings given to Jacob by Isaac in Genesis 27 and Genesis 28 reveals the intentional continuation of the Abrahamic covenant through Jacob. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores how Isaac's awareness of Jacob's true identity in Genesis 28 signifies the deliberate passing of the covenant.
The first blessing, intended for Esau, is about wealth – “May God give you of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth,” and power – “Let peoples serve you, and nations bow to you.” The second blessing, intended for Jacob as he was leaving home, is about children – “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples,” and a land – “May He give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of…the land God gave to Abraham…
I Believe; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Toledot; Isaac and Esau 8
The Covenant of Circumcision
TALMUD
The covenant of circumcision is emphasized by the repeated mention of the word 'brit' (covenant) thirteen times in Genesis 17:1–14. This passage from the Torah quoted in the Talmud underscores the profound significance of the covenant between God and Abraham, particularly through the ritual of circumcision.
and that, the covenant of circumcision, was given with thirteen covenants, as the word brit, covenant, appears thirteen times in the portion dealing with the circumcision of Abraham (Genesis 17:1–14).
Berakhot 49a:1
The Mystical Significance of Circumcision
MUSAR
Circumcision is not just a physical act but a profound spiritual ritual that signifies the unique and permanent distinction of the Jewish people. Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz’s 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, delves into the mystical significance of circumcision, explaining how it relates to the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) and the completeness of man in the image of God.
We read in the Sefer Habahir, that the reason the Torah commands circumcision to be performed on the eighth day of the infant's life is that man possesses eight extremities, i.e. his right and left hand, the right and left foot, the head, the body, the male member and its mate, since the Torah describes man as "ודבק אשתו והיו לבשר אחד, "he cleaves to his wife so that they become one flesh” (Genesis 2,24). When G–d said to Abraham: אני הנני בריתי אתך, "I, here My covenant is with you," this is a reference to the fact that the שכינה is known as Ani…
Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Lech Lecha, Torah Ohr 5
Jacob's Dream at Bethel
SECOND TEMPLE
Jacob's personal response to God's predictions, including his vow to offer sacrifices and give tithes, and his act of naming the place Bethel, which means 'The House of God,' offers a profound insight into his faith and commitment. Josephus, in his first-century historical work, recounts the biblical story of Jacob's dream at Bethel, a significant event in Jewish tradition.
3. Such were the predictions which God made to Jacob; whereupon he became very joyful at what he had seen and heard; and he poured oil on the stones, because on them the prediction of such great benefits was made. He also vowed a vow, that he would offer sacrifices upon them, if he lived and returned safe; and if he came again in such a condition, he would give the tithe of what he had gotten to God. He also judged the place to be honorable and gave it the name of Bethel, which, in the Greek, is interpreted, The House of God.
The Antiquities of the Jews 1:19:3
The Merit of Abraham
MIDRASH
The merit of Abraham is highlighted as the primary reason for the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt. The early third-century halachic midrash, Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, emphasizes the importance of God's promise to Abraham in the joyous liberation of the Israelites.
R. Elazar b. Azaryah says: In the merit of our father Abraham He took them out of Egypt, viz. (Psalms 105: 42-43) "For He remembered His sacred word to Abraham His servant, and He took out His people in gladness, His chosen ones, in song." R.
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Tractate Pischa 16:36
Abraham, Pioneer of Faith
JEWISH THOUGHT
Abraham's unique role as the progenitor of a nation is highlighted by his unwavering faith and mission to bring blessings to all peoples through righteousness and judgment. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's 19th-century work, 'Nineteen Letters,' explores Abraham's journey and mission, emphasizing his exclusive worship of God amidst idolatry and his dedication to his descendants and fellow beings.
In Abraham there was chosen as progenitor of this people a man who, in his individual life, already realized the ideal of the people that was to be. The All-One, whom he alone worshipped amidst the multitude of idolatrous seekers after wealth and lust, the All-One called and loving Him alone, Abraham cast from him his native land, his family, his parental dwelling, and all which man loves and cherishes, and followed Him who called him; he accepted the mission to become progenitor of a people from which "blessing should come to all the peoples of the earth which would keep the way of the Lord…
Nineteen Letters 8:1
Divine Promises Remembered
LITURGY
God's promises to the forefathers are invoked to emphasize God's enduring commitment to the Jewish people. This Selichot prayer highlights multiple scriptural assurances of divine protection and redemption, reinforcing the themes of repentance and divine forgiveness.
Remember to us the covenant of the ancestors, as You promised, “And I will remember for their sake, the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, in the sight of the nations; to be their God I am Adonoy.” Do unto us as You promised, “And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them and I will not abhor them, to destroy them, to annul My covenant with them; for I am Adonoy, their God.” Be accessible to us when we seek You, as it is written: “And from there you will seek Adonoy, your God, and you will find Him…
Selichot Nusach Ashkenaz Lita, Second Day 6:4
Sign of the Promise
GUIDES
Circumcision is a physical and everlasting sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants. Genesis 17:9-14 establishes the practice of Brit Milah, requiring every male to be circumcised at eight days old, with significant consequences for failing to uphold this commandment.
And God said to Avraham, Thou shalt keep My covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee; Every manchild among you shall be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between Me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every manchild in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, who is not of thy seed…
Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, Introduction to Perek XIX 1
Completing the Form of Man
HALAKHAH
Circumcision is a fundamental ritual in Judaism, symbolizing the covenant between God and the Jewish people. The Sefer HaChinukh, a 13th-century Spanish text, provides a detailed explanation of the commandment of circumcision, its repetition in the Torah, and its significance in completing the form of man.
The commandment to circumcise: [Parashat] Lekh Lekha [has] one positive commandment, and that is the commandment to circumcise; as it is stated (Genesis 17:10), “This is My covenant which you shall keep, between you and Me, and with your descendants after you, circumcise all males.” And [the commandment] is repeated in the Order of Isha ki Tazria, as it is stated (Leviticus 12:3), “And on the eighth day circumcise the flesh of his foreskin.” There are many commandments which are repeated in many places in the Torah…
Sefer HaChinukh 2:1
God's Word and the Covenant with Abraham
TARGUM
The covenant with Abraham is foundational to Jewish faith, and this text highlights the direct involvement of God's word in this pivotal moment. The Targum Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, provides additional context and elaboration on the covenant with Abraham.
I by my WORD have made a covenant with Abraham your father; yea, I have called him, I have brought him into the land of the place of my Shekinah, and I prospered his way.
Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 48:15
God's covenant with Abraham, Wenceslaus Hollar (1607–1677), artwork from University of Toronto Wenceslaus Hollar Digital Collection
God's covenant with Abraham, Wenceslaus Hollar (1607–1677), artwork from University of Toronto Wenceslaus Hollar Digital Collection

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