Brit Bein HaBetarim

Brit Bein HaBetarim, is a Torah portion that is one of the most important parts of Jewish History. It is also known as “The Covenant of Parts”. This part of the Torah is where G-D told Moses the destiny of his descendants. It is said in two parts. The first part says that Abraham’s descendents would be enslaved and eventually redeemed. The second part says that Abraham's descendants would forever inherit the land of Canaan, also known as Israel. The first part was fulfilled when the children of Israel were subjugated in the Land of Egypt. The second part was fulfilled by Joshua when he settled in the land of Canaan, and in my opinion, it was written down in modern day history in 1948 when Israel became a country.

The essential message of the covenant basically says that the Jewish people will always face hard times, but they will always remain strong. This is a very important message for the Jewish community, as we’ve seen our people time and time again in history, expelled from their homes in countries who seem to disown them. We also see this message play out during the Holocaust when we see the seven million Jews who never gave up their identity and remanded strong until they were let free. This portion also gives the explanation of why every male newborn is circumcised. What sealed this deal between G-D and Abraham is that all children who followed Abraham must circumcise their penis. Circumcision is supposed to symbolize the message that while you will get a great reward, it will not come without pain and suffering.

This is my dad talking to a soldier about the Golan Heights at the top of the mountain where you can see Jordyn and Syria

While many people will say this is all legend, Brit Bein HaBetarim is located in Israel on the border of Lebanon and Syria. Its coordinates have been written down for hundreds of years as the place where Abraham received this message from G-D. While I was in Israel I had the opportunity to go see this location on the border in a military base In Israel. To be able to see this place you must get permission from the army because it is in a very dangerous location in an army base. So while I was there, Shimon, my dad, Dubi, my dad's best friend, and I, left Tel Aviv and drove up to the Golan Heights where this sacred place lies. When we got there we were escorted by Israeli soldiers as well as a soldier tour guide.

This is a picture of the military force at the bottom of the army base

We entered the military base and drove through the roads of the huge beautiful mountains of the Golan Heights. The base has very advanced military personnel and military equipment because of how close its location is to three unstable countries. However we eventually stopped next to the hiking path and worked our way up to the spot where it is believed that Abraham spoke to G-D.