“The Tabernacle of Testimony” – what is “the Testimony”? This is the Torah in which they toil. God said: Due to the merit of the Torah and the merit of the offerings, I will rescue you from Gehenna. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He showed Abraham the Torah, Gehenna, the offerings, and the exiles, as it is stated: “Behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between those pieces” (Genesis 15:17).
These are Torah and Gehenna, as it is stated: “The entire people was seeing the thunder, the flames, the blast of the shofar, and the mountain smoking, and the people saw and trembled and stood at a distance” (Exodus 20:15).14Thus, fire and smoke are associated with Torah. Fire and smoke are associated with Gehenna as well; see Isaiah 30:33 and 31:9. From where are the offerings derived? As it is written: “A three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon” (Genesis 15:9).
From where are the exiles derived? As it is stated: “Fear, [a great darkness, fell upon him]” (Genesis 15:12). “Fear [eima]” – this is Babylon, as it is stated; “[For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, the bitter and impetuous nation.…] It is terrifying [ayom] and awesome; from it will emerge its law and its prominence” (Habakkuk 1:6–7).15The Babylonians are also called Chaldeans. “Darkness” – this is Media, which darkened the eyes of Israel with its edicts.
“Great” – this is Greece, as it is stated: “The goat became exceedingly great, and as it became powerful, the great horn was broken, and in its place, there were four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of the heavens” (Daniel 8:8). “Fell upon him” – this is Edom, as it is stated: “[Hear the counsel of the Lord that He took against Edom.…] From the sound of their fall, the earth quaked” (Jeremiah 49:21).
The Holy One blessed be He said: All the days that your descendants will be engaged in Torah study and offerings, they will be saved from them; however, your descendants are destined to abrogate the offerings. By what means do you wish your descendants to be subjugated, by Gehenna or by exile? Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: Abraham chose exile. From where is it derived?
As it is stated: “If not that their rock had sold them” (Deuteronomy 32:30) – this is Abraham, as it is stated: “Look to the rock from which you were hewn” (Isaiah 51:1). “And the Lord had handed them over” (Deuteronomy 32:30) – that the Holy One blessed be He agreed after him. Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Aḥa, and a different elder in the name of Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi]: Abraham stood wondering and did not know what he should choose, until the Holy One blessed be He said to him that he should choose exile, as it is stated: “You let people ride over our heads” (Psalms 66:12) – You subjugate us by exile.
“We went through fire and water” (Psalms 66:12) – this is Gehenna, half of which is fire and half of which is hail, “but You took us out to comfort” (Psalms 66:12).16God saved us from Gehenna by sending us into exile. That is, “these are the reckonings of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.” What is “the Testimony”? As long as Israel engages in Torah study and offerings, it will be testimony for them that they will not descend to Gehenna.