Isaiah says God is "calling from the east a bird of prey, a man of my counsel from a distant land" (Isaiah 46:11). The rabbis identified that bird of prey as Abraham. He came from the east — from Ur of the Chaldees, from beyond the river — and God called him as a counselor, not just a servant.
The word "counselor" is strange and the rabbis seized on it. Psalm 110 records God saying, "Sit at My right hand, so that you may be my counselor. You are faithful." Faithful not as a synonym for obedient — faithful in the sense of tested and proven reliable. God had tested Abraham through fire, through exile, through the near-sacrifice of his son. Each test was a credential. By the end, Abraham had demonstrated something that even angels could not claim: the willingness to give up everything and still trust.
The eagle as a metaphor for Israel runs through the tradition — "I carried you on eagles' wings" (Exodus 19:4). But here the eagle is Abraham specifically, the one called before the nation existed, soaring toward a destination he could not see. The rabbis loved this image because it captured what faith actually looks like in motion: wings spread, wind beneath, no ground visible, flying anyway. Abraham is not called a bird of prey because he is predatory. He is called one because he moves toward heaven without hesitation.
Chapter 20: Writings [1] "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven" (Malachi 3:19), "And day and night, it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever" (Isaiah 34:10). Since the prophets said "For behold, the day is coming," Israel said to Him, "One day alone is burning us, but we have been oppressed for many years, judged many times, and suffered many calamities, and You say to us, 'The coming day [will burn] them' (Malachi 3:19), Isaiah said to them, "But I do it day and night, as it is written, 'Night and day it shall not be quenched' (Isaiah 34:10). And not only that, but 'its smoke shall ascend forever' (Isaiah 34:10)." Hell has seven names: Sheol, Abaddon, Death, Pit, Destruction, Abyss, and Gehenna. Rabbi Yannai said, "All of these names refer to Gehenna." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I do not need any of these names, but today I am boiling over and taking revenge on the wicked, as it is written, 'For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven' (Malachi 3:19)." [2] Another interpretation: "And it shall come to pass on that day," says the LORD, "that I will take vengeance and repay" (Deuteronomy 32:35), and Israel says, "I will take vengeance and repay." The Holy One, blessed be He, says, "When the time comes, when will their feet slip?" (ibid.), as it is written, "As I watched, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened" (Daniel 7:9-10). "For the day of their calamity is near" (Deuteronomy 32:35). Balaam, who saw that the Day of Judgment destroys the wicked, made it distant, as it is written, "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near" (Numbers 24:17). But Moses, who saw that the same day is the reward of the righteous, said, "For the day of their calamity is near" (Deuteronomy 32:35), and Asaph also said, "Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge" (Psalm 73:27-28)."And they have hastened their destiny (Deuteronomy 32:35), I [God] am hastening and shaking the world to rid it of them, as it says, 'They shall fly like an eagle hastening to devour' (Habakkuk 1:8). And as for what you said, 'Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come' (Isaiah 41:1), behold, the day is coming and you shall know, for behold, the day is coming, etc. (Malachi 3:19)." [3] Another interpretation: "Know that today is coming. On that day, I will trust in you, O Lord" (Psalm 56:5). There are nations in the world (אוּמּוֹת העולם = ´umaoh haolam), who have no hope, as Job said, "But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp." (Job 11:20), and "Refuge has perished from me" (Job 19:10). Rather, Gehenna is open everywhere for them, and they seek to flee, but Gehenna opens upon them, as it is said, "Therefore, the nether-world has enlarged her desire" (Isaiah 5:14). "Rabbi Aha said in the name of Rabbi Abbahu: Hell has sixteen compartments, four for each type of spirit. [i.e., one for evil thoughts, one for idle talk, one for false oaths, and one for licentiousness]. And how do we know this? Because Ezekiel saw, as it is written, 'And you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together, and let the sword come down twice, yes, three times, the sword for those slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, so that their hearts may melt and many stumble. At all their gates I have stationed the point of the sword, which is made ready for slaughter' (Ezekiel 21:14-15). This means that there are four swords at each gate and for each spirit, as it is written, 'Join your hands together, go to the right, and strike to the left, wherever your edge is directed' (Ezekiel 21:20). The right hand represents the east, the left hand represents the west, the right foot represents the south, and the left foot represents the north, as it is written, 'Join your hands together, go to the right, and strike to the left, wherever your edge is directed.' And the angels say, 'Where are your faces? Where is the place of your habitation?' (Ezekiel 21:30). This is because the sixteen compartments surround hell, four for each type of spirit. The wicked flee from one compartment to another, but they cannot find a place to escape, as Job cried out, 'But the hope of the wicked shall perish' (Job 11:20)." [4] Another interpretation: "Moreover, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire," says the Lord Almighty. The sages say, the hell of Israel is theirs and the hell of the Gentiles is theirs. Israel says, the hell of the Gentiles is ours and our hell is for them. This can be compared to two people who were selling goods, one sold linen and the other sold cotton. The one who sold linen said, "This cotton is mine," and the one who sold cotton said, "This linen is mine." The owner of the merchandise said to them, "You are arguing about which is yours and which is his, but before you there is a fire that will test which is linen and which is cotton." So the Gentiles say that the Garden of Eden is theirs and the hell of Israel is theirs, but Israel says no. The Lord says, "Behold, fire is before you; walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze" (Isaiah 50:11). The fire is in your hand. Isaiah also says, "And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain" (Isaiah 4:6). This refers to King Hezekiah, who worked to ignite the flame of the Temple altar (Ta'anit 28b). This is the meaning of "And they shall both burn together" (Isaiah 4:4); the linen and the cotton will be burnt together, as it is said, "My people will be burned up completely, like thorns among the flames" (Isaiah 33:12). The cotton was not burned, as it is said, "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze" (Isaiah 43:2).
