Chasidut zu Bereschit 29:2
וַיַּ֞רְא וְהִנֵּ֧ה בְאֵ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּה־שָׁ֞ם שְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה עֶדְרֵי־צֹאן֙ רֹבְצִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֚י מִן־הַבְּאֵ֣ר הַהִ֔וא יַשְׁק֖וּ הָעֲדָרִ֑ים וְהָאֶ֥בֶן גְּדֹלָ֖ה עַל־פִּ֥י הַבְּאֵֽר׃
Und er blickte auf und siehe, ein Brunnen war auf dem Felde, und siehe, da waren drei Schaf-Herden, die um ihn gelagert waren; denn von diesem Brunnen tränkte man die Herden. Der Stein aber auf der Mündung des Brunnens war groß;
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 29,2. “he saw that there was a well in the field and that three flocks of sheep were lying around it;” …והאבן גדולה על פי הבאר, “and the rock covering the mouth of the well was very great.”
(The text is quoted until the end of verse 10 after Yaakov single-handedly moved the rock to make the water accessible.)
It appears best to explain this whole sequence allegorically. It is a given that G’d on His part is desirous to make available to His creatures an uninterrupted flow of His largesse, especially to His people of Israel. However, from time to time He appears to face interference from the “left” side of the diagram representing the emanations. The only time when G’d does not encounter such interference is when the Jewish people are awakened by feelings of joy, and this joy succeeds in repulsing such interference. This is the image that opened up before Yaakov’s eyes when he is described as וירא והנה באר , “he saw the fountain of G’d’s largesse primed to water the field.” The word שדה, commonly translated as “field,” is also a simile for חקל תפוחים קדישין a concept described in Zohar 1, 152 describing 3 layers of differing degrees of holiness in the celestial spheres that are all perceived as surrounding the באר, the well from which G’d’s largesse flows towards its recipients. On the three pilgrimage festivals, Passover, the festivals of “weeks,” Shavuot, and the festival of huts, these “spigots” of the “well” are especially primed to open as the Jewish people on those festivals are filled with a joy inspired by observing all the commandments associated with these festivals, and the fact that they are on sacred ground in Jerusalem. The three flocks of sheep mentioned in our verse are similes for these festivals. The “great rock” preventing access to the water from the well described is a simile for the powers of Satan, the left side of the emanations, trying to block access to G’d’s largesse for His people. This “rock” is alluded to in the Talmud Kidushin 30, where the Talmud suggests as a remedy against this phenomenon that persons feeling the evil urge as a form of a heavy stone, should proceed to the Torah academy and immerse themselves in Torah study so that this “stone” will melt. The “stone” is perceived in practice as the obstacle for G’d providing His largesse. When the three herds and their shepherds are joined by כל העדרים, “all the other herds,” i.e. all the Jewish people, their combined spiritual power will enable their leader to remove these obstacles to G’d’s largesse as the joy of serving the Lord is powerful enough to accomplish this.
(The text is quoted until the end of verse 10 after Yaakov single-handedly moved the rock to make the water accessible.)
It appears best to explain this whole sequence allegorically. It is a given that G’d on His part is desirous to make available to His creatures an uninterrupted flow of His largesse, especially to His people of Israel. However, from time to time He appears to face interference from the “left” side of the diagram representing the emanations. The only time when G’d does not encounter such interference is when the Jewish people are awakened by feelings of joy, and this joy succeeds in repulsing such interference. This is the image that opened up before Yaakov’s eyes when he is described as וירא והנה באר , “he saw the fountain of G’d’s largesse primed to water the field.” The word שדה, commonly translated as “field,” is also a simile for חקל תפוחים קדישין a concept described in Zohar 1, 152 describing 3 layers of differing degrees of holiness in the celestial spheres that are all perceived as surrounding the באר, the well from which G’d’s largesse flows towards its recipients. On the three pilgrimage festivals, Passover, the festivals of “weeks,” Shavuot, and the festival of huts, these “spigots” of the “well” are especially primed to open as the Jewish people on those festivals are filled with a joy inspired by observing all the commandments associated with these festivals, and the fact that they are on sacred ground in Jerusalem. The three flocks of sheep mentioned in our verse are similes for these festivals. The “great rock” preventing access to the water from the well described is a simile for the powers of Satan, the left side of the emanations, trying to block access to G’d’s largesse for His people. This “rock” is alluded to in the Talmud Kidushin 30, where the Talmud suggests as a remedy against this phenomenon that persons feeling the evil urge as a form of a heavy stone, should proceed to the Torah academy and immerse themselves in Torah study so that this “stone” will melt. The “stone” is perceived in practice as the obstacle for G’d providing His largesse. When the three herds and their shepherds are joined by כל העדרים, “all the other herds,” i.e. all the Jewish people, their combined spiritual power will enable their leader to remove these obstacles to G’d’s largesse as the joy of serving the Lord is powerful enough to accomplish this.
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