Commentaire de citation sur Les Proverbes 5:15

“And he saw, behold a well in the field.” It happened that he saw three flocks of sheep lying beside it — this is a sign that there were three [individuals] who encountered women at a well: Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. This is because a woman is compared to a well, as it is said Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well (Proverbs 5:15). We can further say that the three flocks of sheep lying beside it alludes to the three partners in [the creation of] a person. Therefore, it happened that three flocks of sheep drank from the well, just as the three partners in a person’s [creation] from there water all those who are born. And the large stone was on the mouth of the well — because the modest woman is called a locked garden, a sealed fountain, as if sealed with a stone, and it shall not be opened except at the time of birth, and afterwards they return the stone to its place, so that this well should only be used when necessary for the continuation of the species.

This is what is concluded in Tractate Sukkah in Chapter HaChalil (53a): When David dug the foundations [of the Temple], the depths threatened to flood the world… until David recited the fifteen Songs of Ascent and the waters subsided. For David knew that the Generation of the Flood was punished through the great depths for the sin of promiscuity, because the waters of the depths are hidden waters, and regarding promiscuity, Solomon called it stolen waters (Proverbs 5:15) — meaning hidden waters, in contrast to what is said drink water from your cistern (Proverbs 9:17). Therefore, when David needed to raise the depths, he was afraid that perhaps by raising it, it would flood the world as happened to the Generation of the Flood. Thus, he recited the fifteen Songs of Ascent to hint that in the merit of Israel fencing themselves off from forbidden relations, with God’s name [Yah] mediating between them, they would be saved from the great depths. This is what is concluded in those fifteen Songs of Ascent: Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine (Psalms 128:3). The word your wife [ishtekha] has the letter alef marked with a segol vowel [made up of three dots], indicating that it speaks of a time when there are three partners in creating a person — father, mother, and the Holy One Blessed be He. And when the Holy One Blessed be He is a partner in the matter, then God’s name [Yah] mediates between them. Therefore, it says poriah“ [fruitful] with the addition of the letters yud-heh. And so our Sages said (Sukkah 51b): Between the men’s court and the women’s court there were fifteen steps. All this indicates that the number fifteen always mediates between man and woman, as all this stems from the holiness of God’s name Yah. Therefore, all these measurements of the ark were always close to the number fifteen, as mentioned.

29. “But the Israelites had marched through the sea on dry ground,” (Ex. 14:26) This is written another time: “And the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground,” (Ex. 14:22) The reason for the repetition is, to teach us that despite the Egyptians being drowned in the sea and being turned upside down by the powerful waters, they saw the Israelites marching through the dry ground. God gave the Egyptians the power to see this to increase their suffering. They would see the great love for Israel by God and would be humiliated by what God did for them. Among the thing (they saw) was the Israelites eating and drinking as they marched along. Thus, it is written in the Mekhilta: The Israelites ate and drank and rejoiced (as they walked through the sea). God caused fresh water to come out from the salty water,²¹⁸See Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael 14:16:1, Mekhilta DeRabbi Ishmael 14:15, 15:8 as it says, “He brought forth streams from a rock…” (Ps. 78:16) Nozlim (“brought streams”) always refers to fresh living waters. Scripture states, “Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.” (Pro. 5:15) “Sixty discomforts come to one who hears his friend eating and he cannot eat” ²¹⁹BT Baba Kama 92b - in other words the discomfort for the Egyptians was that they saw the Israelites drinking fresh water and eating when they could not.