Ziv Parashat Vayetse

Living well spring of water…

The story of the dream of Jacob has often been commented, because the communication with the divine world is at the heart of this story of a ladder on which angels are ascending and descending. According to the midrash, the scene takes place on the Temple Mount. The commentators place a series of biblical stories at this location, beginning with the creation of humanity. In the beginning, the waters did not come only from heaven, but they were springing also from the depth of the abyss, to cover the earth. The Creator therefore took a stone and blocked the source with it. This stone will become the foundation stone of the world, “even ha-shtiya”. It is on this stone that the patriarch rested his head and he will build an altar with it when anoints it with oil. This analogy is very meaningful, because it shows that the world was created to celebrate the liturgy. This is confirmed by the tradition: Mount Moriya is also the Temple mount, and the stone of foundation was in the holy of holies, under the ark of covenant. While moving the stone, Jacob again opened the source of the abyss and the water from on high are united again with the water of the depths.

This is what was happening during the festival of Tabernacles: water was poured in the Temple, and it flowed on the ground to enter a special canal where it was united to the water of the deep.

These waters evoke the source of the Temple as it is described in the prophet Ezekiel (47), a source that becomes a river with wonderful trees on its sides, trees on which the leaves give healing and restoration. This is the source from which the peoples will “draw with joy” (Isaiah 12:3), and the prophet Zechariah (13:1) says that it is the place where one can wash away sin and dirt, because this water coming out of the sanctuary is a fountain of blessings.

Upon moving the stone, Jacob the patriarch remains faithful to the calling of the patriarchs: we see Abraham digging wells, that will be blocked during the fight with the shepherds. Isaac will dig those wells again, and give them symbolic names. Jacob, in turn, opened the source of living water, before removing the stone on the mouth of Rachel’s well. Shabbat Shalom.