AND HE REMOVED FROM THENCE, AND DIGGED ANOTHER WELL. R. Hiya discoursed on the verse: And the Lord will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in brightness, and make strong thy bones (Is. 58, 11). ‘The true believers’, he said, ‘have derived strength from this verse, where promise is made to them of the world to come, for the word “continually” includes both this world and the world to come. Again, the term “continually”, which seems superfluous, is an allusion to the continual burnt-offering which is offered at dusk, and is held firm underneath the arm of Isaac and is symbolic of the world to come. The term “guiding” is similarly used by David in the verse: “He guideth me in straight paths for his name’s sake” (Ps. 23, 3).
“And satisfy thy soul in brightness”; this is the “clear mirror” from the contemplation of which all souls obtain delight and benefit. “And make strong thy bones”: these words do not seem to harmonise with what has gone before, which we have interpreted of the souls of the righteous ascending on high. We interpret them, therefore, to allude to the resurrection of the dead, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will reconstitute the bones and restore the body to its former state. The soul will then derive stronger illumination from the “clear mirror”, so as to illumine the body to the full extent of which it is capabie.
Hence: “And thou shalt be like a watered garden” (Is. 58, 11), that is, like the celestial garden whose supernal waters never fail, but flow on for ever and ever; “and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” (Ibid.), alluding to the river that issues from Eden and flows on for all eternity.
Observe that the “well of living waters” is a symbol within a symbol for guiding faith. There is the well which is the very source of the waters, and there is the well which is fed by that source of water. There are thus two grades, which are, however, really one with two aspects, male and female, in fitting union.
The well and the issue of waters are one, designated by the name of “well”, it being at once the supernal never-ceasing fountain and the well that is filled by it. And whoever gazes at that well gazes at the true object of faith. This is the symbol which the patriarchs transmitted in digging the well, in such a way as to indicate that the source and the well are indissoluble.
AND HE CALLED ITS NAME REHOBOTH (lit. streets, broad places). By this he intimated that his descendants would one day tend that well in the fitting manner through the mystical potency of offerings and burnt-offerings (like Adam, when God “put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it” (Gen. 2, 15), to wit, by offerings and burnt-offerings), so that its springs should flow forth on every side, as Scripture says: “Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets (rehoboth)” (Prov. 5, 16). Hence here the name of Rehoboth (streets, broad places).’
R. Simeon here discoursed on the verse: WISDOM CRIETH ALOUD IN THE STREET, SHE UTTERETH HER VOICE IN THE BROAD PLACES (Prov. 1, 20). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘contains a deep mystical teaching. The term hokhmoth (lit. wisdoms) implies the superior Wisdom and the lesser Wisdom which is included in the superior Wisdom and abides therein.
The superior Wisdom is an essence most recondite and concealed, unknown and unrevealed, as Scripture says: “Man knoweth not the price thereof, etc.” (Job 28, 13); and when it expands into a source of light, its illumination is that of the world to come, and that world is created by it: for so we have learned, that the world to come was created by the Yod, and there Wisdom remained hidden, the two being one. When God was crowned, it was through the mystery of the future world, as already said. There was joy at this illumination, but all was in silence without a sound being heard abroad.
Wisdom then willed it to expand further, so that from that space there issued fire and water and air, as already said, from which there sprang up a voice which issued forth abroad and was heard, as already said. From that point onwards all is exterior (huz), whereas in the interior the voice is silent and not heard abroad. Once, however, the secret force has become audible, it is called “without” (huz). Hence it is incumbent on man to be zealous in searching after wisdom
“in the wide places” (ba-rehoboth). This refers to the firmament, which contains all the luminous stars, and which constitutes the fountain of perennial waters, referred to in the verse: “And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden” (Gen. 2, 10). And there “she uttereth her voice”, both the superior and the lower Wisdom, which in truth are one.
Solomon alluded to this in saying: “Prepare thy work without” (ba-huz), and make it ready for thee in the field” (Prov. 24, 27), where the word “without” is used as in the verse “Wisdom crieth out without”, indicating the point from which man can commence to inquire and investigate, as it is written: “For ask now of the days past… and from one end of heaven unto another” (Deut. 4, 32).
The “field” again is the “field which the Lord hath blessed” (Gen. 27, 27). When a man has penetrated into the mystery of Wisdom and perfected himself therein, then Solomon tells him to “build his house” (Prov. 24, 27), i.e. to cultivate his soul in his body, so as to attain perfection. Hence, when Isaac digged and prepared the well in peace he called it Rehoboth (wide places), and all was done in the right manner. Happy the righteous by whose works the Holy One sustains the world, as it says: “For the upright shall inhabit the land” (Prov. 2, 21), where the term yishkenu (they will inhabit) may be read yashkinu (they shall cause to be inhabited).’
(בראשית כ״ו:כ״ב) וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם וַיַּחְפֹּר בְּאֵר אַחֶרֶת וְגו', רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו נ״ח:י״א) וְנָחֲךָ יְיָ תָּמִיד וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ וְגו'. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמָר. אֲבָל בְּהַאי קְרָא, בֵּיהּ אִתְתַּקָּפוּ מָארֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּאַבְטַח לוֹן לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. וְנָחֲךָ יְיָ תָּמִיד בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. וְנָחֲךָ יְיָ, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר וְנָחֲךָ יְיָ, אַמַּאי תָּמִיד. אֶלָּא דָּא תָּמִיד דְּבֵין הָעַרְבָּיִם, דְּאִיהוּ אִתְתַּקַּף תְּחוֹת דְּרוֹעֵיהּ דְּיִצְחָק, וְדָא הוּא חוּלָקָא לְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, מְנָלָן מִדָּוִד דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים כ״ג:ג׳) יַנְחֵנִי בְּמַעְגְּלֵי צֶדֶק לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ.
AND HE REMOVED FROM THENCE, AND DIGGED ANOTHER WELL. R. Hiya discoursed on the verse: And the Lord will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in brightness, and make strong thy bones (Is. 58, 11). ‘The true believers’, he said, ‘have derived strength from this verse, where promise is made to them of the world to come, for the word “continually” includes both this world and the world to come. Again, the term “continually”, which seems superfluous, is an allusion to the continual burnt-offering which is offered at dusk, and is held firm underneath the arm of Isaac and is symbolic of the world to come. The term “guiding” is similarly used by David in the verse: “He guideth me in straight paths for his name’s sake” (Ps. 23, 3).
(ישעיהו נ״ח:י״א) וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ, דָּא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּנָהֲרָא, דְּכָל נִשְׁמָתִין אִתְהַנָּן לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא וּלְאִתְעֲנָגָא בְּגַוָוהּ. וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ, הַאי קְרָא לָאו רִישֵׁיהּ סוֹפֵיהּ. אִי נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ דְּצַדִּיקָא, (סלקא לעילא, נ"א אתהני בעדונא דא דלעילא) מַאי וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ. אֶלָּא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ. דָּא תְּחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאָחֲיָיא מֵתַיָא וּלְאַתְקָנָא לוֹן לְגַרְמוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ לְמֶהֱוֵי כְּקַדְמִיתָא בְּגוּפָא שְׁלִים. וְנִשְׁמָתָא אִתּוֹסְפַת נְהוֹרָא גּוֹ אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאה דְּנָהֲרָא, לְאִתְנַהֲרָא עִם גּוּפָא לְקָיְימָא שְׁלִים כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
“And satisfy thy soul in brightness”; this is the “clear mirror” from the contemplation of which all souls obtain delight and benefit. “And make strong thy bones”: these words do not seem to harmonise with what has gone before, which we have interpreted of the souls of the righteous ascending on high. We interpret them, therefore, to allude to the resurrection of the dead, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will reconstitute the bones and restore the body to its former state. The soul will then derive stronger illumination from the “clear mirror”, so as to illumine the body to the full extent of which it is capabie.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, וְהָיִיתָ כְּגַן רָוֶה. מַאי כְּגַן רָוֶה, דְּלָא פָּסְקוּ מֵימוֹי עִלָּאִין, לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין, וְהַאי גִינְתָא אִתְשַׁקֵּי מִנֵּיהּ, וְאִתְרַוֵּי מִנֵּיהּ תָּדִיר. וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם, דָּא הַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן וְלָא פָּסְקִין מֵימוֹי לְעָלְמִין.
Hence: “And thou shalt be like a watered garden” (Is. 58, 11), that is, like the celestial garden whose supernal waters never fail, but flow on for ever and ever; “and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” (Ibid.), alluding to the river that issues from Eden and flows on for all eternity.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בֵּירָא דְמַיִּין נָבְעִין, הַאי אִיהוּ רָזָא עִלָּאָה בְּגוֹ רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. בֵּירָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ מוֹצָא מַיִם, וְאִיהוּ בֵּירָא דְּאִתְמַלְּיָא מֵהַהוּא מוֹצָא מַיִם, וְאִינוּן תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין דְּאִינוּן חַד, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת.
Observe that the “well of living waters” is a symbol within a symbol for guiding faith. There is the well which is the very source of the waters, and there is the well which is fed by that source of water. There are thus two grades, which are, however, really one with two aspects, male and female, in fitting union.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא מוֹצָא מַיִם וְהַהוּא בֵּירָא אִינוּן חַד, וְאִקְרֵי כֹּלָּא בְּאֵר. דְּהָא הַהוּא מְקוֹרָא דְּעֲיִּיל, וְלָא פָּסִיק לְעָלְמִין, וּבֵירָא אִתְמְלֵי. וּמַאן דְּאִסְתַּכַּל בְּבֵירָא דָא, אִסְתַּכַּל בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְדָא הוּא סִימָנָא דְּאֲבָהָן, דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי לַחְפּוֹר בֵּירָא דְמַיָא גּוֹ רָזָא עִלָּאָה, וְלֵית לְאַפְרָשָׁא בֵּין מְקוֹרָא וּבֵירָא וְכֹלָּא חַד.
The well and the issue of waters are one, designated by the name of “well”, it being at once the supernal never-ceasing fountain and the well that is filled by it. And whoever gazes at that well gazes at the true object of faith. This is the symbol which the patriarchs transmitted in digging the well, in such a way as to indicate that the source and the well are indissoluble.
(בראשית כ״ו:כ״ב) וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ רְחוֹבוֹת. רָמִיז דְּזַמִּינִין בְּנוֹי לְמִפְלַח וּלְאַתְקָנָא הַאי בֵּירָא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי, בְּרָזָא דְּקָרְבָּנִין וְעִלַּוָּון. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, (בראשית ב׳:ט״ו) וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ, אִלֵּין קָרְבָּנִין וְעִלַּוָּון וּבְגִין דָּא, יִתְפַּשְּׁטוּן מַבּוּעוֹי לְכָל סִטְרִין כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי ה׳:ט״ז) וְיָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה בָּרְחֹבֹת פַּלְגֵי מַיִם, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ רְחוֹבוֹת.
AND HE CALLED ITS NAME REHOBOTH (lit. streets, broad places). By this he intimated that his descendants would one day tend that well in the fitting manner through the mystical potency of offerings and burnt-offerings (like Adam, when God “put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it” (Gen. 2, 15), to wit, by offerings and burnt-offerings), so that its springs should flow forth on every side, as Scripture says: “Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets (rehoboth)” (Prov. 5, 16). Hence here the name of Rehoboth (streets, broad places).’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (משלי א׳:כ׳) חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרוֹנָה בָּרְחוֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ. הַאי קְרָא אִיהוּ רָזָא עִלָּאָה. מַאי חָכְמוֹת, אִלֵּין חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה וְחָכְמְתָא זְעֵירָא דְּאִתְכְּלִילַת בָּהּ בְּעִלָּאָה וְשַׁרְיָא בָהּ.
R. Simeon here discoursed on the verse: WISDOM CRIETH ALOUD IN THE STREET, SHE UTTERETH HER VOICE IN THE BROAD PLACES (Prov. 1, 20). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘contains a deep mystical teaching. The term hokhmoth (lit. wisdoms) implies the superior Wisdom and the lesser Wisdom which is included in the superior Wisdom and abides therein.
בַּחוּץ תָּרוֹנָה. תָּא חֲזֵי, חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה אִיהִי סְתִימָא דְּכָל סְתִימִין, וְלָא אִתְיְידָע וְלָאו אִיהִי בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (איוב כ״ח:י״ג) לֹא יָדַע אֱנוֹשׁ עֶרְכָּהּ וְגו', כַּד אִתְפַּשְׁטַת לְאִתְנַהֲרָא, אִתְנַהֲרָא בְּרָזָא דְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, וְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי אִתְבְּרֵי מִנֵּיהּ. כְּדִתְנַן עַלְמָא דְּאָתֵי אִתְבְּרֵי בְּיו"ד, וְאִתְכַּסְיָא הַאי חָכְמָה תַּמָּן וְאִינוּן חַד. בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִתְעַתַּד (נ"א דאתעטר נ"א דאתעבד) כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא דְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן, כְּדֵין הוּא חֶדְוָה לְאִתְנַהֲרָא, וְכֹלָּא בַּחֲשַׁאי דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע לְבַר לְעָלְמִין.
The superior Wisdom is an essence most recondite and concealed, unknown and unrevealed, as Scripture says: “Man knoweth not the price thereof, etc.” (Job 28, 13); and when it expands into a source of light, its illumination is that of the world to come, and that world is created by it: for so we have learned, that the world to come was created by the Yod, and there Wisdom remained hidden, the two being one. When God was crowned, it was through the mystery of the future world, as already said. There was joy at this illumination, but all was in silence without a sound being heard abroad.
תוּ בָּעְיָא לְאִתְפַּשְּׁטָא, וְנָפִיק מֵהַאי אֲתַר אֶשָׁא וּמַיָא וְרוּחָא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר (ע"ד ע"א). וְאִתְעֲבִיד חַד קָלָא דְּנַפְקָא לְבַר וְאִשְׁתְּמַע, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. כְּדֵין מִתַּמָּן וּלְהַלָּן אִיהוּ חוּץ, דְּהָא לְגוֹ בַּחֲשַׁאי אִיהוּ דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע לְעָלְמִין, הַשְׁתָּא דְאִשְׁתְּמַע רָזָא, אִקְרֵי חוּץ, מִכָּאן בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַתְקָנָא בַּעֲבִידְתֵּיהּ (פקודי רכ"ו ע"א) וּלְשָׁאֳלָא.
Wisdom then willed it to expand further, so that from that space there issued fire and water and air, as already said, from which there sprang up a voice which issued forth abroad and was heard, as already said. From that point onwards all is exterior (huz), whereas in the interior the voice is silent and not heard abroad. Once, however, the secret force has become audible, it is called “without” (huz). Hence it is incumbent on man to be zealous in searching after wisdom
בָּרְחוֹבוֹת, מַאן רְחוֹבוֹת, דָּא הַהוּא רְקִיעָא דְּבֵיהּ כָּל כֹּכָבַיָא דְּנָהֲרִין, וְאִיהוּ מַבּוּעָא דְּמֵימוֹי לָא פָסְקִין. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ב׳:י׳) וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן, וְאִיהוּ רְחוֹבוֹת. וְתַמָּן תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ, עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה וְכֹלָּא חַד.
“in the wide places” (ba-rehoboth). This refers to the firmament, which contains all the luminous stars, and which constitutes the fountain of perennial waters, referred to in the verse: “And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden” (Gen. 2, 10). And there “she uttereth her voice”, both the superior and the lower Wisdom, which in truth are one.
וּבְגִין דָּא אָמַר שְׁלמֹה, (משלי כ״ד:כ״ז) הָכֵן בַּחוּץ מְלַאכְתֶּךָ וְעַתְּדָהּ בַּשָּׂדֶה לָךְ וְגו'. הָכֵן בַּחוּץ, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. דִּכְתִיב בַּחוּץ תָּרוֹנָה, דְּהָא מִכָּאן קָיְימָא עֲבִידָא לְאִתְתַּקָּנָא וּמִלָּה לְשָׁאֲלָה, דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ד׳:ל״ב) כִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְיָמִים רִאשׁוֹנִים וְגו', וּלְמִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד קְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם.
Solomon alluded to this in saying: “Prepare thy work without” (ba-huz), and make it ready for thee in the field” (Prov. 24, 27), where the word “without” is used as in the verse “Wisdom crieth out without”, indicating the point from which man can commence to inquire and investigate, as it is written: “For ask now of the days past… and from one end of heaven unto another” (Deut. 4, 32).
וְעַתְּדָהּ בַּשָּׂדֶה לָךְ, דָּא (בראשית כ״ז:כ״ז) שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכוֹ יְיָ. וּבָתַר דְּיִנְדַע בַּר נָשׁ רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא וְיַתְקִין גַּרְמֵיהּ בָהּ, מַה כְּתִיב אַחַר, וּבָנִיתָ בֵיתֶךָ. דָּא נִשְׁמָתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּגוּפֵיהּ, דְּיִתְתַּקַּן וְיִתְעֲבִיד גְּבַר שְׁלִים. וְעַל דָּא כַּד חָפַר יִצְחָק וְעֲבַד בֵּירָא בִּשְׁלָם, לְהַהוּא שְׁלָם (נ"א למהוי שלים) קָרֵי לֵיהּ רְחוֹבוֹת, וְכֹלָּא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָא דְּעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְקַיְימָא עַלְמָא. דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ב׳:כ״א) כִּי יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ, יַשְׁכִּינוּ אָרֶץ. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
The “field” again is the “field which the Lord hath blessed” (Gen. 27, 27). When a man has penetrated into the mystery of Wisdom and perfected himself therein, then Solomon tells him to “build his house” (Prov. 24, 27), i.e. to cultivate his soul in his body, so as to attain perfection. Hence, when Isaac digged and prepared the well in peace he called it Rehoboth (wide places), and all was done in the right manner. Happy the righteous by whose works the Holy One sustains the world, as it says: “For the upright shall inhabit the land” (Prov. 2, 21), where the term yishkenu (they will inhabit) may be read yashkinu (they shall cause to be inhabited).’