Isaac the Well Digger We know precious little about Isaac's life, his struggles, and his aspirations. One of the few episodes the Torah does describe is the ordeal of his digging wells. Unlike his father, who raised cattle, Isaac invested in agriculture in the arid terrain in the south of Israel. Water was scarce and extremely valuable, which led to the first two wells being contested by his Philistine neighbors; only the third well was not contested and represented Isaac's peaceful dwelling in the land. Commentators, sages, and mystics sensed that the story of the wells contains many layers of meaning. The Chasidic commentaries explain that digging for water represents the specific character trait of Isaac; the ability to find water in places where it is not obvious, which represents Isaac's ability to cultivate the inner waters of goodness that lie within the “soil” of the human soul. If Abraham represents loving-kindness, the desire to give, to share and influence others, Isaac embodies the ability, not to share, but to help people discover the innate sensitivity, wisdom and kindness that is latent within themselves. Nachmanides offers another interpretation, consistent with his overarching interpretation that “the actions of the parents are a sign for the children”; that the episodes and stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs in the book of Genesis foretell the future events that will unfold later in Jewish history. According to Nachamnides, the wells represent the Holy Temples that were destined to be built in Jerusalem: The Torah elaborates on the story of Isaac’s wells, seemingly without purpose; but there is a hidden meaning here, for it comes to foretell the future. The “well of living water” alludes to the Holy Temple, the divine abode that will be built by Isaac’s children. The First Temple was contested (“eisek”) by the nations, who waged wars against it until they destroyed it. The Second Temple was plagued by even greater hostility (“sitnah”) from its very beginnings through all its days, until it, too, was destroyed and we were cast into this bitter exile. The third well, however, is the Third Temple, may it be built speedily in our days, which will be established without animosity and strife. God will then broaden (“rehoboth”) our boundaries and all nations will serve God in unison. A well is a hybrid between human effort and the pristine state of nature created by G-d. In Jewish law, there are different degrees of ritual purity offered by immersion in water. Although the well is dug by human effort, it nevertheless has the highest form of ritual purity, that of the natural spring, because human effort removes the earth, and uncovers the natural water. The well is a metaphor for the holy temple, which represents the partnership between the human and the Divine. On one hand, the temple was built by the Jewish people yet it was sanctified by the Divine presence dwelling within it. The temple represents the Jewish people's effort to build a space that would be transparent to the Divine presence. Yet the “living water”, the Divine holiness, is not the product of man’s effort; but rather, it is a gift and a revelation from above. Ultimately, the transformation of the world into a place of peace and serenity, which will occur with the third temple, when “there will be no animosity and strife… and all nations will serve God in unison”, will occur through the partnership between humanity and G-d. Only then will the transformation be internalized and enduring. (Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Lekutei Sichos Toldos 30:3)
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