The well of Moses and Jacob
In this section, Rabbi Elazar discourses on the well of Jacob and Moses. The waters of this well arose towards Jacob and he found his spouse, Rachel, there. Similarly, when Moses came across the well, the waters rose towards Moses and he joined there with his spouse, Tziporah. The discussion then turns to Jethro, a heathen priest who renounced paganism and ceased to worship idols. Because of this renunciation, Jethro's people excommunicated him and they drove his daughters away so they could not water his flock. Through the Holy Spirit, Moses knew that their mistreatment was caused by their rejection of idolatry, and so Moses helped Jethro's daughters. With the aid of a metaphorical example, Rabbi Chiya then explains that their rescue was actually due to the Egyptian whom Moses killed.
Kabbalistically, water represents purification and Light. Both Moses and Jacob met their soul mates by a well, alluding to the spiritual principle that states that a man merits and unites with his soul mate only when he has purified himself through spiritual transformation.
Meditating upon this passage literally transports our soul to the well of Moses and Jacob so that we may meet our true soul mate, or deeply enrich existing marital relationships. We draw water from the well to cleanse our soul, wash away our iniquities, and thus cause the ultimate soul mate unification - the marriage of our physical world with the supernal world of Light.
Towards the end of this passage, we are told that, after Moses had killed the Egyptian man, he fled and came upon the well, where he met his wife, Tziporah. In turn, Moses was also able to help the daughters of Jethro water their flock. For this reason, the daughters say, "An Egyptian man delivered us." The Egyptian is given credit because it was he who caused Moses to come to Midian, the place of the well.
One basic idea emerges from this story. We find out that our dark side, the Egyptian man, allows us to come closer to the Light of the Creator. Namely, our negative qualities let us fulfill our deepest need and most profound desire - to become the cause and creators of our own fulfillment, because in the moment that we identify and banish our egocentric features, we arouse Light. Thus, we have become responsible for, and the cause of, our own joy.
Jethro represents the transformation from Idol-worshipper to one who truly knows the one Light of the Creator. This is us. To one degree or another, each person has idol-worship in his nature, be it the worship of money, the veneration of prestige and power, the adulation of cultural icons, or the adoration of acceptance by other people. But again, these negative traits allow us to attain affinity with the Creator as soon as we eradicate them and transform ourselves.
Here the Zohar purges idol-worshipping from our nature. Another discharge of Light is released to extricate extreme meanness from our hearts.
228. Rabbi Elazar said, Blessed is the portion of the righteous. Jacob fled from his brother and he chanced upon a well, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF NUKVA. As soon as the well saw him, the waters recognized their master, and they rose toward him, IN THE SECRET OF MAYIN NUKVIN ('FEMALE WATERS'). And they rejoiced with him and then his soulmate, RACHEL, joined him. Moses fled from Pharaoh and chanced upon that well, and the waters saw him and recognized their master and rose towards him, IN THE SECRET OF MAYIN NUKVIN, and there he was joined by his soulmate, TZIPORAH.
228. א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, יַעֲקֹב עָרַק מִקָּמֵי אֲחוּי, וְאִזְדְּמַן לֵיהּ בֵּירָא, כֵּיוָן דְּבִירָא חָמָא לֵיהּ, מַיָּא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעוּ לְמָארֵיהוֹן, וְסַלְּקִין לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְחַדּוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְתַמָּן אִזְדַּוְּוגַת לֵיהּ בַּת זוּגֵיהּ. מֹשֶׁה עָרַק מִקָּמֵי פַּרְעֹה, וְאִזְדָּמַן לֵיהּ הַהוּא בֵּירָא, וּמַיִין חָמוּ לֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעוּ לְמָארֵיהוֹן, וְסַלְקוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְתַמָּן אִזְדַּוְּוגַת לֵיהּ בַּת זוּגֵיהּ.
229. What was the difference between Moses and Jacob? (IMPLYING THAT THERE IS REALLY NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOSES AND JACOB.) It is written of Jacob: "And it came to pass that when Jacob saw Rachel...and rolled the stone..." (Beresheet 29:10). Of Moses it is written, "And the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them" (Shemot 2:17). After he saw the waters rising towards him, certainly Moses knew that he would find his soulmate there. Also, the Holy Spirit never departed from him, and through it he knew that Tziporah would be his wife. Moses said, 'Certainly when Jacob came here and the waters rose towards him, someone came to him who took him to his home and gave him all his needs. So will it be with me!'
229. מַה בֵּין מֹשֶׁה לְיַעֲקֹב, יַעֲקֹב כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה יַעֲקֹב אֶת רָחֵל וְגוֹ.' וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב וַיָּגֶל אֶת הָאֶבֶן וְגוֹ.' מֹשֶׁה מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וַיָּבוֹאוּ הָרוֹעִים וַיְגָרֲשׁוּם וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיּוֹשִיעָן וְגוֹ.' בְּוַדַּאי יָדַע הֲוָה מֹשֶׁה, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא מַיָּא דְּסַלְּקִין לְגַבֵּיהּ, דְּתַמָּן תִּזְדָּמַן לֵיהּ בַּת זוּגֵיהּ. וְתוּ, דְּהָא רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, לָא אִתְעָדֵי מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין וּבֵיהּ הֲוָה יָדַע, דְּצִפּוֹרָה תֶּהֱוֵי בַּת זוּגֵיהּ. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, וַדַּאי יַעֲקֹב אָתָא לְהָכָא, וּמַיָּא סְלִיקוּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, אִזְדָּמַן לֵיהּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּאַכְנִישׁ לֵיהּ לְבֵיתֵיהּ, וְיָהַב לֵיהּ כָּל מַה דְּאִצְטָרִיךְ. אָנָא אוּף הָכִי.
230. That man said, So have I learned that Jethro was a priest to idols; as soon as he saw that there is nothing in idolatry, he separated from its service. The people arose and excommunicated him. When the people saw his daughters COMING TO WATER HIS SHEEP, they drove them away. For originally, they THEMSELVES herded his sheep, SINCE HE WAS THEIR PRIEST. As soon as Moses saw, by the Holy Spirit, that they were doing this because of the matter of idolatry, "Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock." And all this was done through zealousness for the Holy One, blessed be He.
230. אָמַר הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּיִתְרוֹ כּוֹמֶר לכו"ם הֲוָה. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא דכו"ם לֵית בָּהּ מַמָּשׁוּ. אִתְפְּרָשׁ מִפּוּלְחָנָא דִּילֵהּ. קָמוּ עַמָּא וְנִדּוּהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא בְּנָתֵיהּ, הֲווֹ מְתָרְכָן לוֹן, דְּהָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא אִינּוּן הֲווֹ רַעָאן עָאנֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ מֹשֶׁה בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, דְּעַל מִלָּה דכו"ם הֲווֹ עַבְדֵי, מִיָּד וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיּוֹשִיעָן וַיַּשְׁק אֶת צֹאנָם. וְאִתְעָבֵיד קִנְאָה לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכֹלָּא.
231. Rabbi Elazar said to him, You are with us but we do not know your name. He said, I am Yoezer, the son of Jacob. The friends came and kissed him and said, You have been with us and we did not know you. They walked together all that day and the morrow they escorted him three miles and he went on his way.
231. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אַנְתְּ לְגַבָּן, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא שְׁמֶךָ. אָמַר, אֲנָא יוֹעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב. אָתוּ חַבְרַיָּיא וּנְשָׁקוּהוּ, אָמְרוּ, וּמָה אַנְתְּ לְגַבָּן, וְלָא הֲוֵינָן יַדְעִין בָּךְ. אָזְלוּ כַּחֲדָא כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא לְיוֹמָא אַחֲרָא אֹזְפוּהוּ תְּלַת מִילִין, וְאָזִיל לְאוֹרְחֵיהּ.
232. "And they said, 'An Egyptian man delivered us'" (Shemot 2:19). Rabbi Chiya said, The friends explained this to mean that the Holy Spirit flickered in them WHEN THEY SAID "AN EGYPTIAN MAN DELIVERED US." They spoke but did not know what they spoke. FOR EXAMPLE, a man was dwelling in a wilderness and many days passed that he ate no food. One day, a bear came to catch a lamb. The lamb fled and the bear PURSUED him until they reached that man in the wilderness. He saw the lamb, grabbed it, slaughtered it and ate the meat. WE FIND THAT THE BEAR CAUSED THAT MAN TO EAT FOOD. ALSO, HERE THE EGYPTIAN THAT WAS KILLED BY MOSES CAUSED MOSES TO FLEE AND COME TO MIDIAN, TO THE WELL. THEREFORE, THEY SAID, "AN EGYPTIAN MAN DELIVERED US," WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, MEANING THE EGYPTIAN MAN THAT MOSES KILLED.
232. וַתֹּאמַרְןָ אִישׁ מִצְרִי הִצִּילָנוּ. רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, דְּנִצְנְצָא בְּהוּ רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, וְאָמְרוּ, וְלֹא יָדְעוּ מָה אָמְרוּ. לְבַר נָשׁ, דַּהֲוָה יָתִיב בְּמַדְבְּרָא, וַהֲווֹ יוֹמִין דְּלָא אָכַל בִּשְׂרָא. יוֹמָא חַד אָתָא דּוֹבָא לְנַטְלָא חַד אִימְרָא, עָרַק אִימְרָא, וְדוֹבָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ לְמַדְבְּרָא, חָמָא אִימְרָא, וְאַתְקִיף בֵּיהּ וּשְׁחָטֵיהּ וְאָכַל בִּשְׂרָא.