"And he looked, and behold a well in the field"

88. "And he looked, and behold a well in the field" (Beresheet 29:2). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion and said, "A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son" (Tehilim 3:1). This verse was known to the friends, WHO HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED AND EXPLAINED IT. Yet "a psalm of David" IS PERPLEXING, FOR why did he sing? Perhaps it is because his son, and not a stranger, rose against him, AND HIS SON WOULD HAVE PITY ON HIM AND A STRANGER WOULD NOT. BUT THIS INTERPRETATION WOULD NOT BE TRUE because this was supposed to be a greater lament for him. A man grieves more over a small hurt from his kin than a great hurt from others. HE ANSWERS, "A psalm of David" means that he sang because it was David's wish. At first he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, would punish him for his sins in the World to Come. When he saw that He would take revenge in this world, he rejoiced AND SANG.

89. Another reason is that DAVID saw that men of greater importance in this world fled alone. Jacob fled, as it is written, "And Jacob fled into the country of Aram" (Hoshea 12:13), and he fled alone. Moses fled, as it is written, "But Moses fled from before Pharaoh" (Shemot 2:15), and he was alone. When David fled, all the rulers of the land, the valiant men of the country and the chiefs of Yisrael, all fled with him, surrounding him from right and left to guard him on all sides. When he thus saw himself valued, he sang.

90. Rabbi Yehuda said that the others all passed by this well, THE NUKVA, WHILE THEY WERE FLEEING. HE ASKS, Why was David an exception? HE ANSWERS, David was then considered to be its foe BECAUSE IT PUNISHED HIM FOR THE SIN OF BATHSHEBA, and therefore he did not come across it. But the well gladly accepted Jacob and Moses, and wished to approach them. Therefore, when the well saw them, the water rose before them, as a wife happy with her husband.

91. You may wonder why, when Elijah ran away, he did not come across THE WELL. HE SAYS, Elijah is beneath the well, BEING THE CHARIOT TO THE NUKVA CALLED 'WELL,' and not above the well, as were Moses and Jacob. Therefore, ELIJAH was a messenger performing the errands OF THE NUKVA, while Jacob and Moses were above the well, BEING A CHARIOT TO ZEIR ANPIN. THEREFORE, the well rejoiced to see them and the water rose to receive them. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE ASCENSION OF THE FEMALE WATERS TOWARD THE MALE WATERS, as a wife rejoices to see and welcome her husband.

92. The verse, "And he looked, and behold a well in the field," contains a secret. For he saw that the upper well, THE NUKVA, resembled THE LOWER OTHER WELL, WHICH WAS IN TUNE TO IT. As it is written, "And, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it" (Beresheet 29:2). THIS MEANS THAT THE THREE FLOCKS OF SHEEP ARE CONSTANTLY AT THE MOUTH OF THE WELL. HE ASKS, If there are three, why is it later written, "And there all the flocks gathered," WHICH MEANS THAT THERE ARE MORE HERDS? HE ANSWERS, There are three AND NO MORE, south, east, and north - NAMELY, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. South is on the RIGHT side, north on the LEFT side, and east is THE CENTRAL COLUMN between them. And those who stand on this well and join it, fill it. Why DO THEY WATER IT? Because, "for out of that well they watered the flocks," THAT IS, THE LOWER SOULS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH, ASIYAH, as it is written, "They give drink to every wild beast" (Tehilim 104:11), WHICH ARE THE SOULS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH. IN THAT WAY, HE EXPLAINS THE VERSE, "AND THERE WERE ALL THE FLOCKS GATHERED," WHICH MEANS ALL THE SOULS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH. BUT ONLY THREE WATER THE WELL - THE THREE COLUMNS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET.

93. The verse, "And there were all the flocks gathered," is similar to the verse, "All the rivers run into the sea" (Kohelet 1:7). AS THE RIVERS ARE SOULS, SO ARE THE HERDS. ."..and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth..." MEANS THAT they remove from THE WELL the vigor of severe Judgment, which was congealed and frozen as a stone, thereby preventing the water from coming out. And when these rivers run to the sea, THE NUKVA, south - which is Right, CHESED - is strengthened, and north, GVURAH, cannot freeze the water. Thus, the water of the river remains abundant and does not congeal as in a river of little water.

94. Therefore, when these rivers run, south (which is the Right COLUMN) is strengthened. And the water thaws so that it can flow and water the herds, THE SOULS. As we have already said, "they give drink to every wild beast," WHICH ARE THE SOULS. ."..and put the stone back upon the well's mouth in its place..." because the world needs the judgments OF THE NUKVA. There must be Judgment in order to reprimand the wicked. THEREFORE, THEY RETURN THE STONE TO ITS PLACE SO THAT THE NUKVA SHINES ONLY AT THE TIME OF UNION, WHEN SOULS RAISE FEMALE WATERS. AFTER THE UNION IS ACHIEVED, IT IS CLOSED AGAIN.

95. Come and behold, when Jacob, who sat upon the well, saw the water rising up to him, he knew he would meet his wife there. After Moses, who also sat upon the well, saw the water rising toward him, he too knew his wife would come there. And so it was that Jacob met his wife there, as it is written, "And while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep...And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel..." It is also written of Moses, "And the shepherds came and drove them away..." (Shemot 22:17). And there he met Tziporah, his wife. This well caused all of this BECAUSE THE WELL IS THE SECRET OF THE SUPERNAL NUKVA. THUS, THEY MET THE NUKVA OF THIS WORLD.

96. Come and behold, this well is mentioned in this text seven times because seven IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF SEVEN, WHICH INCLUDES SEVEN SFIROT. It also alludes to Beer-Sheva (lit. 'a well of seven'). HE EXPLAINED THAT this well is mentioned seven times in this text, as it is written, "And he looked, and behold a well in the field...for out of that well...and a great stone was upon the well's mouth...and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth...and put the stone back upon the well's mouth...and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth...and rolled the stone from the well's mouth." There are seven mentions. Assuredly this is so, because it includes seven grades.

97. In the text about Moses, THE WELL is mentioned only once, as it is written, "and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down upon a well" (Shemot 2:15). This is because Moses renounced his house below. Jacob, HOWEVER, did not renounce his house below at all. Therefore, a well is mentioned only once in regard to Moses, as it is written, "My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother" (Shir Hashirim 6:9). Therefore, Moses is the owner of the house, AS HIS ROOT IS ABOVE THE LOWER NUKVA CALLED 'HOUSE' and he rose above it. Therefore, it is written of Moses, "and he sat down upon a well," THAT IS, ABOVE THE WELL. Of Jacob it is written, "And he looked, and behold a well in the field," and not "and he sat down upon a well."

98. Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah). In the verse, "And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it" (Beresheet 29:2) the well is a grade called the 'Master of all the Earth.' HE EXPLAINED, "the field" means the field of holy apple trees, NAMELY, THE NUKVA FROM THE CHEST BELOW. The "three flocks of sheep" are the three supernal holy grades that are set on that well. They are Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of the world. And these draw water, NAMELY, PLENTY, from above, ZEIR ANPIN, and fill the well.

99. This is because this source, the foundation (Yesod) of the world, dwells inside that well, producing fruits and forever flowing. And the well is filled by it, MEANING THAT YESOD POURS INTO THE WELL, THE NUKVA, TWO KINDS OF PLENTY FOR THE PURPOSES OF: 1) PRODUCING SOULS, WHICH ARE FRUITS AND 2) SUSTAINING THE LOWER BEINGS. Because the well is filled WITH PLENTY, assuredly, "out of that well they watered the flocks," which are the multitude of souls and holy armies that drink from that well, each according to its merit.

100. "...And a great stone was upon the well's mouth..." alludes to a stone upon which people stumble in the world, "a stone of stumbling and...a rock of offense" (Yeshayah 8:14). THE OTHER SIDE is forever present at the well's mouth, THAT IS, BY ITS COMMAND, to seek justice from the entire world, so that no sustenance and goodness shall descend upon the world. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE NUKVA RECEIVES FROM THE LEFT, BUT NOT THE RIGHT, AND THEN PUNISHES AND DEMANDS JUSTICE.

101. Of the verse, "And there were all the flocks gathered," HE ASKS, why is it not written, 'And there were the flocks gathered,' INSTEAD OF "ALL THE FLOCKS?" WHAT DOES "ALL" MEAN? All these flocks are the holy troops above, THE ANGELS, and the holy troops below, THE RIGHTEOUS. By singing and praising above and by prayers and petitions below, they immediately "rolled the stone from the well's mouth." They roll it and remove it from holiness; THE WELL is then separated from the Judgment, CALLED 'STONE.' Then "they watered the sheep," the supernal angels received above, and Yisrael below.

102. Then the words, "and put the stone back," mean that, according to the command of the well, THEY PUT THE STONE BACK IN ITS PLACE so it will be ready to demand judgment from the world - to act according to Judgment. And so it ought to be, for the world needs judgment to survive, to ensure that all will be done according to Truth and Righteousness.

103. After Jacob was perfected, WHEN HE FOUND HIS SPOUSE, RACHEL, he had no further need of that stone. It is then written, "And rolled the stone from the well's mouth." HE ASKS, Why is it written, "And (he) rolled," and "they rolled," instead of 'he removed,' and 'they removed?' Because "they rolled" is the rolling of the Satan, for they roll everything upon him and shake him so he cannot accuse.

104. And Jacob alone ROLLED THE STONE and needed help from no one. For Jacob was the chosen of the fathers, THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Because he prevailed against Esau in this world, he could prevail above. In everything, there is need first of an action BELOW.

105. Jacob inherited two worlds, the Revealed World and the Hidden World. Accordingly, from the Hidden World, FROM LEAH, the six tribes were issued. And from the Revealed World, FROM RACHEL, the other two tribes were issued. Also, the Hidden World, LEAH, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, issued six ends, and the Revealed World, RACHEL, issued two. They are the two Cherubs, Metatron and Sandalfon. And Jacob was located between the two worlds, THE REVEALED AND THE HIDDEN, in their very shape. Therefore, all Leah said was covered, and all that Rachel said was in the open. End of Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah).

106. Tosefta (Addendum). "And he looked, and behold a well is in the field." Rabbi Elazar said, It is written, "Hearken to me, you that follow after Righteousness" (Yeshayah 51:1), MEANING THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE NUKVA, THAT IS CALLED 'RIGHTEOUSNESS,' TO AMEND IT; those who claim the secret of the faith AND THEREBY THE JUDGMENT TO CORRECT THE NUKVA, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN; those who cleave to the bond of the faith, THE SECRET OF THE BOND IN THE RIGHT COLUMN; AND those who know the ways of the Supernal King, THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. THE ADDENDUM HEREBY INVITES THOSE WHO ATTAINED THE THREE COLUMNS, WHO FOLLOW THE NUKVA, TO AMEND HER, TO HEARKEN TO THESE WORDS. THIS PARAGRAPH IS WRITTEN IN A VERY CONFUSING WAY. SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS MEANT BY 'AMEND?'

107. When the two COLUMNS move toward the one COLUMN, they receive it between their arms. Thus, two COLUMNS travel with the third between them. The first two are the seat of the prophets, from which they derive sustenance. The one in the middle is attached to both of them, and receives from AND INCLUDES them all.

108. The holy well is beneath them. It is THEN CALLED a 'field of holy apple trees,' "for out of that well they watered the flocks," which are the Chariots of the winged ANGELS. Three are found lying upon the well. And this well is filled by them. This is the meaning of the verse, "for out of that well they watered the flocks." It is called 'Adonai,' as it is written, "Adonai Elohim, You have begun" (Devarim 3:24), and, "and cause Your face to shine upon Your sanctuary that is desolate, for Adonai's sake" (Daniel 9:17). IT IS CALLED the 'Master (Heb. adon) of all the Earth,' as it is written, "Behold, the Ark of the Covenant, (of) the Master of all the earth" (Yehoshua 3:11).