JEWISH HOME LA

Dear readers,

Most of the Torah’s description of Yitzchok Avinu’s life shows him digging wells and re-digging them if they had been filled with dirt. What is so significant about digging wells that causes the Torah to expound on it so much?

The Chassidic Masters teach that a person is like a well. Wherever one goes in the world, he is guaranteed to find water, so long as he digs. The only question: How long will he need to dig? In some areas, it will take a short time to find water; in other areas, longer; and in yet others, it will take an extremely long time. But fresh, living water he is guaranteed to find.

What is that “water?” The soul.

Yitzchok Avinu was a digger of wells, a discoverer of the soul.

This past Shabbos was the conference of Chabad shluchim in Crown Heights, New York. A digger of wells is the perfect way to describe the ideal shliach. They have an astounding ability to bring out a Jewish connection from people who, whether because of their indifference or hostility were written off as a lost cause. Yet along comes a shliach and shlucha, who embrace them with heartfelt ahavas Yisrael, and this very same person is suddenly adding mitzvos to their life and learning Torah for the first time.

We also need to look at our fellow Jews the same way. Whether they be neighbors, fellow carpoolers, or members of our shul, they have a precious “source of water” inside, and we need to view them that way.

Perhaps the best way to do so is to tap into our own soul: thinking more Torah, giving more tzedakah, being kinder, doing mitzvos whenever we can, and praying more intently. When we are more spiritual, we see spirituality in others as well.

May our collective Torah & mitzvos finally tip the scales for good, revealing the good in all of us and indeed in all of creation.

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,

Shalom