Filling Up Your Well
Vayeshev - Chanukah
‘The pit was empty, there was no water in it’. This is how the Torah describes the pit into which the brothers threw Yosef. The Gemara points out the obvious redundancy in this Posuk; If the pit was empty, it is obvious that there was no water in it, so why does the Posuk need to state this?
Our sages answer that the meaning of the Posuk is that whilst the pit was empty of water, it was filled with something else - snakes and scorpions.
This explanation raises a difficulty: The reason Reuven suggested throwing Yosef into the pit was so that he could come back to save him. If the pit was filled with snakes and scorpions, Yosef would have been long dead before his brother returned!
The Vilna Gaon offers a novel resolution based on the placement of this teaching in the Gemara. The interpretation that the pit was filled with snakes and scorpions comes in the Gemara’s discussion on the laws of Chanukah, immediately after the ruling that Chanukah candles that are higher than 20 Amos (approx. 10 meters) above the ground are invalid. The function of the candles is Pirsumei Nissa (that they be seen by passers-by to publicise the miracle). Objects placed higher than 20 Amos are not noticed and so they fail to achieve their function.
The juxtaposition of these Talmudic teachings is usually attributed to them being taught by the same Amora. The Vilna Gaon explains their association differently. Based on other Talmudic passages, he proves that the pit was at least 20 Amos deep. If so, the rule governing Chanukah candles would apply.
Since the eye does not naturally notice things beyond a height or depth of 20 Amos, the brothers were unaware that there were snakes and scorpions in the pit and Reuven determined that he would be able to return and save Yosef’s life.
The Midrash offers a deeper interpretation of this Posuk. Water represents Torah. By casting Yosef into the pit, the brothers showed that the pit of Jacob (a reference to his offspring) had run dry of the water of Torah. A key principle in Kabbalistic thought is that when holiness departs from a space, it creates a vacuum which draws the forces of impurity to fill the void.
This is why when a person passes away and the Neshama leaves the body, the body becomes a source of impurity.
We see from this that there is no ‘neutral’ ground. When one’s pit is empty of water, when they are not connected to and involved in the study of Torah, one does not just remain ‘empty’. The void becomes a vacuum, attracting negative spiritual influences - the snakes and scorpions that poison the soul.
The Torah is not only likened to water but also to wine. Water and wine each describe a different aspect of Torah.
Wine represents the logic of Torah. We drink wine because of its pleasant taste and fragrance. This represents the study of Torah study because we understand and appreciate its teachings.
In contrast, water does not have any taste. We drink water out of necessity. Water reflects the Kabbolas Ol dimension of Torah: We study it not because of its wisdom that we can understand, but because the Torah is G-dly and through it we connect to Hashem in the deepest possible way.
In the Al Hanissim of Chanukah we describe how the Yevanim sought to cause us ‘to forget Your Torah’. Chassidus explains that the Yevanim had no problem with the Jews studying Torah as a form of academia and philosophy. What they could not accept was the belief that the Torah is G-dly and that it is beyond human logic and rationale.
They tried, so to speak, to empty the pit of the water dimension of Torah. Their ultimate intent was that by divorcing Torah from its G-dly source and Divinity, the empty pit would expose the Jewish people to the snakes and scorpions of heresy that ultimately come from a purely academic approach to Torah study.
One cannot fight the rational approach of the Yevanim with logic. The victory of the Chashmonaim came about through their Mesiras Nefesh - a completely irrational dedication to Hashem. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for Hashem even when it was questionable according to the ‘logic’ of Torah whether they were allowed to do so. They flooded the pit with water, chasing away the snakes and scorpions of the heresy of the Yevanim.
Hashem reciprocated in kind, going beyond the ’logical’ structure of nature, to shower us with the ’irrational’ miracles of Chanukah.
Our sages answer that the meaning of the Posuk is that whilst the pit was empty of water, it was filled with something else - snakes and scorpions.
This explanation raises a difficulty: The reason Reuven suggested throwing Yosef into the pit was so that he could come back to save him. If the pit was filled with snakes and scorpions, Yosef would have been long dead before his brother returned!
The Vilna Gaon offers a novel resolution based on the placement of this teaching in the Gemara. The interpretation that the pit was filled with snakes and scorpions comes in the Gemara’s discussion on the laws of Chanukah, immediately after the ruling that Chanukah candles that are higher than 20 Amos (approx. 10 meters) above the ground are invalid. The function of the candles is Pirsumei Nissa (that they be seen by passers-by to publicise the miracle). Objects placed higher than 20 Amos are not noticed and so they fail to achieve their function.
The juxtaposition of these Talmudic teachings is usually attributed to them being taught by the same Amora. The Vilna Gaon explains their association differently. Based on other Talmudic passages, he proves that the pit was at least 20 Amos deep. If so, the rule governing Chanukah candles would apply.
Since the eye does not naturally notice things beyond a height or depth of 20 Amos, the brothers were unaware that there were snakes and scorpions in the pit and Reuven determined that he would be able to return and save Yosef’s life.
The Midrash offers a deeper interpretation of this Posuk. Water represents Torah. By casting Yosef into the pit, the brothers showed that the pit of Jacob (a reference to his offspring) had run dry of the water of Torah. A key principle in Kabbalistic thought is that when holiness departs from a space, it creates a vacuum which draws the forces of impurity to fill the void.
This is why when a person passes away and the Neshama leaves the body, the body becomes a source of impurity.
We see from this that there is no ‘neutral’ ground. When one’s pit is empty of water, when they are not connected to and involved in the study of Torah, one does not just remain ‘empty’. The void becomes a vacuum, attracting negative spiritual influences - the snakes and scorpions that poison the soul.
The Torah is not only likened to water but also to wine. Water and wine each describe a different aspect of Torah.
Wine represents the logic of Torah. We drink wine because of its pleasant taste and fragrance. This represents the study of Torah study because we understand and appreciate its teachings.
In contrast, water does not have any taste. We drink water out of necessity. Water reflects the Kabbolas Ol dimension of Torah: We study it not because of its wisdom that we can understand, but because the Torah is G-dly and through it we connect to Hashem in the deepest possible way.
In the Al Hanissim of Chanukah we describe how the Yevanim sought to cause us ‘to forget Your Torah’. Chassidus explains that the Yevanim had no problem with the Jews studying Torah as a form of academia and philosophy. What they could not accept was the belief that the Torah is G-dly and that it is beyond human logic and rationale.
They tried, so to speak, to empty the pit of the water dimension of Torah. Their ultimate intent was that by divorcing Torah from its G-dly source and Divinity, the empty pit would expose the Jewish people to the snakes and scorpions of heresy that ultimately come from a purely academic approach to Torah study.
One cannot fight the rational approach of the Yevanim with logic. The victory of the Chashmonaim came about through their Mesiras Nefesh - a completely irrational dedication to Hashem. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for Hashem even when it was questionable according to the ‘logic’ of Torah whether they were allowed to do so. They flooded the pit with water, chasing away the snakes and scorpions of the heresy of the Yevanim.
Hashem reciprocated in kind, going beyond the ’logical’ structure of nature, to shower us with the ’irrational’ miracles of Chanukah.