Of Wives and Wells

Last week and this week, several friends announced their engagements.  Funny thing is that these two weeks, we also find ourselves dealing with marriages in the Torah portions.  Last week, Isaac’s wife was found by a well, and this week, his son Jacob also finds his wife by a well.  What’s going on with the wives and the wells?  Why didn’t the forefathers find a wife by a mikveh or a spring or some other body of water?  But the thing is digging a well is like digging inside.  You want to get rid of all the dirt, all the stuff that doesn’t belong there, until you reveal the spiritual source inside.  Once you have gotten rid of all the dirt and the obstacles, the water flows spontaneously, automatically.  It’s a combination of man’s effort and God’s input, and that is where the water (wisdom) is found.  The same is true of the spouse.  We have to do the work, but it’s mostly about ridding ourselves of blockages and obstacles.  And then the spouse is “found.”  Blessings to all those who have dug and all those who continue digging.  For more depth on the subject, check out http://jerusalemconnection.org/weekly   If you want to know more about prayer and Jewish mysticism, check out www.jewishspiritualbooks.com, and if you just want to know what’s going on with Chabad in Jerusalem, check out www.chabadjerusalem.org  Have a great week and a great new month of Kislev!