The Secret of the Well and the Renewed Revelation of Mount Sinai: The Connection Between Abba and Rachel

Lesson No. 18 | Lesson 1: Tuesday, Parashat Chukat, 29 Sivan 5755

Why was Moses commanded to speak to the rock in Parashat Chukat, as opposed to striking the rock in Parashat Beshalach? An in-depth article on the intention of the Holy One, blessed be He.

It is brought down in Halachah (Jewish Law) that it is proper to recite the Ten Commandments every day. During the day, we say the Ten Commandments from Parashat Yitro, and at night, as the *Kav HaYashar* writes, we say those from Parashat Va'etchanan. The Midrash states that one who merits it hears the Ten Commandments at every moment. Thus it is told of the holy Baal Shem Tov zy"a and his disciples, that they merited to literally hear the voice of the revelation at Mount Sinai at every moment, in the aspect of: > "A great voice that did not cease."

A person must live every moment as if he is currently standing at Mount Sinai. The holy Zohar at the beginning of Parashat Chukat explains that whoever studies Torah is considered as if he is standing at Mount Sinai.

The Secret of Speaking to the Rock

This is the entire essence of Parashat Chukat and the secret of the well. Hashem wanted to reveal the event of the receiving of the Torah anew before the entry into the Land of Israel. The secret of the well is the revelation of the Shechinah (Divine Presence) of Hashem, which, so to speak, became impregnated within the rock. Hashem wanted to bestow the Ten Commandments anew, so that the people of Israel would hear them again just a moment before their journey into the Land of Israel.

On the verse: > "And you shall speak to the rock before their eyes," the *Chiddushei HaRim* explains a wondrous, simple meaning: What does "before their eyes" mean? The intention is that just as at the revelation at Mount Sinai they saw the letters flying in the air, so too now, through speaking to the rock, they would merit to see the letters of the Torah once again. The main thing was to create the Ten Commandments anew.

It would have been fitting for there to be thunder and lightning throughout the entire world, exactly like at the revelation at Mount Sinai, and even twice as much. This revelation was supposed to occur now, after the histalkus (passing away) of Miriam the Prophetess.

The Difference Between Striking and Speaking

Here lies the tremendous difference between striking the rock in Parashat Beshalach and speaking to the rock in Parashat Chukat. In Parashat Beshalach, when the nation was thirsty for water and quarreled with Moses, Hashem commanded him: > "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it." There, Moses struck the rock, and the action was perfectly fine.

Why, then, in Parashat Chukat was he forbidden to strike it? The holy Arizal explains that in Parashat Beshalach, before the giving of the Torah and prior to standing at the border of the Land of Israel, the spiritual work was to draw down the "Light of Abba" (supernal kindness/wisdom) to "Imma" (understanding). This connection of Abba and Imma is accomplished through a certain type of striking, and from it, the abundance of the creation of the Torah was drawn down, immediately followed by the revelation at Mount Sinai.

But now, in Parashat Chukat, a completely new spiritual work began. The generation of the wilderness is called the aspect of "Leah" (the hidden world of thought), and whoever is in the aspect of Leah cannot enter the Land of Israel, which is called the aspect of "Rachel" (the revealed world of action/Malchus). In order to enter the Land, it was necessary to connect the light of "Abba" with "Rachel." This connection requires speech rather than striking, in order to recreate the revelation of Mount Sinai in its perfection.

The Self-Sacrifice of Miriam

This entire well was given in the merit of Miriam the Prophetess. Were it not for her mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice), there would be no well. Miriam is the one who kept the children alive in Egypt. The *Midrash HaGadol* in Parashat Shemot describes how Pharaoh commanded the midwives: > "If it is a son, you shall kill him." The midwives made a mockery of Pharaoh and told him that the Hebrew women are like the beasts of the field—like lionesses and leopards who give birth without assistance.

Pharaoh, who managed Egypt as a "nation of laws," could not kill without witnesses and a trial, and therefore he sent messengers to their homes to kill the children. The Midrash says on the verse: > "And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses," that the midwives themselves turned into the walls and beams of the house in order to hide! Pinchas and Caleb turned into pillars and decorations, and thus they were saved. In the merit of this immense mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice), Miriam merited the well that accompanied Israel.

The Missed Opportunity of the Revelation of Fiery Flames

When the people of Israel stood at the border of the Land, it was necessary to let them hear the Ten Commandments again. The author of the *Midrash HaGadol*, who possessed Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration), composed a special piyut (liturgical poem) for Parashat Chukat in which he prays that we merit to hear the Ten Commandments and receive the Tablets anew. He declared in the piyut: > "The One who bequeaths the Tablets of the Covenant written with His finger, the One who lets us hear His commandments carved in flames of fire."

Moses was supposed to give the Torah anew at that very moment, with literal flames of fire. The Midrash describes that at that hour, fire, water, oil, and wine indeed came out of the rock. The nation thought this was sorcery, but the truth is that the water was supposed to emerge within flames of fire, in the aspect of "And Your holy commandments from flames of fire."

Ultimately, because of the striking of the rock, this mighty revelation was diminished. Instead of a renewed revelation of the Ten Commandments in fiery flames, only a few sparks emerged within the water.

The Secret of the Spies: Drawing Down Lights to Rachel

The transition from the wilderness to the Land of Israel required deep spiritual work. The entire task was to illuminate the aspect of "Rachel" (the Land of Israel). The generation of the wilderness was in the aspect of "Leah" (understanding), and they had no natural connection to Rachel. Therefore, Hashem commanded Moses: > "Send for yourself men, and let them scout out the Land of Canaan."

The word "v'yaturu" (and let them scout) is not from the root of "v'lo taturu" (and you shall not wander after your hearts), but rather from the root of searching for wisdom, as King Solomon wrote: > "And I applied my heart to seek and to search out (latur) by wisdom." The atmosphere of the Land of Israel makes one wise, and the spies were sent to create the spiritual connection between the foundation of "Abba" (Moses) and "Rachel" (the Land).

The role of a spy is to transfer information from one country to another. On the spiritual plane, the spies were supposed to transfer supernal lights from the foundation of Abba to Rachel—something that no tzaddik since the creation of the world had managed to do. But the spies blemished their mission. Instead of "searching out by wisdom" (latur), they chose "v'yachperu" (and they spied/dug)—from the root of cherpah (disgrace) and shame. They sought to shame the Land and destroy the Divine plan.

The Streams of Arnon and the Subjugation of the Enemies

The sin of striking the rock reverted, as it were, to the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. If Moses had spoken to the rock, a "face-to-face" unification of Rachel and Zeir Anpin (the emotional attributes of the Divine) would have been made, and the people of Israel would have entered the Land amidst hearing the Ten Commandments. Since this was not done, it is said: > "Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well—sing to it."

The well entered the streams of Arnon. The holy Zohar explains that "Arnon" is the secret of the supernal unification of Abba and Imma ("Ohr" [light] and "Nun" [the fifty gates of understanding]). This is a tremendous unification that never ceases. When the people of Israel merited that lofty unification of 'Arnon', all the Amorites and the haters of Israel were immediately crushed. Hashem showed them that they had nothing to fear from giants or wars; the moment the supernal unification is made, the earth swallows the enemies or they fly into the air.

Our spiritual work today is to draw down these unifications. First of all, through the performance of practical mitzvot (the aspect of Malchus), and afterward through the toil of Torah study (the aspect of Zeir Anpin), until we merit to reach the supernal unification of the "streams of Arnon"—the perfect connection of wisdom and understanding.

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