Parshat Vayera
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha that Sarah tells Avraham to send away Hagar and her son Yishmael. Avraham listens to Sarah and sends them off with water, but soon they find themselves wandering in the desert with their water supply depleted. As Hagar prepares for her son to die, an angel appears to Hagar and comforts her. Immediately thereafter we read (Chapter 21, Pasuk 19), Vayifkach Elokim es Eineha Vatere Be'er Mayim, Vatelech Vatemaleh es Hachemes Mayim Vatask es HaNa'ar. And Gd opened her eyes and she saw a spring of water, she filled up her flask with water and she gave the lad to drink.
The Medrash Rabbah on the pasuk states (53, 14), Amar Rabbi Binyamin, Hakol Bechezkas Sumin ad She'Hakadosh Baruch Hu Me'ir es Eineihem.We learn from these words, And Gd opened her eyes, that everyone is blind until Hashem opens their eyes. And the Medrash continues and derives from the words which indicate that Hagar filled up the flask with water, Mechuseres Emunah Haysah, she was lacking in faith.
The Chidushei HaRim derives from the Medrash that everything a person needs in his life is always right in front of him. One just needs to open up his eyes. The wellspring of water was in front of her eyes, but Hashem needed to open her eyes for her to see it. Often times the solution to a problem is placed before us but we need wisdom and foresight in order to see it. Dovid Hamelech says in sefer Tehillim (Chapter 119, Pasuk 18), Gal Einai V'Abitah Niflaos M'Sorasecha, Open my eyes so that I may see wonders from your Torah. The beauty of the Torah is in front of us, we ask Hashem to open our eyes so that we can see it.
The end of the Medrash says that Hagar was lacking in Emunah by filling up her flask with water. The commentators explain that this is because she should have given her son to drink first before filling it up. She was apparently afraid that the well would disappear so she immediately filled the flask. This was her lack of faith.
The Sfas Emes learns the p'shat in the end of the Medrash as a continuation of the idea of the Chidushei HaRim. We don't need to store up on water. It's always there in front of us to take when we need. It's an expression of a lack of faith to feel that we will be missing what we need when it's necessary.
The Sfas Emes explains this on a deeper level. The Zohar says, Ihu Emes V'Ihi Emunah. Emes and Emunah, faith and truth, are inextricably connected. He explains that Emes is a reference to Torah Shebichsav and Emunah is Torah Shebe'alpeh. The more one has faith in Torah the more one will merit in learning and understanding Torah. One's faith in Hashem, Emunah, enables him to merit in Toras Emes. This is the ultimate expression of Hakol Bechezkas Sumin ad She'Hakadosh Baruch Hu Me'ir es Eineihem. We need Hashem to open our eyes for us in order to understand Torah. It's right before us and all who want can come and take it (Rambam, Hilchos Talmud Torah, Chapter 3, Halacha 1). But we need Hashem to open our eyes and without that assistance we're blind. This is what we pray for in Birchas Keriyas Shema, V'Haer Eineinu B'Sorasecha, fill our eyes with the light of Torah.
Water from a well is a well-known metaphor for Torah. It's a lack of faith for one to feel he needs to store up his learning in a vessel outside of himself. The believing Jew has Torah learning available to him at all times. His faith in Hashem and belief in Torah enable him to grow in Torah and be successful in his learning. And it becomes part of him; the Gemara Yerushalmi says, Mitoch Shechasidim Heim Torasan Misbareches B'Mei'ehem. The Torah learning of the Chasidim is blessed within their intestines. The believing Jew has Torah inside of him; it becomes a part of him. It is a total lack of understanding and faith to store it in a flask. Emes and Emunah must be part of the person, not stored in a vessel outside of him.
Good Shabbos
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