Re-digging the Wells of Our Soul

Parashat Toldot

Re-digging the Wells of Our Soul

How are the Wellsprings that Yitzchak Re-dug Linked to Our Psyche?  

Yitzchak is known for digging wells. Digging wells is also a metaphor for digging deep within our own character and psyche, probing the inner recesses of our hearts and soul. When we dig deep within, we may discover hidden traces of negativity that don’t show up on the surface. A person with a gevurah (judgmental) personality, like Yitzchak, will generally be harder on themselves because they can detect even small traces of imperfection or insincerity. We are all made up of multiple layers. Our surface layer isn’t always aligned with the subconscious, concealed layers of our psyche. Even the most seemingly kind and caring person may have problems deeper down without being aware. These repressed parts of our personality may unconsciously influence our relationships with Hashem, with others, and with ourselves. In Emunahealing we can release the concealed blocks one by one through premeditated prayer. When we succeed to remove the blocking subconscious layers of our personality, we may be able to tap into the “well of the living waters” of our soul – our highest superconscious level – the very core of our souls that is even more deeply embedded within our psyche. Yet, how can we learn from Yitzchak to cut through the hard rock formations to tap into our true inner light – the sparks of the Divine?

How Does the Concept of Divine Soul Differ from Freud’s Theory of the Psyche?

Whereas it is our greatest challenge to reveal our hidden wellspring within, it is important to be aware that it exists, and that our inherent soul is intrinsically good and in tune with the Divine Will. Therefore, “The primary role of teshuva, which at once sheds light on the darkened zone, is for the person to return to himself, to the root of his soul. Then he will at once return to G-d, to the Soul of all souls (Rav Kook, Lights of Teshuva 15:10). This concept differs significantly from Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, which features three main parts of the human psyche: 1. The id – primitive instinctual drive, corresponding loosely to the yetzer hara; 2. The super-ego – moral conscience acquired from our parents and society from early childhood; 3. The ego – the mediator between the desires of the id and the super-ego. Yet, Freud failed to address the supreme superconscious level of the Divine soul, which is beyond the external ‘super-ego,’ whose morals are formed by others. Every Jew has an inner Divine soul, which on its own knows the truth and always wants to do good. This soul emanates from the eternal Divine wellspring. Yet, it is hidden in the secrets of secrets because blessings are only found in that which is hidden from the eye (Based on Rav Kook, Orot Hakodesh I:83).

 Digging Wells to Reveal the Inner Wellspring

Yitzchak’s main work was to dig wells. The purpose of this work is to reveal the living underground waters and to raise them to the surface. As we walk in the soul steps of Yitzchak, our life’s work is also to dig deeply in search of our inner wellspring:

ספר בראשית פרק כו פסוק יח
וַיָּשָׁב יִצְחָק וַיַּחְפֹּר אֶת בְּאֵרֹת הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר חָפְרוּ בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו וַיְסַתְּמוּם פְּלִשְׁתִּים אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקְרָא לָהֶן שֵׁמוֹת כַּשֵּׁמֹת אֲשֶׁר קָרָא לָהֶן אָבִיו: (יט) וַיַּחְפְּרוּ עַבְדֵי יִצְחָק בַּנָּחַל וַיִּמְצְאוּ שָׁם בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים: (כ) וַיָּרִיבוּ רֹעֵי גְרָר עִם רֹעֵי יִצְחָק לֵאמֹר לָנוּ הַמָּיִם וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַבְּאֵר עֵשֶׂק כִּי הִתְעַשְּׂקוּ עִמּוֹ: (כא) וַיַּחְפְּרוּ בְּאֵר אַחֶרֶת וַיָּרִיבוּ גַּם עָלֶיהָ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ שִׂטְנָה: (כב) וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם וַיַּחְפֹּר בְּאֵר אַחֶרֶת וְלֹא רָבוּ עָלֶיהָ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמָהּ רְחֹבוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי עַתָּה הִרְחִיב הָשֵׁם לָנוּ וּפָרִינוּ בָאָרֶץ:

“Yitzchak dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Avraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Avraham; and he gave them names like the names that his father had given them. Then Yitzchak’s servants dug in the valley, and they found there a well of living waters. The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Yitzchak’s shepherds, saying, ‘The water is ours;’ so he named the well Esek, because they had contended with him. And they dug another well, and they quarreled about it also; so, he named it Sitnah.  And he moved away from there, and dug another well, over which they did not quarrel; so, he called it Rechovot; and he said, ‘For now Hashem has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land’” (Bereishit 26:18-22).

The purpose of digging wells, which we are all called to do, is not to make water flow into the wells from another source; but only to reveal the living waters, which are already found within the wells themselves. For only these wells retain the living waters. Yet, they are covered up with dirt, mud, and pebbles, which we need to remove, to reveal the living waters.

Unblocking Negativity by Tuning into Our Wellspring Within

Besides the natural covering of the living waters, Yitzchak also had to deal with the negative forces that tried to prevent his holy work of digging the wells. Although the herdsmen of Avimelech chased Yitzchak’s herdsmen away and shut up his wells, Yitzchak was not discouraged but continued to dig the wells until he reached “Rechovot” – “For now Hashem has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” This work teaches us about the spiritual work of separating and raising the sparks from their shells by removing all the veils of the physical world and transforming it into a vessel for Divinity – like the living waters themselves which rise from below (Based on Rav Menachem Mendel Shneerson, Parashat Vayera 12-13). In our psyche, these negative forces may manifest in ‘stories’ of insecurity that we tell ourselves, based on childhood wounds and traumas. Therefore, the first step to revealing our Divine soul is to dig down within the concealing layers of emotional blocks. These blocks cause people to repeatedly stumble in similar situations. For example, a woman divorces an abusive man only to find herself in another abusive relationship. In order to release her from this negative pattern, we must ask Hashem for the underlying root that blocks her from being in a healthy relationship. We may ask Hashem, “What is blocking X from being open to forming a healthy, lasting, intimate relationship?” Then we close our eyes and tune into Hashem’s answer for us. The next step is then to pray to Hashem to remove this block. It may take several tries to become in tune with Hashem’s answers within our souls. Yet, when we keep opening ourselves to tap into the Divine, in our sincere desire to help another person, we will – with Hashem’s help – begin to receive true answers from within.

EmunaHealing Exercise to Remove the Dirt, Mud, and Pebbles Blocking Our Soul

1. Make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and turn your attention inwards.

2. Breathe deeply. Imagine a well filled with clear underground waters, which at times surfaces and gives you a healing spray of living waters.

3. As you inhale imagine drawing the underground waters up to be revealed on the surface. As you exhale let the waters return to their source. Repeat this conscious water-cycle-breathing four additional times.

4. While continuing conscious breathing, envision the blocks deterring the waters from cycling freely within you. Tune into one of these blocks which may appear like a dark spot, or cloud. Allow yourself to envision its color, shape, and texture. Is the block hard or smooth, is it like a rock or rather a pile of pebbles? Focus on the appearance and nature of the block.

5. What is the nature of this block? In which way does it inhibit you and deter you from tapping into your Divine soul?

6. Ask Hashem to speak through the block and ask it, “Why are you here? What created you? What must I do to release you?”

7. Return to your conscious water-cycle-breathing, while asking Hashem to reveal answers to your questions. Allow your mind to be still to tune into the answers which you receive.

9. You may receive an answer that the block was caused by a difficult situation that you experienced in early childhood. Imagine sending Divine light into that situation. You may also want to send Divine light into a similar situation you experience today.

10. Envision the block slowly disintegrating and melting away. Feel how the ebbs and flow of the waters of your inner wellspring now stream more effortlessly.

11. You may repeat steps 4-10 with additional blocks at any time. Then gently open your eyes and return to your reality with a lighter feeling.

Rabbenu Bechaya understands the wells as metaphors for the converts who Avraham brought to emunah. They came as easily to accept the belief in one G-d, as wells are naturally filled with water. Yitzchak’s digging is a metaphor for opening a heart, which had been closed, to believe in G-d. Therefore, the Torah describes how the jealous Philistines stopped up the hearts of Avraham and Sarah’s converts, filling ‘their wells’ with dust, to make them revert back to their mistaken idolatrous ideas. Whereas Avraham had filled these converts with “water” – life-giving Torah knowledge – the Philistines filled them with earth – closing their hearts to emunah. When Yitzchak re-dug these wells, it implies that he worked to reconvert the converts his father had made. Just as converts take on a new name, as it states, “He calls His servants by another name” (Yeshayahu 65:15), so did Yitzchak rename the converts with the names his father had given them.