In this week's Torah portion, we find our forefather Jacob meeting Rachel at the well (Genesis 29:1-12). In the portion of Shemot , the text relates how Moses meets Tziporah at a well (Exodus 2:15-21). The Midrash ( Bereishit Rabbah 68:4) notes: "Three had their matches arranged for them at a well: Isaac, Jacob, and Moses..." and proceeds to prove each case from the verses. But if we examine Rashi's commentary regarding Moses, he writes: "[Moses] learned from Jacob that his match would be arranged for him at a well" (Exodus 2:15). We must ask: Why did Rashi change from the Midrash's language and specifically seize upon the story of Jacob, and not Isaac ? Furthermore, one must wonder: Did Moses actually go there to find his soulmate? Didn't he flee from Pharaoh's sword and simply sit by the well when he arrived in Midian? To answer all this, let us explore: What is the true significance of the well in this context? The Paradox of Destiny The...

The opening narrative in this week’s parsha presents us with an important lesson on the essence of prayer. וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַה׳ לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ Isaac and Rebecca both pray for a child. The word the Torah uses is unusual: וַיֶּעְתַּר ( vaye'etar ). The Talmud (Sukkah 14a, Yevamot 64a) and Midrash, explain that this derives from עתר—a pitchfork. Just as that tool turns grain from one place to another, so the prayer of the righteous turns the decree from judgment to mercy. Two questions arise from this passage. First: why this particular word? Why does the image of turning or pitching appear in the context of this particular prayer? Second: the verse describing God's response reads וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ ה׳ ( vaye'ater lo Hashem )—God responded to him , to Isaac, not to Rebecca. Rashi explains: אינו דומה תפילת צדיק בן צדיק לתפילת צדיק בן רשע "The prayer of a righteous one, son of a righteous one, is not comparable to the prayer of a righteous one, son of a wicked one....

The story of Rebecca at the well is one of the most elaborately told narratives in all of Torah. The text lingers over details, repeats itself, circles back. Chazal understood this as significant: "יפה שיחתן של עבדי אבות יותר מתורתן של בנים" - the conversation of the patriarchs' servants is more beautiful than the Torah of their descendants. This strange prominence demands interpretation. But when we read carefully, the questions multiply: 1. Why the well? Chazal teach that our forefathers found their mates at wells - a pattern we see with Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. This can't be mere coincidence or geographical detail. What is the significance of the well as the setting for finding one's life partner? 2. The midrashic citation problem. Yet when Chazal cite Isaac as an example of this pattern, they quote: "ויצחק בא מבוא באר לחי רואי" - Isaac coming from Be'er Lahai Roi. This creates a double difficulty: First, Rebecca was indeed met at a well - bu...

 The haftorah selection for Parashat Vayera pairs Sarah's story with the narrative of the Shunammite woman and the prophet Elisha from Second Kings (2 Kings 4:8-37). In that story, a wealthy, childless woman regularly hosts Elisha in her home. As a reward for her kindness, Elisha promises her that she will bear a son . Her immediate response is striking: "No, my lord, man of God, do not deceive your maidservant." Nevertheless, she conceives and bears a son. Years later, the child suddenly dies. She travels to Elisha, confronts him with pointed words - "Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, 'Do not mock me'?" - and Elisha ultimately revives the child. The surface explanation for pairing this haftorah with Sarah's story is straightforward enough: both feature miraculous births promised to aged, barren women . It seems that there is a deeper reason why this particular story is paired with the birth of Isaac. The Puzzles of Laughter and Rage C...