<p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">As the shepherds gather at the well, waiting for their compatriots to arrive so that they may pool their strength in rolling off the heavy rock that covers the well, Yaakov arrives.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Yaakov inquires whether they are acquainted with Lavan, and they inform him they are, pointing out that his daughter, Rachel, is just arriving with her sheep. He then asks them why they are whiling their time away and not pasturing the sheep, to which they respond by explaining their need for others to come and assist them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">As Rachel nears the well, Yaakov steps chivalrously forward and proceeds to, as the Torah describes, ויגל האבן — <em>to single-handedly lift off the rock,</em> <em>uncovering the well.</em> (רש"×™)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Rashi quoting the Midrash adds: <em>as one who removes the stopper from a bottle, to let you know that he possessed great strength.</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Yaakov possessed extraordinary strength that he employed in helping others achieve their mission. But why is this significant to the story? What is our takeaway from knowing this?</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">The great Mirrer Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz famously taught that we learn from this episode that when one dedicates himself fully to a task one can discover strengths one never imagined they possessed. This, he says, explains the allusion to this episode in the Prayer for Rain we recite on Shemini Atzeres, where it recalls how Yaakov, יִחַד לב — <strong><em>dedicated his heart</em></strong> <em>and rolled a stone off the mouth of a well of water. </em>It was not about strength per se, as much as it is about putting oneself to the task completely, that brings results.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Wouldn’t that imply though that Yaakov exerted his most, and succeeded where others came up short? So why then does the Midrash report that he did as easily as one <em>‘popping the cork from a bottle’?</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">The Baal HaTurim makes a fascinating observation. He points out that this specific word used here to indicate Yaakov’s extraordinary strength, <strong>ויגל</strong>, is used only in one other place in the entire written Torah. King David in Psalms asserts <em>“I have set G-d before me always; because He is at my right hand I shall not falter. For this reason, </em><em>שמח לבי</em><em> — rejoice does my heart, </em><strong><em>ויגל</em></strong><em> כבודי</em><em> — and elated is my soul…”</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Although these two words possess the same exact letters, nevertheless they are two completely different words. One means to uncover, while the other refers to rejoicing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">The verb utilized in the Prayer of Rain to emphasize the deeper reality underlying this event, <strong>יחד </strong>לב — <em>to dedicate the heart, </em>appears nowhere else throughout the Torah in this conjugation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Though we do find the notion of ‘dedication’ implied within the word יחד, when the Torah describes Yisro undertaking to convert after being inspired after hearing from Moshe about all that has transpired with the Jewish nation, it says ו<strong>יחד</strong> יתרו — <strong><em>and Yisro dedicated himself </em></strong><em>to the Jewish people. </em>(שמות ×™×— ט, מדרש אבכיר מובא בתו"ש שם)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">There too, the word is also understood to mean that Yisro rejoiced, similar to the word <strong>חד</strong>וה, one of the many synonyms for joy. (תרגום אונקלוס שם) &nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Yaakov flees from the murderous intentions of his brother. He leaves home with money and gifts to shower upon the woman of his dreams only to be ambushed by Elifaz who maneuvers all of Yaakov’s possessions leaving him impoverished, left with only his staff. With all this travail, worry and fear, Yaakov secludes himself happily for fourteen years of focused study in the Academy of Shem and Ever. He finally finds his <em>‘bashert’ </em>and<em> </em>happily<em> </em>charms his bride with a chivalrous display of devotion to her. (צרור המור)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Many of us carry heavy stones of anxiety in our hearts, weighing down our drive and hopes for happiness in life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Yaakov Avinu forged ahead never permitting himself to get down, and certainly not defeated.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">Perhaps, the יחד לב, refers to the joy he sensed in life, dealing with challenges in accepting them with positivity thereby overcoming them as well. He lived without any pretension, presenting himself to any situation equipped and ready to deal head on with those challenges in the knowledge of his abiding sense of <em>a G-d is always before him</em>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">He approached the challenge and successful attempt to uncover the well, no different than he would view popping out a cork from a bottle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">He did not bring his fears to the test, aware that whatever he might face, success or failure, it was G-d Who was always accompanying him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">That is the key to success — a contentedness, which could never be quashed by the travail he might meet on any given journey.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">In the words of the Baal HaTurim: <em>When will we fulfill ‘and elated is my soul’, when we remove the evil inclination, who is likened to a stone</em>, which blocks the well of achievement from giving forth its nourishing ‘waters’ — the Torah and its exciting values.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">The secret to finding joy is to realize it is a quality inherent and readily accessible to anyone. All we have to do is remove the heavy stones of anxiety, lack of confidence, and fear to allow the wellsprings of joy to flow.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">No wonder the word for joy, ויגל, is rooted in this notion of uncovering those artificial barriers to our inherent happiness.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">May we uncover a magnificent joy that is waiting for us to discover.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">באהבה,</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;" _mce_style="font-size: large; font-family: times new roman, times;">צבי יהודה טייכמאן</span></p> <p><br></p>