search
Leann Shamash
Author of the blog Words Have Wings

Dig That Well-Parshat Toldot

Dig That Well (Photo taken by Leann Shamash)

In Perek 26 of the Parsha Toldot, we veer from the classic tale of the birth of Esav and Yaakov and the drama associated with their gestation, their birth and the ensuing deception leading to the birthright being taken by Yaakov, the quiet man of the tents and not Esav, the man of the fields.

“Isaac dug anew the wells which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death; and he gave them the same names that his father had given them.” Genesis 26:18

Amidst the drama of the birthright, another story emerges, less dramatic but instructive, as the Torah’s tales often are. Yitzhak is told by God to remain in Gerar and not go down to Egypt, despite an ongoing famine. He is blessed by God and begins to acquire wealth, in fact he has so much success, that the functioning wells were stopped up by the Philistines, who resented his success. Yitzhak then moved to a different area of Gerar and proceeded to dig more wells. Well, it wasn’t actually Yitzhak that dug the wells, as he was wealthy, but new wells were dug by his servants. As they were dug, water was discovered and as is the unfortunate reality of an area suffering from a scarcity of fresh water, they were disputed by those who lived nearby. Finally, the servants of Yitzhak dug a well which was not disputed and he named it Sitnah.
This is where this blog post diverges from the parsha. We have become familiar with Yitzhak, the silent son, the son who was nearly sacrificed and then with Yitzhak, the husband who loves his wife. Now we can add to that list, Yitzhak as the digger of wells and the blessed. I can imagine that Yitzhak must have had foresight to begin digging  wells and the resulting grueling work. There must have been some failure and resentment before there was success in discovering this water far below the surface of the earth.
This post uses digging a well as a metaphor for persevering through challenges, even when the effort is difficult and success appears improbable. As I complete the writing of this post, more than thirteen months after the beginning of this war, I am reading the incoming news that a cease fire has been approved in Lebanon, so for today we could easily substitute the concept of searching for peace for digging a well. Both peace and finding water are elusive at times, but both hold promise. Let us hope that these wells hold deep waters.
__________________________

Dig That Well!

Dig that well.

No matter that the earth is hard and caked under your feet.

No matter that you will have to dirty yourself digging.
No matter the blisters from unearthing stubborn stones.
No matter that you don’t know what you will find along the way.
No matter that you’re the only one digging.

Dig that well.

No matter that it is easier to choose to do something else.
No matter that others shout words like
unconventional, undoable, unattainable.
No matter that you hit bedrock along the way.
No matter that progress is stiflingly slow.
No matter that your back is stiff and your legs ache.
No matter that others say you will never succeed.
Dig that well,
no matter what they say to you or about you,
keep digging
because one day
maybe,
just maybe,
you will reach water
deep underneath the ground.
Water, life giving.
Water, life affirming.
Work for it, strive for it.
Water.
Sometimes the journey is as important as the discovery
About the Author
After a career in Jewish education, Leann Shamash is the author of the blog Words Have Wings, which addresses the parsha of the week through poetry.
Related Topics
Related Posts