a time to chat about non-work things, the latest drama, politics, sports, and whatever else. I find that fascinating, because it is also true that animals gather at the watering hole, say out on the savanna. It is one of the only places where animals of every variety (and taste...) converge at the same time. There too, it is a place for intrigue and drama, though more often of a carnivorous sort, and with greater life-and-death consequences! Furthermore, in the ancient world, the place to congregate, communicate, and get every juicy update, was also - you guessed it - the place where they would draw water, namely the well. It should not surprise us, therefore, that many of our Biblical plots advance and develop specifically (and not coincidentally) by a well.
The Torah describes how both Abraham and Isaac dig wells, and then get into ownership disputes with the locals over said wells. Abraham's servant locates a wife for Isaac by a well, Moses meets his wife by a well, and this week we read about Jacob also finding love by that most romantic of all places, the watering hole. I want to
highlight two particular incidents that take place, both relatively subtle, but also significant for the plot. First, we've been reading about Jacob running away from home, and heading for his uncle's residence in Haran (possibly somewhere in south-eastern Turkey). He's a stranger, an outsider, a nobody. And yet, when he arrives and meets some herders near our famed well, he accidentally reveals something very important about himself. He comes from a wealthy family. We know this, because the first thing he says to the locals (who know the region, but who are also not prominent people in society) is: "It is still broad daylight, too early to round up the animals; go water the flock and take them to pasture.” (Gen. 29:7) Clearly, they sense his stature, because they listen to him! They don't tell him off for his audacious (chutzpahdik) commands! Who the heck is he to instruct them what to do with their flocks?!? Perhaps based on his clothing, his speech, or how he carries himself (or just by virtue of having the gall to tell them what to do...), they can tell that he is used to giving orders, and that he is someone they should respect.
Then, Jacob looks up, and the Torah offers us the classic slo-mo, cue-the-romantic-music, rose-tinted-shot, hair-flipping moment where Rachel arrives. She is, of course, the love of Jacob's life. The Torah has a very clever - and kind of adorable - way of
demonstrating Jacob's immediate infatuation. But first, some context: Wells were crucially important in the ancient world, and thus needed to be protected. (Hence the ownership disputes mentioned above...) One oft-implemented security measure was to cover the mouth of the well with a giant boulder. That way, only when a critical mass of (trusted) herders arrived could the well be accessed. When Jacob meets the herders, they tell him they can't water the flocks, because not enough people are present (presumably to move the giant rock). However, when Rachel arrives, Jacob is so overcome with emotion and love - as well as the cliche male need to impress his love interest - that the text tells us: "...when Jacob saw Rachel... Jacob went up and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well, and watered [her] flock." (v. 10) Ah, the power of love...
I suppose one reason why I like highlighting moments
like these in the Torah, is because they are so human, so relatable. Despite taking place millennia ago, among sheep herders, by a dusty well in the desert, it's still ultimately a tale of social hierarchy, love, intrigue, real estate, and good ol'-fashioned male pompousness! It also reminds me that we are all linked together, whether animals out on the plains, office workers by a water cooler, or ancient nomads by a well; so much remains similar and familiar. At their core, the Biblical stories are all about life, values, individuals and societies. The scenery might change, as may the players; but what binds us together is eternal.
CC images in this blog post, courtesy of:
1. OWS
3. pngimg.com
4. bettyx1138 on Wikimedia Commons
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