Be’er LaChai Ro’i
And Yitzchak came from coming to Be’er LaChai Ro’i (the well of the Living One Who sees me)--and he lived in the land of the south. And Yitzchak went to meditate in the field towards evening, and he lifted his eyes and he saw, and behold, camels were coming. And Rivka lifted her eyes, and she saw Yitzchak, and she descended from upon the camel. And she said to the servant, “Who is that man, the one who is walking in the field to greet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” And she took the veil and covered herself. And the servant related to Yitzchak everything that he had done. And Yitzchak brought her into the tent of Sarah, his mother, and he took Rivka, and she became his wife and he loved her. And Yitzchak was consoled after his mother. (24:62-67)
Every time I read this story I am drawn to the seemingly superfluous detail of where Yitzchak was coming from: Be’er LaChai Ro’i (Well of the Living One Who sees me). My simple question is why is this important? Why does it matter where he was coming from?
Be’er LaChai Ro’i is mentioned three times in Sefer Breishit:
Breishit 16:14 - the “origin story” of Be’er LaChai Ro’i, when the place gets its name on account of Hagar’s encounter with the angel of God. (see the entire story here)
Breishit 24:62 - where Yitzchak was coming from before he encountered Rivka for the first time.
Breishit 25:11 - where Yitzchak settled after Avraham died.
Yitzchak seems to have had a special affinity for the place. The strange phrasing, “בא מבוא”-literally, ”he came from come”, might imply, as Rabbi Shmuel David Luzzato explains, that it was a place he would frequent often (see Ramban). It is also possible that “he lived in the land of the south” means he lived near Be’er LaChai Ro’i (see Rashi and Shadal). Alternatively, according to Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam (on 24:62), he lived with Avraham but would regularly frequent Be’er LaChai Ro’i (the referent הוא in והוא יושב בארץ הנגב refers to the location of the well, not where Yitzchak lived).
This is surprising because the place would seem to have more meaning for Hagar and Yishmael. Specifically, this is where an angel of God found Hagar, on the run from Sarah, and heralded the birth of Yishmael and his numerous offspring. In recognition of God “seeing” her predicament and saving her, the place gained its name. Yet, this place seems to have had no further significance to them.
Here I will present two approaches to understanding the story of Be’er LaChai Ro’i: Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam and Rabbi Shmuel David Luzzato (Shadal).
Rabbi Avraham ben haRambam
Rabbi Avraham ben haRambam’s addresses why the Torah mentions where Yitzchak was coming from before encountering Rivka. (my translation, Hebrew here)
And Yitzchak came from coming – there is no doubt that there was a great distance between Be’er LaChai Ro’i and the place where Avraham and Yitzchak were then living. Yitzchak would regularly depart from the place of his settlement and go to the wilderness to the mentioned well on account of his attachment to the service [of God] and his desire to seek contemplative solitude [my translation of התבודדות, which implies both solitude and contemplation], in the way of the righteous and the prophets–as we explained in the Al-Khaphaya [his main philosophical work, in Hebrew HaMaspik L’Ovdei Hashem] in the chapter on contemplative solitude–and he would tarry there for brief intervals and then return to his place of settlement.
The scripture relates that the mentioned encounter was at a time that Yitzchak was returning from the mentioned well and not at the time he was departing to go there. The lesson derived from here, as far as I understand and which appears to me, was in order to make known to keepers of the Torah that Yitzchak, A”H, was not departing to serve [God] and turned back because Rivka had arrived with Eliezer. If he had encountered them on his way, he would not have turned back from his service. Rather he would have met up with them after he finished his service and returned from it. Therefore, he returned with them, as it appears from the story. This is a lesson and source of instruction for keepers of the Torah which will not be obscured from someone who has comprehension and understanding.
Rabbi Avraham ben haRambam’s approach is fascinating. According to him, the mention of Yitzchak’s previous journey adds nothing to the story at hand (though, no doubt, it would reflect on how we understand the larger narrative). Rather, it was an opportunity for the Torah to teach an important philosophical lesson about the pursuit of the contemplative life of service of God. He emphasizes this further in the remainder of his comments on this verse:
Regarding what it says at the end of the verse, “and it was situated in the land of the south” this is defining the place of the well so that the prophets of Israel who are attached to the service of God in their desire to be blessed in the place of the service of our forefather Yitzchak. Or, on account of the blessing that was there, which was why Yitzchak went there. What greater blessing is there than that this was the place the angel revealed itself and words of prophecy. Yaakov said similarly, “this is none other than the House of God!” and Onkelos translates, “the is no ordinary place.” Understand these lessons that are understood from the Torah of the Exalted One–grace and kindness from Him.
Here he is suggesting that the Torah is providing literal instruction to aspiring devotees of God. The Torah wants us to know where this place was, so that “prophets of Israel who are attached to the service of God” can actually go there.
He continues with this “philosophical” approach in his comments on Breishit 25:11, regarding why Yitzchak moved to Be’er LaChai Ro’i after Avraham died (Hebrew here):
Yitzchak settled by the well because of the blessing he, A”H, found there regarding the service of God. During the life of Avraham he was not able to separate from him, rather he would go back and forth between his father and the well and the well and his father. When Avraham, A”H, departed from this world to the World of Truth, Yitzchak traveled and established his settlement near the well that he chose on account of its special character that he found there.
Again Rabbi Avraham ben haRambam emphasizes the philosophical import of the location. It was a blessed place that was conducive to prophecy–accordingly Yitzchak moved there. The only thing holding him back was his duties to Avraham.
Rabbi Shmuel David Luzzato’s Approach
Rabbi Shmuel David Luzzato (Shadal) takes a more literary approach. Here is his explanation for why the Torah mentions that Yitzchak was coming from Be’er LaChai Ro’i before encountering Rivka for the first time.[1] He writes (my translation, Hebrew here):
And Yitzchak came from coming, etc. – he returned to his home from his coming–that is, that he had gone–to Be’er LaChai Ro’i. It is difficult to understand why it is necessary to relate this here. It would have been sufficient to say, “And Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field.” [see here for Shadal’s explanation of the word לשוח] What purpose is there in us knowing where he had gone previously?
It would appear that Yitzchak was a holy man and loved solitary contemplation. For this reason he was out towards evening to meditate in the field–to be in contemplative solitude and to pray. In order to make this evident, the scripture preceded this by telling us that he had already gone to be in contemplative solitude in Be’er Lachai Ro’i–where he ultimately settled–because there the angel had revealed itself to Hagar heralding the birth of Yishmael, his numerous offspring, their might and their success. [Link to Shadal’s comments on Hagar’s naming of the place]
And now, as he too was anticipating getting married, he went to pray there. And this is mentioned here to inform us that he was answered immediately.
Yitzchak was a contemplative individual. He was in the field in contemplative solitude and prayer. This was also why he was in Be’er LaChai Ro’i. In this way, Shadal’s approach is similar to Rabbi Avraham ben haRambam’s. However, this is also where they part ways. While Rabbi Avraham sees this fact as being purposely disconnected from the narrative to teach a fundamental philosophical lesson, Shadal sees this as fully integrated into the narrative. The very content of his contemplative solitude and prayer is revealed by his previous journey to Be’er LaChai Ro’i. Its significance is in the content of what God’s angel revealed to Hagar–heralding Yishmael’s birth and the future prosperity of her family. Yitzchak went there to pray to God for similar reasons. He was praying for the future of his own family–to find a wife and have children. The encounter with Rivka was, then, the answer to his prayers.
While it is clear why Yitzchak settled in Be’er LaChai Ro’i after Avraham died, it is unclear following Shadal’s approach why he made this move. I would like to offer my own approach to this question.
Why did Yitzchak move to Be’er LaChai Ro’i?
I would suggest, similar to Shadal, this can only be understood through the story of Hagar and the birth of Yishmael. Hagar was told by the angel of God the great destiny of her family. Though Avraham was privy to such promises–in his case directly from God–Yitzchak never had such an assurance. Additionally, as Rashi emphasizes, Avraham never directly blessed Yitzchak. Only after he died the Torah relates:
וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ מ֣וֹת אַבְרָהָ֔ם וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יִצְחָ֔ק עִם־בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִֽי׃
After the death of Avraham, God blessed his son Yitzchak, and Yitzchak dwelled by Be'er LaChai Ro'i.
Notably, this blessing has no content. God blesses him, but with what? Perhaps the move to Be’er LaChai Ro’i reflected Yitzchak’s preoccupation (and prayer) that he too be blessed, like Yishmael, with the promise of a great destiny and prosperous family. Only later, after Yaakov and Yishmael are born, when there is a famine and Yitzchak seems bound to leave the land like Avraham, does God explicitly tell Yitzchak what he had been waiting to hear (Breishit 26:3-5):
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath I swore to your father, Avraham. I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and I will give your offspring all these lands. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, because Avraham has listened to my voice and has kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My teachings."
This approach helps us understand why Yitzchak had such an affinity to a place that seemed disconnected from his own destiny. His destiny as the scion of Avraham was at the heart of his angst. This was what preoccupied him. This is further suggested by the use of the word לשוח–Rashi cites the following verse from Tehillim (102:1):
תְּ֭פִלָּה לְעָנִ֣י כִֽי־יַעֲטֹ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֥י ה׳ יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ שִׂיחֽוֹ׃
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he faints and pours out his complaint before Hashem.
לשוח is the verbal expression of one who is afflicted, one who is preoccupied with something that causes suffering. Perhaps this question of destiny was Yitzchak’s affliction.
Three Approaches to Prayer
According to the Talmud (Berakhot 26b), the verse “And Yitzchak went to meditate in the field towards evening” is the source that Yitzchak decreed the Mincha/afternoon prayer. The three approaches to understanding Be’er LaChai Ro’i suggest three approaches to prayer:
Rabbi Avraham ben haRambam - prayer is an expression of a desire to serve God with absolute devotion. One should seek out ways of achieving contemplative solitude and the places that are most conducive to this form of service. We can not let mundane manners distract us from this service.
Shadal - prayer is prayer for something. One seeks out God to answer one’s prayers. A place–that is remarkable as a place where God bestowed a specific kind of blessing–can help a person who is praying focus on God as the source of that specific kind of blessing.
Me (based on Rashi) - prayer is the expression of someone who is suffering. It is the beseeching of God as the only one who can give us relief.
You are the God who sees me – the God of seeing, the God of providence, the God who takes care, whose eyes are open to the ways of men (Rashi). This is in reference to what was written, “for God has listened to your suffering.”
Would also here?, etc. – would I have ever thought that here too, in the wilderness, I would find someone who would watch over me, after I have departed from the one who sees me, from Avraham, my beloved, who watched over me? This is an abbreviated verse, “would I also see here one who sees and watches over me?”
Though Shadal doesn’t make any remarks on the naming of the well, it is clear that what happened at the well was a source of astonishment for Hagar. She knew that she was taken care of when she was with Avraham, but was shocked to find herself under God’s protection and care in the wilderness.
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