Chapter III

The spiritual service of a "well" thus involves the removal of the veils with which the animal soul conceals the G-dly soul, muffling its intellect and emotions. The corporeality of the animal soul draws a person to physical things and makes it difficult to comprehend spiritual matters. Thus, the service of a "well" involves the revelation of the soul's "wellspring of living waters," resulting in a greater comprehension of G-dliness and an attraction to G-d with love and awe. The result of all this is that one performs mitzvos with an inner vitality.

The first step in the spiritual service of "well digging" is to "forget one's nation and father's home,"1 i.e., to abandon all those things in which one has become immersed, for they are reflections of coarse materialism. We observe that people often possess faults of which they are aware, but either because the fault is a natural one or they have become used to it, they do not feel it to be a matter of concern.

Generally, people fail to recognize their own inadequacies. The first step in removing one's coarse materiality is the acceptance of the Divine Yoke, with its attendant resolve to refrain from evil, study Torah and do good2 to a greater degree than one is accustomed to. One should also give more tzedakah than one is naturally inclined to give.

The above-mentioned service removes the general coarseness of the animal soul and reveals the comprehensive illumination of the G-dly soul. It results in the experience of a G-dly feeling as a person is lovingly drawn to G-dliness.

There are three kinds of "well digging" the well of good emotional attributes, the well of comprehension, and the well of mesirus nefesh. Yitzchok, who symbolizes strength and Kabbalas ol,3 dug these three wells, for the power of Kabbalas ol is such that it provides the ability to dig all three.

The verse states:4 "G-d made one opposite the other." The well of good emotional attributes is opposite man's natural emotional attributes, which coarsen the good character traits inculcated by the Torah. This is the well of Eisek5 [dispute] worldly "wisdom" that disputes a person's emotions as they respond to the Torah.

The well of Torah comprehension has secular erudition as its opposite. This is the well of Sitnah6 [which has the same etymological root as "Satan"], for the well of heresy opposes true belief and Torah sanctity. Atheists and heretics abhor the G-d-fearing Jew, and with the greatest chutzpah desecrate the sanctity of those mitzvos which involve actual deeds, profaning the Divine name with impudence.

However, the well of mesirus nefesh has no opposition, and is therefore called Rechovos, "broad spaces," as it is written:7 "For now G-d has given us broad spaces." Mesirus nefesh for G-dliness will bring about salvation. This is meant by the verse: "The Jews took upon themselves that which they had begun to do." Jews accepted the Divine Yoke upon themselves with mesirus nefesh in order to rectify the coarsening of [heicheilu] Shabbos, keeping kosher, family purity, etc., and to heal themselves of the desire to be "like all the other nations." Jews shook off their personal baseness and returned to a life of Torah and mitzvos.

By acting in a similar manner during this last exile, we shall merit to speedily greet our righteous Moshiach.

In summary: A firm resolve to accept the Divine Yoke enables a person to remove the baseness of his animal soul and escape drowning in personal pleasures. It also enables one to "dig up" the three wells of good character traits, Torah, and mesirus nefesh. The wells of good character traits and Torah are opposed by Eisek ("worldly wisdom") and Sitnah (atheists and heretics). Mesirus nefesh, however, has no opposition, and is accordingly called Rechovos. Now, when G-d is bringing His "punishment of admonition" upon the Jewish people, those who rectify their mundane behavior will merit to speedily greet our righteous Moshiach.