R. Eleazar then cited the verse: “And he looked and behold a well in a field,” etc. (Gen. 29, 2). ‘These verses’, he said, ‘have an esoteric meaning which I have learnt from my father. The “well” is the same as that of which it is written, “the well which princes digged” (the Shekinah). The three flocks lying by it are Nezah, Hod, and Yesod, and from them the well is ever full of blessings.
“Out of that well they watered the flocks”: this means that from it the lower worlds are sustained. “The stone upon the well’s mouth was great”: this is rigorous Judgement, which stands by it from the “other side” to suck from it. But “thither all the flocks gather”: these are the six Crowns of the King, which gather together and draw blessings from the Head of the King and pour them upon her, and thereby they “roll away” the stern judgement and remove it from her.
Then they “water the flock”, that is, pour out blessings in that spot for higher and lower, and then “put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in its place”: that is to say, judgement returns to its place, because it is necessary for the upholding of the world. And now God has poured upon you blessings from the source of the stream, and from you all of this generation are blessed. Happy are ye in this world and in the world to come!’
R. Simeon then spoke on the verse: “Let the saints exult in glory, let them sing for joy upon their beds” (Ps. 149, 5). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that the knot of faith is tied with thirteen attributes, and in addition the Torah is crowned with thirteen “measures”, [rules of interpretation] and the holy name is crowned therewith.
פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, (בראשית כ״ט:ב׳) וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה בְאֵר בַּשָּׂדֶה וְגוֹ'. וְנֶאֱסָפוּ שָׁמָּה כָל הָעֲדָרִים וְגוֹ'. הָנֵי קְרָאֵי אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוּ, וּבְרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִינּוּן, דְּאוֹלִיפְנָא מֵאַבָּא, וְהָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה בְאֵר בַּשָּׂדֶה, מַאן בְּאֵר. דָּא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר כ״א:י״ח) בְּאֵר חֲפָרוּהָ שָׂרִים כָּרוּהָ נְדִיבֵי הָעָם. וְהִנֵה שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶדְרֵי צֹאן רוֹבְצִים עָלֶיהָ, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן נֶצַח הוֹד יְסוֹד, דְּאִלֵּין אִינּוּן רְבִיעִין עָלָהּ, וְקַיְימִין עָלָהּ, וּמֵאִלֵּין אִתְמַלְּיָא בִּרְכָאן הַהִיא בְּאֵר.
R. Eleazar then cited the verse: “And he looked and behold a well in a field,” etc. (Gen. 29, 2). ‘These verses’, he said, ‘have an esoteric meaning which I have learnt from my father. The “well” is the same as that of which it is written, “the well which princes digged” (the Shekinah). The three flocks lying by it are Nezah, Hod, and Yesod, and from them the well is ever full of blessings.
כִּי מִן הַבְּאֵר הַהִיא יַשְׁקוּ הָעֲדָרִים, דְּהָא מִן הַאי בְּאֵר אִתְּזָנוּ עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין (נ"א עלמין תתאין), וּמִתְבָּרְכָאן כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא. וְהָאֶבֶן גְּדוֹלָה עַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר, דָּא הוּא דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא, דְּקַיְּימָא עָלָהּ מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא לְיָנְקָא לָהּ (נ"א מינה). וְנֶאֱסָפוּ שָׁמָּה כָל הָעֲדָרִים, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן שִׁית כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא, דְּמִתְכַּנְשֵׁי כֻּלְּהוּ, וְנַגְדֵּי בִּרְכָאן מֵרֵישָׁא דְּמַלְכָּא, וּמְרִיקָן בָּהּ. וְכַד אִתְחַבְּרָאן כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא לְאַרְקָא בָּהּ, כְּתִיב וְגָלְלוּ אֶת הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר, מְנַדְּדִין (ס"א מגנדרין) לְהַהוּא דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא, וּמְעַבְּרָן לֵיהּ מִינָּהּ.
“Out of that well they watered the flocks”: this means that from it the lower worlds are sustained. “The stone upon the well’s mouth was great”: this is rigorous Judgement, which stands by it from the “other side” to suck from it. But “thither all the flocks gather”: these are the six Crowns of the King, which gather together and draw blessings from the Head of the King and pour them upon her, and thereby they “roll away” the stern judgement and remove it from her.
וְהִשְׁקוּ אֶת הַצֹּאן, מְרִיקִין בִּרְכָאן מֵהַהִיא בְּאֵר, לְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין לְבָתַר וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶת הָאֶבֶן עַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר לִמְקוֹמָהּ. תָּב הַהוּא דִּינָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבָשְׁמָא עָלְמָא, וּלְתַקְּנָא עָלְמָא. וְהַשְׁתָּא הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָרִיק עָלַיְיכוּ בִּרְכָאן, מִמַּבּוּעָא דְּנַחֲלָא, וּמִנַּיְיכוּ כָּל בְּנֵי דָּרָא מִתְבָּרְכִין. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיכוֹן בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי עָלַיְיכוּ כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״ד:י״ג) וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי יְיָ' וְרַב שָׁלוֹם בָּנַיִךְ.
Then they “water the flock”, that is, pour out blessings in that spot for higher and lower, and then “put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in its place”: that is to say, judgement returns to its place, because it is necessary for the upholding of the world. And now God has poured upon you blessings from the source of the stream, and from you all of this generation are blessed. Happy are ye in this world and in the world to come!’
פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר, (תהילים קמ״ט:ה׳) יַעְלְזוּ חֲסִידִים בְכָבוֹד יְרַנְּנוּ עַל מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם וְגוֹ', תָּאנָא בי"ג מְכִילָן, אִתְקְשַׁר קִשְׁרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בִּרְכָאן לְכֹלָּא. וְכָל מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּתְלָתָא אַסְתִּימוּ. וְעַל הַאי, בי"ג מְכִילָן, אוֹרַיְיתָא מִתְעַטְּרָא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא מִקַל וָחוֹמֶר וּמִגְּזֵרָה שָׁוָה וְכוּ', וְכַמָּה זִמְנִין אוֹקִימְנָא הַאי. וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּהַאי מִתְעַטְּרָא.
R. Simeon then spoke on the verse: “Let the saints exult in glory, let them sing for joy upon their beds” (Ps. 149, 5). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that the knot of faith is tied with thirteen attributes, and in addition the Torah is crowned with thirteen “measures”, [rules of interpretation] and the holy name is crowned therewith.