"Behold, Rivkah came out"

Synopsis

The Zohar explains that although Rivkah was brought up in an evil town and an evil home, she was protected by her exceptional soul. Rivkah is preparing to marry Isaac. The Torah story shows that a connection existed between Isaac and Rivkah before they were married; this is indicated by her coming out at evening time. Here evening refers to the time of afternoon prayer, and we learn that Isaac was in fact performing his afternoon prayers. The phrase 'came out' also refers to Rivkah's liberation from the house of evil owing to the elevation of her soul.

Relevance

Man is born into this world with untamed desires and animal instincts. The will of a man's body is given dominion over his soul, so that man can work and strive toward spiritual transformation. The evil setting in which Rivkah was raised symbolizes the physical world and our self-indulgent desires. Each of us can 'come out' of our own 'house of evil' - that is, remove our own self-centered desires - through the energy of Rivkah's soul and the power of the Patriarch Isaac. All this can be gained through a meditative reading of this passage.

Evil Eyes Miriam Nukva Rachel Rebecca Righteous Sheep Water Well Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

224. Come and behold, "And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rivkah came out" (Beresheet 24:15). HE ASKS, WHY IS IT WRITTEN "came out?" It should have been written 'came,' AS IT IS WRITTEN, "RACHEL CAME WITH HER FATHER'S SHEEP" (BERESHEET 29:6). Why is it written "came out?" HE RESPONDED, IT INDICATES that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought her away from the people of the town who were all evil. She was separated from THE TOWNSPEOPLE BECAUSE SHE WAS RIGHTEOUS. The verse, "And she went down to the well (Heb. ha'eynah)" (Beresheet 24:16) is spelled with a Hei. This is a secret because Miriam's well, THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN SHINING BY THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, chanced before her there. For that reason "to the well" is written with a Hei, WHICH ALLUDES TO THE NUKVA, THE SECRET OF THE LOWER HEI OF YUD HEV VAV HEI. ALSO THE WORD HA'EYNAH IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD FOR EYES (HEB. EYNAYIM), WHICH IS A NAME OF CHOCHMAH. And the water rose toward Rivkah.

224. תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיְהִי הוּא טֶרֶם כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה רִבְקָה יוֹצֵאת. יוֹצֵאת, בָּאָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי יוֹצֵאת. דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפֵּיק לָהּ, מִכָּל אִינוּן בְּנֵי מָתָא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ חַיָּיבִין, וְהִיא יוֹצֵאת מִכְּלָלָא דִּלְהוֹן. וַתֵּרֶד הָעַיְנָה, כְּתִיב בְּה"א, רָזָא אִיהוּ, דְּאִעָרְעַת תַּמָּן בֵּירָא דְּמִרְיָם, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כְּתִיב הָעַיְנָה בְּה"א, וּסְלִיקוּ לָהּ מַיָא.

Abraham Rebecca Water

225. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְהִנֵּה רִבְקָה יוֹצֵאת, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, יוֹצְאוֹת לִשְׁאוֹב מַיִם, אַמַּאי יוֹצְאוֹת, וְלֹא הוֹלְכוֹת, וְלֹא בָאוֹת. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דִּטְמִירִין הֲווֹ כָּל יוֹמָא, וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, נָפְקִין לְשָׁאֲבָא מַיָא, וְסִימָנָא נָקִיט בִּידֵיהּ.

Field Haran Isaac Lebanon Minchah Prayer Rebecca Streams Water Well Wisdom

226. Come and behold, When the servant reached Charan and found Rivkah "at the time of evening" (Beresheet 24:11), it was time for the afternoon prayer. At the exact time when Isaac said his afternoon prayer, the servant reached Rivkah. Rivkah came to him again at that time when he prayed Minchah. THIS IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VERSE, "AND ISAAC WENT OUT TO MEDITATE IN THE FIELD AT THE EVENING TIME" (IBID. 63). This happened so that everything would be in its proper place, as indicated by the supernal Wisdom. Therefore, the servant reached the well of water, which is the secret of the verse "a fountain of gardens, a well of living water, and streams from Lebanon" (Shir Hashirim 4:15). We have established everything pertaining to that secret.

226. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד מָטָא עַבְדָא לְחָרָן וְאַשְׁכַּח לָהּ לְרִבְקָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב, הֲוָה עִידָן צְלוֹתָא דְמִנְחָה. בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, דְּמָטָא יִצְחָק לְצַלָּאָה צְלוֹתָא דְמִנְחָה, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא מָטָא עַבְדָא לְגַבָּהּ דְּרִבְקָה. וּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, דְּמָטָא יִצְחָק, לִצְלוֹתָא דְמִנְחָה כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין, מָטַאת רִבְקָה לְגַבֵּיהּ. לְאִשְׁתַּכָּחָא כֹּלָּא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת, וְכֹלָּא מָטָא בְּרָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא, וְעַל דָּא, אָתָא הַהוּא עַבְדָא, לִבְאֵר הַמַּיִם, רָזָא דִכְתִיב מַעְיַן גַּנִּים בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים וְנוֹזְלִים מִן לְבָנוֹן. וְאוֹקִימְנָא, וְכֹלָּא רָזָא אִיהוּ.