Rebecca came out carrying a jug on her shoulder. When she went down to the well and drew
water, I said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
She hurried and lowered her jug and said, “Drink, and I will also water
your camels.” (Genesis 24:45)
This week’s posting from the shores of the Sea of Galilee is about women, water and hesed (loving kindness), both human and divine.
We stayed at a hotel built around a museum honoring Donna
Gracia, a pioneering Zionist woman who convinced the Sultan to grant her
Tiberius.
Rebecca’s water jug linked itself to Donna Gracia’s 500th
birthday, Miriam’s well, and religious Zionist women studying the arts.
Rabbi Isaac Luria taught that after moving through the
desert with the Israelites, Miriam’s well ended up under the Sea of Galilee.
Rebecca’s hesed linked itself to divine hesed
today where Miriam’s well below joins rain from above to fill Israel’s primary
water source.
Make the wind blow and the rain descend
(recited in morning, afternoon and evening prayers during Israel’s wet winter)
Dark rain clouds hovered as we descended to Tiberius to
spend Shabbat with faculty of Emuna College where Mel heads the School of the
Arts.
As we checked into Casa Donna Gracia, we were greeted by a
mannequin representing Donna Gracia who preceded Herzl by four centuries.
With the water level of the Sea dangerously low, we were
disappointed that the rain clouds dissipated as we walked to the waterfront.
On Sunday, we drove to the east side of the Sea where egrets
strolled between shells and stones at the water’s edge.
Our oldest grandson Or photographed his youngest brother
Razel reaching out for the surf during their summer trip to the Sea of Galilee.