An Incomplete Lamed

י' כסלו תשס"ט
Shamash 11

DovBear comments on Vayetzei:

The word "well" appears seven times in the story of Jacob and Rachel's meeting ...

Interestingly, the word "well" appears 4 times (Bereshit 29:2,3,8,10) in the first 10 verses of chapter 29 (which is not chapter 30, symbolizng a complete lamed). The first use of the word "well" in 29:2 is spelled באר. The other 3 uses following this first use are spelled הבאר. Taken together, the 3 latter "wells" are different from the first "well" in that the prefixes which distinguish the 3 wells from the 1 well come together to form the shoresh ההה (meaning to "express pain"). Thus, this shoresh, brought down by the "3 wells" of verses 3, 8 and 10 are the source of Jacob's Tears of Anguish in verse 11 (where 11, we know from kabbalah, symbolizes the universe of Tohu). The first "well" represents that able to elucidate Torah. Therefore, Jacob's tears of anguish may be related to the idea that the ability to elucidate Torah was lost to Rachel.

Unlike a joyous witch whose altar is home to the most pleasing of aromatic candles, incenses and other witchy tools, Rachel was separated from her own inner joy.