By: Yisrael Yitzchak Rosenfeld
Now that we have finally been blessed with a bit more rain, here are a few thoughts about Mayim (water) and its connection to Bein HaMetzarim, the Three Weeks.
“Mayim – מים: The Water That Never Stops Flowing”
The Hebrew word מַיִם (Mayim – water) appears more than 500 times in the Torah. This is no coincidence. Water is far more than something we drink—it is one of the deepest symbols of Torah, life, and redemption.
Already in the second verse of the Torah we read:
וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם
“And the Spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters.”
(Bereishis 1:2)
Even before plants, animals, or mankind were created, water was already present.
Our Sages teach that the Torah is compared to water because both give life.
The prophet Yeshayahu proclaims:
הוֹי כָּל־צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם
“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the water.”
(Yeshayahu 55:1)
The Talmud (Bava Kamma 17a; Ta’anis 7a) explains unequivocally:
אין מים אלא תורה
“Water refers to nothing other than Torah.”
Why Water?
Because water always flows downward.
It does not seek the heights—it seeks the lowest places.
So too, the Torah can dwell only in a humble heart.
- One who exalts himself closes himself off.
- One who humbles himself becomes filled.
From Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av until Tisha B’Av, we mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.
On the surface, everything appears dry.
Joy is diminished.
Music falls silent.
Yet precisely in this apparent dryness, the word Mayim reminds us of a profound truth:
- Beneath the earth, the water continues to flow.
Even when we cannot see it, it is still there.
The same is true of the Shechinah.
The Temple was destroyed—but HaShem has never abandoned His people.
The Midrash teaches that the Shechinah went into exile together with Israel.
Rebbe Nachman teaches repeatedly (especially in Likkutei Moharan) that despair is the Yetzer Hara’s greatest weapon.
A stream can flow over rocks, around them, or slowly wear them away.
But it never stops flowing.
That is how a Jew should be.
At times our lives seem filled with rocks:
- Worry
- Sorrow
- Exile
- Loneliness
Yet the water never asks why the rock is there.
It simply keeps flowing.
Reb Nosson writes that every person—even one who has fallen very far—can always make a new beginning.
The waters of Torah continually cleanse and renew us.
The word מים (Mayim) is composed of:
- מ (Mem) – hidden waters
- י (Yud) – the Divine spark
- ם (Final Mem) – the waters that ultimately return to their Source
The two Mems each have the numerical value of 40.
Together they equal 80, and with the Yud (10) they total 90.
The number 40 reminds us of:
- The 40 days of the Flood—purification.
- The 40 days on Mount Sinai—receiving the Torah.
- The 40 se’ah of a mikveh—spiritual renewal.
- The 40 years in the wilderness—refinement and preparation.
Mayim constantly carries the message of renewal.
Immediately after the saddest day of the year, we read the first Haftarah of Consolation:
נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי
“Comfort, comfort My people.”
Why?
Because after every dry riverbed, the waters flow again.
Our Sages teach that Mashiach is born on Tisha B’Av.
At the very lowest point, the ascent has already begun.
That is the secret of water.
You may hold it back.
You may redirect it.
But you cannot destroy it.
Likewise, the Jewish soul can never be destroyed.
During these Nine Days, we can ask ourselves:
Does my Torah flow like water?
Do I refresh others with kind and encouraging words?
Am I willing to learn humility from water?
Do I trust that HaShem is with me even in exile?
Every chapter of Tehillim, every Mishnah, every page of Gemara, and every small mitzvah is like a drop of water.
A single drop seems insignificant.
But millions of drops form rivers, lakes, and oceans.
The Nine Days teach us not only to mourn what was lost, but also to hope for what is yet to come.
The waters of Torah never run dry.
Even though the Temple was destroyed, Mayim continues to flow—
- in our homes,
- in our Batei Midrash,
- in our hearts,
- and in our prayers.
With the words of the prophet Yeshayahu, we place our trust in the future:
וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם־מַיִם בְּשָׂשׂוֹן מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה
“With joy you shall draw water from the wells of salvation.”
(Yeshayahu 12:3)
May we transform the tears of mourning during these Nine Days into the living waters of Torah, so that they become a source of comfort (nechamah), hope (tikvah), and ultimately the complete Geulah, with the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, speedily in our days. Amen.
