Haftaras Re'eh: Torah as Water, Wine, and Milk

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Haftaras Re'eh: Torah as Water, Wine, and Milk

In the haftarah of Re’eh, the navi proclaims: “Ho! Everyone who is thirsty, go to water, even one with no money, go, buy and eat; go and buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Yeshayahu 55:1). Radak (ad loc) explains that water, wine, and milk are all metaphors for Torah and chochmah:

Water is a metaphor for Torah and for chochmah: just as it is impossible for the world [to survive] without water, so too, it is impossible for the world [to survive] without chochmah; and just as one who is thirsty yearns for water, so too, the rational soul yearns for Torah and for chochmah, as it is stated in the prophecy of Amos: "not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of Hashem” (Amos 8:11) ...

Torah is compared to wine, for just as wine gladdens the heart – as it is stated: “wine gladdens the heart of man” (Tehilim 104:15) – so too, words of Torah, as it is stated: "the statutes of Hashem are upright, gladdening the heart" (ibid. 19:9).

[Torah is compared] to milk, for just as milk sustains the nursing baby and enables it to grow, so too, words of Torah sustain the soul and enable it to grow, for it continues to grow through learning on the level it is at.

To summarize: Torah is like water because it is necessary for survival; Torah is like wine because it gladdens the heart; and Torah is like milk because it promotes growth and development.

According to this interpretation, it follows that there are three different desires that are satisfied through Torah and chochmah. The desire corresponding to water is stated explicitly by the Radak: “just as one who is thirsty yearns for water, so too, the rational soul yearns for Torah and for chochmah.” Aristotle’s Metaphysics opens with the statement: “All men, by nature, desire to know.” This innate desire expresses itself in a number of ways: curiosity, the seeking out of the underlying lawfulness in nature, the need for things to make sense and the irritation or repugnance when things don’t make sense, the drive to ask and answer “What?” and “Why?” When this thirst for chochmah is frustrated, the rational soul suffers. And if the thirst persists for too long without being quenched, there is a risk that the soul will wither and die.

The desire corresponding to wine is evident: the rational soul yearns for that which brings it enjoyment, and chochmah is inherently enjoyable. Rambam explains that ahavas Hashem (love of God) is attained “by comprehending and contemplating His commandments, His creations, and His actions, thereby attaining the ultimate enjoyment through our intellectual apprehension” (Sefer ha’Mitzvos: Aseh #3).

The desire corresponding to milk is the most nuanced of the three: it is the desire for development, or self-actualization. Marcus Aurelius wrote that “Every living organism is fulfilled when it follows the right path for its own nature.” Just as the body is programmed to engage in behaviors which promote its own growth, so too, the rational soul seeks that which promotes its own development and flourishing.

The navi’s mashal doesn’t only pertain to the substance of Torah and chochmah, but also the cost. “Ho! Everyone who is thirsty, go to the water, even one with no money, go, buy and eat; go and buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Yeshayahu 55:1). Not only do Torah and chochmah satisfy these three desires, but they have been given to us for free. The practical implications of this pasuk are clear. When we say our birchos ha’Torah in the morning, it behooves us to pause and feel genuine gratitude to Hashem for making His Torah and His chochmah freely available and accessible to everyone.

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