But a Drop of Water

Here is an interesting fact that got curiosity aroused and would inevitably become a deep thought.  We have seen in life that drops of water form in most unusual places as well where we want them to form.  In some cases, these drops serve as a conduit for creative people to convey a message.  As an example, photographers some time use a drop of water to convey what they see in a different form, creativity at its best.

As an example the following photograph shows a drop of water being used as a microscope, yes a microscope, the drop of water formed on top of a flower petal, the contact angle of  the droplet on the surface of the flower petal can tell us a lot of information about the surface composition of the flower.  It also relates back to us what happens to droplet, for example have you consider how a lens on a microscope is shaped in order to magnify the object is being studied?  So it happens that a whole study of interactions aroused from this idea that a glass can be shaped to magnify a distant object and also a small object, form here we can extrapolate the science to a drop of water interaction with a surface and see how the droplet interact by measuring the angle of interaction. In short, a more hydrophobic surface makes a spherical pronounced droplet of smaller diameter compared to a hydrophilic surface makes a less compact more broad and higher diameter droplet.

The shape determines the magnification of the droplet as in the image obtained of a flower after some light rain.  What started as a photo of a wet flower turned into the drop of water that can be used as a natural microscope.  As you can see the image clearly magnified the flower petal and the cellular structure can be seen.  But this is not the whole story that a drop of water can be used for there other creative images that abound on the internet that drops can be used to give a wider view of a landscape and reflections of landscapes people and scenes.  

This brings us to an astonishing revelation that in passing a Rabbi Mendel Kaplan mentioned in one of his teachings, he simply said a drop of water can reflect the whole sun.  From that statement Rabbi Mendel Kaplan moved on but seeded a concept that has blossomed into this short article.

How does this concept of a water drop, and faith, Torah and life be merged together what was the implication from his one liner that got this analogy of water and human life going?  Is there any other implication that ca be drawn from this teaching? Lets us explore this concept from a perspective that perhaps has been overlooked of the expanse of time and culture. In Jewish thought the Torah is compared to water, living water to be precise. Just as water is a source of life for the world, as it says, A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters (Song of Songs 4:15), so the Torah is a source of life for the world, additionally in Song of Songs Rabbah 1:19 we find the following quotes:

- Just as water restores the soul, so does the Torah.

- Just as water is cleansing, the words of Torah are purifying.

Song of Songs Rabbah 1:19 is a source of Jewish wisdom passed down from our sages of old that is very relevant to today’s understanding of Torah and B’rit Chadasha.  One of the greatest quotes in the B’rit Chadasha was from our Rebbe Yeshuah, when he met the Samaritan woman in John (Yohanan) 4:14, “But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

This whole interaction can now be seen in a new light from the Jewish perspective, what Yeshuah is offering is the Torah, that will bring eternal life, and that is what the Torah is eternal live once is internalized in us. But wait there is more, not a set of stake knifes but more to the concept of water as great reflector.  If a drop of water in the physical concept is capable of reflecting the whole sun can a drop of “water” Torah capable of reflecting the whole “Sun”, the giver of the Torah HaShem himself.  The answer is yes indeed and that is the whole point and purpose of the Torah, that we created beings in the image of our creator be able to reflect to be like our creator in the spiritual sense and dare say in the physical sense as well. 

That was the whole interaction in Yohanan 4:14 “But whoever drinks the water I give him…” I am very clear here HaShem the giver of the Torah at Mt Sinai, the living water is given to us and if we partake it springs forth eternal life, that is the sole purpose of the Torah, life.  In Deuteronomy (Devarim, Words) 30:19 we read: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. So choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,”, very clearly here Moses is speaking to the children of Israel, “I have set before you life and death”, he has set the Torah life, and by inference death as well.  If the Torah is life, rejection of Torah is death, one cannot live without water, we will die of dehydration slow and painful.

So yes, we are called to be a reflection of our creator to bring “living water” to the world it is clear that the Jewish nation was set apart for a purpose, to be droplets of water in this planet.  In Exodus ( 19:5-6:  “5 Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. 6 And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”  This whole concept of being sent to the world is not new, Yeshuah is just following the template set in Torah with Moses and reaffirming it, when he said to his disciples (Talmidim, followers, imitators) in Mark 16:15 ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation’.

One final thought, I started with the concept of a water droplet being a natural microscope that reveals that which is hidden from the naked eye, so is a person filled with Torah, that it magnifies that which is hidden that is contrary to Torah, eventually all come to the surface, as the magnifying effect of the Torah droplet exposes that which is anti-Torah