Palestinian Anatomy

“Wells reopened” — Avraham’s chesed guarded by Yitzchak’s gevurah

Abraham’s Wells, Isaac’s Shield

Big idea: Avraham’s expansive chesed shines safely when joined with Yitzchak’s disciplined gevurah—that blend blocks the “Philistines” aka Palestinians  (unchecked expansion) from taking hold.

Timing is Key

The verse notes the Philistines stopped the wells “after the death of Abraham.” Chassidus explains: while the pure divine light of Avraham’s love and joy is fully revealed, negativity cannot take hold. When that intense connection (“Abraham”) recedes or is concealed (“death of Abraham”), leaving only outward expansion and open-heartedness, it becomes vulnerable.

Holy expansion, left unchecked, can slip into its negative mirror: frivolity, licentiousness, and empty joy (simcha shel klipah).

Isaac’s Advantage

Yitzchak’s path is gevurah—awe, restraint, discipline. The “Philistines,” representing the negative side of chesed (expansion), have no direct grip on gevurah. As Torah Or (quoted by the Rebbe) teaches, “Each negative quality can only oppose its specific counterpart in holiness.”

Since the Philistines are the negative of chesed, they could not directly stop wells whose essence— through Yitzchak’s re-digging—was now infused with gevurah. Not only could they not stop wells fundamentally Isaac’s, they also couldn’t stop Avraham’s original wells once Yitzchak had re-dug them.

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The Combination

When Avraham’s service (Love/Joy/Expansion) joins Yitzchak’s contribution (Awe/Discipline/Self-Nullification), the bittul component acts as a shield. It prevents holy expansion from becoming vulnerable to negative influence (Klipah/Philistines). The self-nullification inherent in yirah denies external forces any “sustenance,” even from the expansive energy of ahavah.

Who Are the “Philistines”?

In Chassidus, “Philistines” aren’t only historical. Their name connects to mefulash—“open on both sides,” like an alley open at both ends. It symbolizes unbridled openness, expansion without boundaries. The Sages also call them leitzanim (scoffers), a frivolity born of excessive “opening of the heart” without discipline—expansion gone wrong.

Why They Could Grip Avraham (Alone)

Avraham’s service is chesed: holy expansion, love, joy, enthusiasm for G-dliness—spreading outward, sometimes “beyond measure.” Its negative counterpart is the undisciplined expansion of the “Philistines.” Thus the forces of Klipah could find a “grip” (yenikah) on Avraham’s work when it lacked a counterbalancing gevurah.

Result: With Yitzchak’s gevurah integrated, the “Mavoi ha-mefulash” (open alleyway—symbol of vulnerability) is closed off. Yitzchak remains undeterred, and the wells flow again.

Keywords: Avraham (Chesed), Yitzchak (Gevurah), Bittul, Yirah, Ahavah, Klipah, Plishtim, Mavoi ha-mefulash.