I don't know if it's just my little world, but it seems like every conversation the guys are having at cocktail parties comes back to AI 😊.
The truth is that we can't ignore the dramatic transformation taking place right now. And as Jews, it’s worth asking what this moment might be inviting us to pay attention to.
In this week's Torah portion, we read one of the few stories that puts Isaac himself at the center (even the story of the binding of Isaac is a story about Abraham more than it is a story about Isaac). Isaac digs wells, faces disputes over them, and eventually makes a pact with Avimelech.
What is the Torah telling us about Isaac by showing him digging wells?
Digging a well means clearing away dirt and rock until you reach the water that was there all along. Water is likened to Torah. Just as water nourishes, so does Torah. Just as water flows from higher ground to lower ground, so does Torah descend from the highest of places into our physical and material world.
Isaac’s wells give us a way to think about our own search for wisdom. It’s already there, beneath the surface of everyday life. The more we dig, the more we find.
In Messianic times, our Sages tell us, the world will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea. Knowing Hashem will be our sole occupation.
That work begins today. We can move through the clutter of life and uncover the wisdom and presence of Hashem right here in our material world.
That’s where I see an opportunity with AI. If it can help us sift through information or take some routine work off our plates, what will we do with the time and attention we get back?
Perhaps Isaac’s wells point us toward an answer. To be fully spiritually alive today, we need to look for Hashem in the ordinary things we pass by every day. And if we don’t see Him right away, we can do what Isaac did. Keep digging.
With blessings for a wonderful Shabbos and happy digging!
With all my love,
Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman
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