The Avos drawing divine wisdom from creation

בענין הבארות שחפרו האבות.

Concerning the wells that the Avos dug.

The Sefas Emes turns to the deeper meaning of the wells dug by Avraham and Yitzchak.

באר הוא כמו הואיל משה באר את התורה.

"Be'er" (well / to explain) is like "Moshe began to explain (be'er) the Torah."

The word for "well" shares a root with "to explain," so digging a well alludes to uncovering and clarifying hidden wisdom.

כמו כן קודם קבלת התורה היו האבות מבארים חכמת הבריאה.

So too, before the giving of the Torah, the Avos would explain (be'er) the wisdom of creation.

Before the Torah was given, the Avos drew out and revealed the divine wisdom embedded within creation itself.

שהכל בתורה נברא.

For everything was created through the Torah.

The Torah is the blueprint of creation, so all of existence is built from it.

ולכבודי בראתיו.

"And for My honor I created it."

Creation exists to reveal the honor of Hashem.

וצריך האדם להתבונן בכל הבריאה להבין כוונת הבורא ית"ש.

And a person must contemplate all of creation to understand the intent of the Creator, may His Name be blessed.

The task is to look into the world and discern the divine purpose woven through it.

ואאע"ה ביאר איך לבוא מכל הבריאה לאהבת הבורא ולהסתכל בחסדים וטובות הבורא שכבודו וגדלו וטובו מלא עולם וכמו כן יצחק ביאר איך לבוא ליראת ה' מכל הבריאה.

And Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, explained how to come from all of creation to love of the Creator, and to perceive the kindnesses and goodness of the Creator, whose honor, greatness, and goodness fill the world; and likewise Yitzchak explained how to come to yiras Hashem (fear of Hashem) from all of creation.

Avraham's "well" revealed the path from creation to ahavas Hashem by seeing His chesed everywhere, while Yitzchak's "well" revealed the path from creation to yiras Hashem.

וכ"ז הי' קודם התורה חפרוה שרים כו'.

And all this was before the Torah — "the princes dug it," etc.

This drawing-forth of wisdom by the Avos, the "princes," preceded the giving of the Torah.

ואח"כ וממדבר מתנה שניתנה התורה שהיא מבארת טעם האמת של כל הבריאה.

And afterward, "and from the wilderness, a gift" — that the Torah was given, which explains the true reason of all of creation.

The Torah, given afterward as a gift, reveals the inner truth and purpose of all that was created.

וזה א"י להשיג רק במתנה.

And this cannot be attained except as a gift.

This deepest understanding of creation cannot be earned by effort alone; it can only be received as a gift from Hashem.

ויעקב שכתוב בו תתן אמת ליעקב נזדמנה הבאר אליו מעצמה כמ"ש וירא והנה באר כו':

And Yaakov, of whom it is written "You shall grant truth to Yaakov," had the well come to him on its own, as it is written "and he saw, and behold, a well," etc.

Because Yaakov embodies emes (truth) and the quality of receiving as a gift, the well appeared to him ready-made, without his having to dig — corresponding to the Torah given freely from above.

Summary: The wells the Avos dug allude to "explaining" — drawing out the hidden divine wisdom within creation. Before the Torah was given, Avraham revealed the path from the world to ahavas Hashem and Yitzchak the path to yiras Hashem; but the full truth of creation can only be received as a gift, which is why for Yaakov, the man of emes, the well appeared on its own — mirroring the Torah given freely from above.