In the haftara for the second Shabbat of the "three weeks," God declares through the prophet Yirmiyahu (2:13), "For My nation has committed two evils: they left Me, a source of flowing water, to hew for themselves cisterns – broken cisterns that cannot contain water." Abandoning God is intrinsically evil and an inexcusable act of betrayal, but Benei Yisrael have committed an even graver evil by abandoning God in favor of "broken cisterns," foreign nations and beliefs that offer no benefit or security.
The word employed in this verse for "cisterns" is borot, a term generally translated as "pits." Intriguingly, however, the word is spelled with a silent letter alef, as if it were to read as be'eirot, or "wells." Rav Mendel Hirsch, in his commentary to the haftarot, insightfully suggests that this spelling accurately reflects Am Yisrael's mistaken perspective to which the prophet here refers. A bor, a "pit," is simply an empty hole in the ground (as in "ve-ha-bor reik" – Bereishit 37:24). A be'eir, however, is a hole that has been filled with something of worth and substance – water. The prophet here decries the fact that Benei Yisrael looked upon borot – worthless, hollow beliefs – as be'eirot – things of substance and meaning. Yirmiyahu therefore spelled the word borot such that it externally resembles the word be'eirot, alluding to the perception of value and significance that attracted Benei Yisrael to people and ideas that were actually vacuous and valueless.
It is easy to misled by the importance afforded by general society to ideas, personalities and activities that are, from a Torah perspective, of little or no value. Indeed, empty borot often give the deceptive appearance of be'eirot, things of value, worth and substance. We must recall that what general society deems important and central does not necessarily deserve our interest and attention, and, conversely, values and pursuits dismissed or rejected by those around us demand our loyalty and engagement if the Torah so requires. We must look to our tradition to carefully distinguish between borot and be'eirot, between that which is hollow and worthless, and that which is sacred and meaningful.
Courtesy of Yeshivat Har Etzion - www.etzion.org.il