Day 23/50: All in The Right Measure

וַיָּ֧שֶׁב ה’ עֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָֽלְכ֥וּ בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם

And Hashem brought the waters of the sea back upon them, and the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.

Chazal stress the importance of protecting the brachah of our bris by ensuring that it is not misused or wasted. The Gemara teaches that wasting zera is akin to bringing a flood upon the world.

What is the connection to a flood? The answer is profound. There is a direct parallel between water and zera: Water is the epitome of brachah and vitality in the world. It is directly responsible for our survival and for the prosperity of mankind. Zera also carries within it the perpetuation and continuity of all of mankind.

These forces, as essential as they may be, are beneficial only when they exist in the right balance and measure. Otherwise, they can overpower us and be detrimental to our existence.

It is for this reason that the Gemara states that when we daven for rain, we must pray that it should fall in proper measure, in tiny drops. If rain comes without the proper measure, it can be a source of tremendous destruction.

Zera is an otherworldly brachah that is packed with the life-force of the entire creation. The way that it is utilized can have consequences that are more significant than the use of any other commodity in our physical world. The bris is designed to bring tiny drops of zera into the world that generate incredible brachah and have the ability to create life on both the physical and spiritual planes. But if it is used incorrectly, the world could become flooded with misdirected potential brachah that is powerful enough to wreak havoc and leave us in a state of spiritual devastation.