Kedushin 29-the demon in the yeshiva

 Strange gemara in today's Daf -קידושין כט

(I will liberally translate/pararaphrase)

כי הא דרב יעקב בריה דרב אחא בר יעקב שדריה

 אבוה לקמיה דאביי כי אתא חזייה דלא הוה מיחדדין שמעתיה א"ל אנא עדיפא מינך תוב את דאיזיל אנא שמע אביי דקא הוה אתי הוה ההוא מזיק בי רבנן דאביי דכי הוו עיילי בתרין אפי' ביממא הוו מיתזקי אמר להו לא ליתיב ליה אינש אושפיזא אפשר דמתרחיש ניסא על בת בההוא בי רבנן אידמי ליה כתנינא דשבעה רישוותיה כל כריעה דכרע נתר חד רישיה אמר להו למחר אי לא איתרחיש ניסא סכינתין

The gemara just finished having a discussion about one's responsibility to learn Torah over teaching one's own son and the exception when one's own child has exceptional potential. 

The gemara then relates a story about R' Acha whose son R Yaakov was sent to the yeshiva of Abaya and turned out to be  a poor student.  As a result R' Acha decided to leave his son at home and instead  would study himself  at the yeshiva of Abaya.

When Abaya heard that R' Acha was coming to his yeshiva he figured  that he could have R'Acha  eliminate(via a miracle)a problematic demon that lived in his yeshiva, which caused harm even when two students were walking together during the daytime (gemara in Berachot says that demons cannot harm people in pairs or during the day). Abaya told the people of the town not to offer R' Acha lodging so that he would sleep in the yeshiva and would then be forced to deal with the demon. 

Sure enough that night while R' Acha was sleeping in the yeshiva, the demon appears to R Acha in the form of a Tanina(serpent, water monster) with seven heads. R' Acha did seven bows (apparently in prayer) and with each bow, a head of the serpent was severed. The next morning R' Acha said to them(not sure who "them" is- abaya, the students, both ?), if it weren't for the miracle, you would have put me in danger.

Many questions with this story. First of all, who cares? It's nice that R' Acha was able to clean house(figuratively) but what does this teach us? How does this make our discussion about the obligation to teach one's child any clearer. Furthermore, why couldn't the great Abaya eliminate the demon himself; he was after all, the teacher that R' Acha was coming to learn from. 

I would like to suggest that the demon story is a continuation of the story of R Acha and his son R' Yaakov(notice the title of rabbi that the gemara still bestows on his son). R' Acha accused his son of not studying properly and therefore R' Yaakov lost the right to learn in the yeshiva of Abaya and instead his father was going to use his resources to study himself.  The gemara then let's us know that the problem was not actually with his son, R Yaakov but the source of the problem was the yeshiva itself.

Abaya had a problem in his yeshiva.  Perhaps it was conflict and turmoil amongst his students; thus the language of inability to prevent harm even when two students were walking together during the day.  As a result, students like R' Yaakov couldn't learn or study  properly in a chaotic environment.  Sometimes, outside help is required to fix the atmosphere or a problem in a school or education system and that is exactly what Abaya was hoping with R' Acha.

The demon in the form of a sea creature or serpent (תנינא or in hebrew תנין),represents chaos or tumult. The number seven usually represents complete or unification in knowledge or the oral law (seven of the menorah). The tumult in the yeshiva represented by this demon, prevented the students from achieving their learning goals

R' Acha successfully solved the problem in the yeshiva either by unification of the students or humbling them (represented by his bowing). 

These are all my interpretations of this strange story but the point is to show that the gemara is not trying to teach us Greek mythology or how rabbis dealt with magical demons but instead real deep messages. 

Finding blame with the student/s and ignoring the education environment or system is a much easier path for most educators and parents to take. A parent or a teacher doesn't need to introspect or reinvent the wheel, when pointing a finger at the child/student. On the other hand, to examine the school and the education system requires alot more energy, introspection and sometimes even outside help. This could be the powerful and worthwhile message of this gemara.  

Even the great Abaya realized that his yeshiva and education system required help/change...

Kedushin 29

 Interesting and beautiful Gemara in this Mondays Daf(kedushin 29). The gemara says the following (I will paraphrase/ loosely translate with explanation)

 פדאו במנה ולא הספיק למושכו עד שעמד במאתים מה שפדה  פדוי ואין נותן אלא מנה

 

The gemara makes a statement,  that if someone attempts to redeem something that was consecrated to  the mikdash worth a hundred dollars and paid the money (which completes the transaction as far as hekdesh is concerned)but he hadn't had time to finish the transaction (via physical transference), before the price of what he was trying to redeem increased to two hundred dollars; he is still only required to pay one hundred dollars

The gemara then asks, 

אמאי הכא נמי נימא לא יהא כח הדיוט חמור מהקדש

Why don't we say(as we said before) that the strength of a regular persons transaction with other people, should not be more powerful than when making a transaction with hekdish. In other words, when a transaction between two ordinary people takes place; if the transaction was not completed(by transferring the object; even if payment was already made),

the buyer loses out and would then need to pay the increased price(if he still wants to complete the purchase). 

Why don't we say the same when one wants to redeem from hekdesh and now force this person to pay the increased price, if he still wants the object from hekdish?

The gemara gives an interesting answer,

אטו הדיוט לאו במי שפרע קאי

Would then a regular person not receive the curse of "he who punished"...

The explanation is that there was a curse for people that gave over money for a transaction and then the seller backs out before the transfer of the object(even though legally that had every right to back out). The curse was " the one that punished the generation of the flood and the generation of the tower of babel will take revenge against those that don't keep their word".

In other words, even the temple/hekdesh needs to keep their word and not benefit from a transaction that both sides committed to and began  but was not yet technically completed.

 Basically God(or the caretakers of his temple) are required to keep his/their word as it regards transactions, because otherwise how can God expect man, to do so himself. After all, aren't we supposed to imitate God :)

Rosh Hashanah

 Excellent job! Worthwhile listen. 

I would add, that if one takes the story of Adam and the garden of eden as an allegory (as I do), then when chazal say that Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world or creation of Adam; a much deeper message is being taught.

The story of Adam and Gan Eden represent the potential of man's perfection as it regards his potential closeness to God via contemplation, behavior and control of his desires (or finding the middle way). It also represents his fall if he abandons all of the latter and just seeks self gratification or voodoo judaism of God serving man ;)

On Rosh Hashanah(as R' Laufer beautifully explains) we relive Matan Torah by perfecting ourselves and drawing close to God. It is the first of the ten days of teshuva (as per the Rambam דרשו ה בהמצאו).

 In striving for perfection we are recreating Adam in ourselves. We are re-entering the garden where we can once again stroll with God. By once again accepting and reliving matan torah via the sounds of the shofer, we are hoping that by  perfecting ourselves with the final conclusion of the final blast on Yom kippur, we will renter the garden via the tree of life(Torah).

As the rabbis said, that man is a world onto himself. Here is a beautiful piece from אבות דרבי נתן(purposely not quoting from the zohar on this one ;))

יצר באדם כל מה שברא בעולמו. ברא חורשים בעולם וברא חורשים באדם - זה שערו של אדם, ברא רוח בעולם, ברא רוח באדם - זה חוטמו של אדם, חמה בעולם חמה באדם - זה פדחתו של אדם; רקיעים בעולם, רקיעים באדם - זה לשונו של אדם.

More from the Midrash Rabbah 

"כי תהיו אתם ארץ חפץ"[2], דרש רבי ברכיה בשם רבי שמעון בן לקיש: כל מה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא באדם ברא לארץ לדוגמא לו. אדם יש לו ראש, והארץ יש לה ראש שנאמר[3] וראש עפרות תבל. אדם יש לו עיניים, והארץ יש לה עיניים, שנאמר[4] וכסה את עין הארץ. אדם יש לו אוזניים, והארץ יש לה אוזניים שנאמר[5] והאזיני ארץ. אדם יש לו פה, והארץ יש לה פה שנאמר[6] ותפתח הארץ את פיה. אדם אוכל והארץ אוכלת, שנאמר[7] ארץ אוכלת יושביה. אדם שותה והארץ שותה, שנאמר[8] למטר השמים תשתה מי

So yes my friends we are reliving recreation on Rosh Hashanah-of ourselves via our connection to god

Pesach time parshat ויקרא

 Since it's Passover time, which historically was and is, the time of year that jews attempt to eliminate paganism from their beliefs and practice; I  would like to share a thought that I noticed in the Rambams Moreh that discuss some of the happenings in Chumash Shemot, which we just finished.

The pasukim towards the end of mishpatim say the following-

ט  וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה, וְאַהֲרֹן--נָדָב, וַאֲבִיהוּא, וְשִׁבְעִים, מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

י  וַיִּרְאוּ, אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו, כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר, וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם, לָטֹהַר

יא  וְאֶל-אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ; וַיֶּחֱזוּ, אֶת-הָאֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאכְלוּ, וַיִּשְׁתּוּ

9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel;

10 and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet the like of a paved work of sapphire stone, and the like of the very heaven for clearness.

11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand; and they beheld God, and did eat and drink.

On this last pasuk where it mentions "and did eat and drink", unlike his contemporaries,

the Rambam learns this as a criticism of the nobles of the children of Israel.

Here are the words of the Rambam from tbe Moreh-part 1:5

אמנם ׳אצילי בני ישראל׳ הם הרסו ושלחו מחשבותם והשיגו אבל השגה בלתי שלמה; ולזה אמר עליהם ״ויראו את אלהי ישראל ותחת רגליו וכו׳״ – ולא אמר: ׳ויראו את אלהי ישראל׳ לבד כי כלל המאמר אינו רק לדקדק עליהם ראיתם לא לתאר איך ראו. ואמנם, דקדק עליהם תוכן השגתם אשר כללה מן הגשמות מה שכללה – חייב זה הרסם קודם שלמותם. והתחיבו ׳כליה׳ ויעתר להם ע״ה והאריך האלוה להם עד שנשרפו ב׳תבערה׳ ונשרף נדב ואביהוא ב׳אוהל מועד׳ לפי מה שבאה בו הקבלה האמיתית.

But “the nobles of the Children of Israel” were impetuous, and allowed their thoughts to go unrestrained: what they perceived was but imperfect. Therefore it is said of them, “And they saw the God of Israel, and there was under his feet,” etc. (Exod. 24:10); and not merely, “and they saw the God of Israel”; the purpose of the whole passage is to criticize their act of seeing and not to describe it. They are blamed for the nature of their perception, which was to a certain extent corporeal—a result which necessarily followed, from the fact that they ventured too far before being perfectly prepared. They deserved to perish, but at the intercession of Moses this fate was averted by God for the time. They were afterwards burnt at Taberah, except Nadab and Abihu, who were burnt in the Tabernacle of the congregation, according to what is stated by authentic tradition. (Midr. Rabba ad locum.)

At the end of this chapter the Rambam continues-

ואשוב להשלים מה שנכנסנו לבארו ואומר ש׳אצילי בני ישראל׳ עם המכשולים שארעו להם בהשגתם נתבלבלו גם כן בעבורה פעולותיהם ונטו לענינים הגופיים להשתבש ההשגה. ולזה אמר ״ויחזו את האלהים ויאכלו וישתו״. אמנם סוף המאמר והוא – אמרו: ״ותחת רגליו כמעשה לבנת הספיר וכו׳״ הנה יתבאר בקצת פרקי זה המאמר.

I will now return to complete what I commenced to explain. The nobles of the Children of Israel, besides erring in their perception, were, through this cause, also misled in their actions: for in consequence of their confused perception, they gave way to bodily cravings. This is meant by the words, “Also they saw God and did eat and drink” (Exod. 24:11). The principal part of that passage, viz., “And there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone” (Exod. 24:10), will be further explained in the course of the present treatise (ch. xxviii.).

In other words, the Rambam is explaining that because of their lack of development and preparation, the nobles of Israel perceived God as corporeal. This led to some type of "misleading actions" which the Rambam doesn't specify or explain. It is possible that he could be referring to the consecration of the mishkan where the two sons of Aaron deviated from the avodah; which then led to their demise(as he mentions in the first part of this chapter in the Moreh). 

I would like to propose that the golden calf which happens shortly after this event, is one of the actions, if not the action that the Rambam is referring to. 

By the golden calf the Torah says -

ד  וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם, וַיָּצַר אֹתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט, וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ, עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה; וַיֹּאמְרוּ--אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.

ה  וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן, וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו; וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמַר, חַג לַיהוָה מָחָר.

ו  וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ, מִמָּחֳרָת, וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת, וַיַּגִּשׁוּ שְׁלָמִים; וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם לֶאֱכֹל וְשָׁתוֹ, וַיָּקֻמוּ לְצַחֵק. 

And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: 'This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said: 'To-morrow shall be a feast to the LORD

And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make merry.

Notice the words "eat and drink" that is mentioned in this parsha. The torah is also very vague about "they said". Who said?  Was it Aaron and the people around him? Was it all of the jewish people? If thats the case, then who are they saying this to?  

Here to, it is  possible that the very same "nobles of Israel" declared to the Jewish people "This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Once one perceives God in physical terms, then it's not impossible that the golden calf that came out of the fire can also represent God. This is the meaning of the "eating and drinking" that was done by the golden calf.  The torah wants to connect the eating and drinking of the golden calf to the eating and drinking of the nobles of Israel. When one eats and drinks, it is done to satisfy and fulfill one's physical needs and desires. When one views God as corporeal, then he can be manipulated to fulfill one's needs. It's no longer about imitation of God's ways but instead about God serving oneself...

Something to think about this time of year, where judaism has become about buying pants of leaders, visiting cemeteries, praying by the dead and many other rituals that are designed to have God serve our needs vs our attempt to imitate the ways of God...

ויירא

 Interesting how in the same parsha we see how Avraham and Avimelech had similar views of G-D and the world 

By Avraham trying to save Sodom

יn,כה

חָלִ֨לָה לְּךָ֜ מֵעֲשֹׂ֣ת ׀ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה לְהָמִ֤ית צַדִּיק֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע וְהָיָ֥ה כַצַּדִּ֖יק כָּרָשָׁ֑ע חָלִ֣לָה לָּ֔ךְ הֲשֹׁפֵט֙ כׇּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”

By Avimelech trying to save himself-

כ,ד וַאֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ לֹ֥א קָרַ֖ב אֵלֶ֑יהָ וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אֲדֹנָ֕י הֲג֥וֹי גַּם־צַדִּ֖יק תַּהֲרֹֽג׃

Now Abimelech had not approached her. He said, “O lord, will You slay people even though innocent?

It's interesting that God apparently agreed with Avimelech that he is a tzadik with his comment

כ,ו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאֱלֹהִים בַּחֲלֹם, גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי בְתָם-לְבָבְךָ עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת, וָאֶחְשֹׂךְ גַּם-אָנֹכִי אוֹתְךָ, מֵחֲטוֹ-לִי; עַל-כֵּן לֹא-נְתַתִּיךָ, לִנְגֹּעַ אֵלֶיהָ.

In fact we have chazal  that use the pasuk in mishlei of-

לֹא־יְאֻנֶּ֣ה לַצַּדִּ֣יק כׇּל־אָ֑וֶן וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים מָ֣לְאוּ רָֽע׃

No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked have their fill of misfortune.

to teach us  that God prevents real tzadikkim from sinning

Also another interesting contrast of similar language by both where hiding or lack of knowledge is a negative by not revealing; while sometimes used as a positive in preventing a sin

וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אָמָ֑ר הַֽמְכַסֶּ֤ה אֲנִי֙ מֵֽאַבְרָהָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶֽׂה׃

Now יהוה had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ אֵלָ֨יו הָֽאֱלֹהִ֜ים בַּחֲלֹ֗ם גַּ֣ם אָנֹכִ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ כִּ֤י בְתׇם־לְבָבְךָ֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּ֔את וָאֶחְשֹׂ֧ךְ גַּם־אָנֹכִ֛י אֽוֹתְךָ֖ מֵחֲטוֹ־לִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֥ן לֹא־נְתַתִּ֖יךָ לִנְגֹּ֥עַ אֵלֶֽיהָ׃

And God said to him in the dream, “I knew that you did this with a blameless heart, and so I kept you from sinning against Me. That was why I did not let you touch her.

The use of the word אחשך is interesting because חשך(darkness) is where things are hidden or unknown(מכסה). 

Another interesting fact, is that אבימלך was also a man of גמילת חסדים with his 

וַיִּקַּ֨ח אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֗ר וַעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לְאַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיָּ֣שֶׁב ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת שָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored his wife Sarah to him.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ הִנֵּ֥ה אַרְצִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ בַּטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ שֵֽׁב׃

And Abimelech said, “Here, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.”

The argument that he was trying to appease or vindicate himself, so that Avraham would pray for him, is only in the last pasuk of 

וּלְשָׂרָ֣ה אָמַ֗ר הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֜תִּי אֶ֤לֶף כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לְאָחִ֔יךְ הִנֵּ֤ה הוּא־לָךְ֙ כְּס֣וּת עֵינַ֔יִם לְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתָּ֑ךְ וְאֵ֥ת כֹּ֖ל וְנֹכָֽחַת׃

And to Sarah he said, “I herewith give your brother a thousand pieces of silver; this will serve you as vindication before all who are with you, and you are cleared before everyone.”

Notice again the torah using the strange  words of  כסות עינים in this pasuk (to mean 

Vindication)

Finally this idea of hidden or כסות עינים

becomes a common theme in the rest of בראשית from יעקב hiding his identity from יצחק to the brothers hiding the whereabouts of yosef from their father. There are endless cases of כסות עינים in between, that I didn't mention such as שמעון ולוי fooling the residents of שכם etc

שלש רגלים ובלעם

 I noticed something interesting in this past weeks parsha regarding Billam hitting the donkey three times. The terminology used when confronted by the donkey and the angel is שלש רגלים(three times). Interesting that the term שלש רגלים is mentioned three times.  

Here are the פסוקים  in  פרק כב

כב,ל וַתֹּאמֶר הָאָתוֹן אֶל-בִּלְעָם, הֲלוֹא אָנֹכִי אֲתֹנְךָ אֲשֶׁר-רָכַבְתָּ עָלַי מֵעוֹדְךָ עַד-הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה--הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי, לַעֲשׂוֹת לְךָ כֹּה; וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא

כב,לב וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, עַל-מָה הִכִּיתָ אֶת-אֲתֹנְךָ, זֶה שָׁלוֹשׁ רְגָלִים; הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יָצָאתִי לְשָׂטָן, כִּי-יָרַט הַדֶּרֶךְ לְנֶגְדִּי

כב,לג וַתִּרְאַנִי, הָאָתוֹן, וַתֵּט לְפָנַי, זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים; אוּלַי נָטְתָה מִפָּנַי, כִּי עַתָּה גַּם-אֹתְכָה הָרַגְתִּי וְאוֹתָהּ הֶחֱיֵיתִי

The term שלש רגלים is normally used in the context of the fulfillment of God's command for the Jew to visit his temple three times a year. In this part of the story, Bilam was forced by God to take a path (or off the path), that he did not choose. This is a sort of intro to the idea that a Navi, even Bilam, cannot deviate from the prophecy that he is given(even when the vision includes a speaking donkey :)).

Later in the story Balak confronts Bilam, on his lack of obedience of the fulfillment of his employment; the cursing of the Jewish people. Here to it was three times that he refused to fulfill the wishes of Balak. In fact it seems that Bilam has now figuratively replaced the donkey with Balak, trying to steer Bilam to fulfill his will of staying on the path of cursing the Jewish people. This however, was not the will of God, as Bilam responds by replacing שלש רגלים with the more commonly used term of שלש פעמים.

Here is the pasuk in פרק כד

כד,י וַיִּחַר-אַף בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם, וַיִּסְפֹּק אֶת-כַּפָּיו; וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם, לָקֹב אֹיְבַי קְרָאתִיךָ, וְהִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתָּ בָרֵךְ, זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים.

פרשת שמות

 Fascinating differences that the Torah points out in three different stories, on how three people met their wives by wells of water.

Yitzchok-

Avraham sends his slave to find a wife for his son yitzchok. After the slave makes a condition with G-D (which the Rambam says is prohibited for jews to do), he sees  רבקה coming down with her flocks to a well and asks her to give him water to drink. רבקה being a person of חסד  not only gives him to drink but also his animals. 

The servant is the taker and the future wife is the giver.

Here are the pasukim-בראשית כד 

 וַיָּרָץ הָעֶבֶד, לִקְרָאתָהּ; וַיֹּאמֶר, הַגְמִיאִינִי נָא מְעַט-מַיִם מִכַּדֵּךְ.  יח וַתֹּאמֶר, שְׁתֵה אֲדֹנִי; וַתְּמַהֵר, וַתֹּרֶד כַּדָּהּ עַל-יָדָהּ--וַתַּשְׁקֵהוּ.  יט וַתְּכַל, לְהַשְׁקֹתוֹ; וַתֹּאמֶר, גַּם לִגְמַלֶּיךָ אֶשְׁאָב, עַד אִם-כִּלּוּ, לִשְׁתֹּת.  כ וַתְּמַהֵר, וַתְּעַר כַּדָּהּ אֶל-הַשֹּׁקֶת, וַתָּרָץ עוֹד אֶל-הַבְּאֵר, לִשְׁאֹב; וַתִּשְׁאַב, לְכָל-גְּמַלָּיו

And the servant ran to meet her, and said: 'Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher.' 18 And she said: 'Drink, my lord'; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said: 'I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.' 20 And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

Yaakov-

Running away from esav and heading to his mother's family to find a wife (as per his father's command) he sees a well with three flocks of sheep  that are not able to access water from the well, due to a large rock blocking access. Only after all the shepards arrive, would they have enough manpower to remove the rock. Yaakov not knowing the details is concerned why the sheep are allowed to go thirsty or why the shepards are not doing their job. After the challenges are explained to him by the shepards, he sees Rachel and immediately rolls off the rock and gives to drink the sheep of Laban.

Yaakov is a man of justice and concerned with the property of others including his future wife( one could argue that the future wife was a bias and may have played a roll towards his action of rolling off the rock) Here are the pasukim in בראשית כט

וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה בְאֵר בַּשָּׂדֶה, וְהִנֵּה-שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶדְרֵי-צֹאן רֹבְצִים עָלֶיהָ--כִּי מִן-הַבְּאֵר הַהִוא, יַשְׁקוּ הָעֲדָרִים; וְהָאֶבֶן גְּדֹלָה, עַל-פִּי הַבְּאֵר.  ג וְנֶאֶסְפוּ-שָׁמָּה כָל-הָעֲדָרִים, וְגָלְלוּ אֶת-הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר, וְהִשְׁקוּ, אֶת-הַצֹּאן; וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֶת-הָאֶבֶן עַל-פִּי הַבְּאֵר, לִמְקֹמָהּ.  ד וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם יַעֲקֹב, אַחַי מֵאַיִן אַתֶּם; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, מֵחָרָן אֲנָחְנוּ.  ה וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, הַיְדַעְתֶּם אֶת-לָבָן בֶּן-נָחוֹר; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, יָדָעְנוּ.  ו וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, הֲשָׁלוֹם לוֹ; וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁלוֹם--וְהִנֵּה רָחֵל בִּתּוֹ, בָּאָה עִם-הַצֹּאן.  ז וַיֹּאמֶר, הֵן עוֹד הַיּוֹם גָּדוֹל--לֹא-עֵת, הֵאָסֵף הַמִּקְנֶה; הַשְׁקוּ הַצֹּאן, וּלְכוּ רְעוּ.  ח וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לֹא נוּכַל, עַד אֲשֶׁר יֵאָסְפוּ כָּל-הָעֲדָרִים, וְגָלְלוּ אֶת-הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר; וְהִשְׁקִינוּ, הַצֹּאן.  ט עוֹדֶנּוּ, מְדַבֵּר עִמָּם; וְרָחֵל בָּאָה, עִם-הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ--כִּי רֹעָה, הִוא.  י וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה יַעֲקֹב אֶת-רָחֵל, בַּת-לָבָן אֲחִי אִמּוֹ, וְאֶת-צֹאן לָבָן, אֲחִי אִמּוֹ; וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב, וַיָּגֶל אֶת-הָאֶבֶן מֵעַל פִּי הַבְּאֵר, וַיַּשְׁקְ, אֶת-צֹאן לָבָן אֲחִי אִמּוֹ.  

And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it.--For out of that well they watered the flocks. And the stone upon the well's mouth was great. 3 And thither were all the flocks gathered; and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone back upon the well's mouth in its place.-- 4 And Jacob said unto them: 'My brethren, whence are ye?' And they said: 'Of Haran are we.' 5 And he said unto them: 'Know ye Laban the son of Nahor?' And they said: 'We know him.' 6 And he said unto them: 'Is it well with him?' And they said: 'It is well; and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.' 7 And he said: 'Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together; water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.' 8 And they said: 'We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.' 9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she tended them. 10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

Moses-

He was not looking for a wife; In fact he was running for his life because of his acting on an  injustice that he witnessed against his people. 

In running away from one injustice he encounters more injustice with the shepards chasing away the daughters of Midian from accessing a well for their flocks. Moshe saves them and then gives their sheep to drink(note-out of all three stories, the details of the moshe encounter is the smallest with yitzchak being the longest with the most detail).

Moshe stood for pure justice. It made no difference whether it was his people or pure strangers. Moshe had a need to take care of the weak and the oppressed. That is why he became the deliverer of the Jewish people, the writer of the greatest book of justice and the greatest prophet of all time.

Here are the pasukim in this weeks parsha שמות ב-

וּלְכֹהֵן מִדְיָן, שֶׁבַע בָּנוֹת; וַתָּבֹאנָה וַתִּדְלֶנָה, וַתְּמַלֶּאנָה אֶת-הָרְהָטִים, לְהַשְׁקוֹת, צֹאן אֲבִיהֶן.  ב,יז וַיָּבֹאוּ הָרֹעִים, וַיְגָרְשׁוּם; וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיּוֹשִׁעָן, וַיַּשְׁקְ אֶת-צֹאנָם.  ב,יח וַתָּבֹאנָה, אֶל-רְעוּאֵל אֲבִיהֶן; וַיֹּאמֶר, מַדּוּעַ מִהַרְתֶּן בֹּא הַיּוֹם.  

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock