Sea

The sea is the place of gathering for all the waters in the world.

History

On the second day of Creation, Hashem said that all the waters should "gather" - be collected in one place, so that the dry land could be seen, and so it was.

"And Hashem called the dry land Earth, and the gathering of the waters He called Seas"

• Bereishis 1:10

Definition

The sea is called in halacha "waters that have no end", and in Chassidus it is sometimes used as a mashal for infinity. However, it is also noted that this is not true infinity, as the Gemara states that one can count how many drops are in the sea.

The sea water is salty and not fit for drinking, but after the water passes through the veins of the earth - through springs, it becomes fit for drinking.

In Chassidus

Extended topic - Alma D'iskasia

In Chassidus, the sea is a mashal for Alma D'iskasia, which indicates creations that feel their source, which is from Elokus, and do not feel themselves as separate entities. Like the creatures in the sea (fish) cannot live alone, they need to be constantly in water, and the moment they separate from the water they immediately die.

See Also

• Alma D'isgalia
• Krias Yam Suf
• Spring - Sefiras HaChochma
• River - Sefiras HaBina

Further Reading

• Sefer HaLikutim by the Tzemach Tzedek, entry "Sea"