Water is used as a metaphor to describe Torah. Just as every person must have water in order to be sustained, Torah sustains Klal Yisrael. Without Torah, there is no substance to Klal Yisrael. Horav Mordechai Ilan z.l. suggests the following analogy between water and Torah. Human beings have had no input to the creation of water. It has the same essence and makeup that existed at the dawn of creation. It has maintained its unaltered state throughout time. In contrast, the earth has undergone changes as a result of mans’ participation in its development.
The Torah has similarly maintained its immutability since its presentation to Klal Yisrael at Har Sinai. Indeed, the belief in Torah‘s inalterability is one of the foundations of our faith. This is truly the reason that it has endured and will continue to do so. There is no room for modification in the Torah. If one letter or part thereof is altered, the Torah becomes invalid.
Moreover, water and moisture act as the agents which unite the various parts of the earth. Without moisture everything would dry, crumble and fall apart. Thus, symbolically water is the cord which links the entire world and its inhabitants together. People need each other, and water supplies the sustaining power for that relationship to endure. Through the Torah, the various elements of Klal Yisrael find their link of unity. The Torah unifies all these neshamos, transforming them into one unit whose basic source is Hashem.
