Moed Kattan 2 Irrigating the Fields both Literally and Figuratively

Masechet Moed Kattan is devoted to the halacha of Intermediate Festival days.  Because of related halacha around Shemita, or Sabbatical years, we will also learn about those related conversations.  Today we begin this exploration with a Mishna that teaches us about limitations on irrigation on Intermediate Festival Days.  It also tells us about public work, both on those days and on other special days.

We are told that we can only use certain types of spring water to irrigate.  Further, we can only collect or carry that water in particular ways.  Why?  Because irrigating is watering, and watering is close to the sins (on Shabbat) of sowing and of reaping.  The act of watering moves the soil, just as in those two acts.  However, if the plant will die without that water, we are permitted to irrigate - but only using a naturally occurring spring.  Clearly the rabbis are attempting to reduce the possibility of intense physical labour on the Intermediate Festival Days.

Our Mishna also speaks about work done for the public - road repair, bathhouse repair, etc.  This work is permitted, we are told.  A clarification is offered: those repairs should be done only for things that service our physical needs.  Any other work can - and should - wait.

I noticed two places in today's daf where irrigation was compared with a physical love affair between husband and wife.  In both examples, the man is said to be the dry field and the woman is the water, satiating and relieving him of his thirst.  In one of those examples, the irrigation system is said to be like a virgin bride.  I have no difficulty with this beautiful, sensual imagery.  These metaphors continually speak to the male as the protagonist, the subject; the female is someone who services her husband.  Again, I have no difficulty with that concept - except that in my reading so far, this caring behaviour has not been reciprocated.  But perhaps I am asking too much of my ancestors of 2000 year ago.