Why Would Ya’acov Risk his Life for the Sake of Retrieving Little Jugs?

Parashat Vayislach

Why Would Ya’acov Risk his Life for the Sake of Retrieving Little Jugs?

Why do People go into Such Great Expense and Effort to Recycle?

Here in Bat Ayin, we are blessed with several recycling bins, so I have five different wastebaskets in my home: one for regular garbage, another for organic garbage that goes into the chicken coop, and a third bin for box/container garbage. This is in addition to the two bottles recycle bins for each plastic and glass. Oh, I forgot to mention that we also have a bin for bottles that are worth refund deposit in our local supermarket. Why would anyone go into such an earnest effort to recycle, when others, even the poor, just dump their 30-agurot-worth bottles in the general wastebasket? In addition to the importance of recycling and keeping the mitzvah of not wasting (Devarim 20:19), all material matters contain spiritual sparks that need to be elevated. Everything a person owns becomes part of her extended being, like a body to the body. Just as we have a mitzvah to take care of our body, so must we also treat our possessions with care, as part of our soul is invested in them. We learn this lesson from our Father Ya’acov. On his way to confront Esav, he was left alone, when he went back to retrieve some small flasks, which he had forgotten (Rashi, Bereishit 32:25). All the commentaries are puzzled about how Ya’acov would risk his life for the sake of retrieving some apparently worthless jugs. What was so special about these jugs for which Ya’acov endangered himself? And what principle of spiritual healing can we learn from this?   

Why are the Possessions of the Righteous Dearer to Them Than Their Bodies?

ספר בראשית פרק לב פסוק כה: וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר:

“Ya’acov was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn (Bereishit 32:25).

He had forgotten small bottles and returned for them (Rashi Ibid. based on Babylonian Talmud, Chulin 91a and Bereishit Rabbah 77:2). From the fact that Ya’acov returned for the small bottles, we learn that the possessions of the righteous are dearer to them than their bodies. But why would tzaddikim care so much about their possessions? It is because they do not stretch out their hands to partake of stolen property (Babylonian Talmud, Chulin 91a). Although the righteous must take care not to waste or lose possessions, why are “their possessions dearer to them than their own bodies?” Whenever a dear possession breaks, I remind myself that it is better to lose material possessions (dead things), rather than suffer health problems and physical injury. Then why would tzaddikim endanger their lives for seemingly worthless trifles? Doesn’t the mitzvah of pikuach nefesh (saving lives) override every other mitzvah? Perhaps we can explain that there is a difference between being careless and wasteful, and losing something without any negligence on our part. When I noticed that my diamond had fallen out of its setting, I knew that it was from G-d, and that it had no more sparks for me to elevate.

Why Would a Tzaddik be Tempted to Steal?

I’m still having a hard time digesting the Talmudic statement about the righteous being careful not to steal. Why would a righteous person be concerned about stealing? I can’t imagine a tzaddik as a masked bank robber, or even stealing a paperclip from a department store. We can understand why the righteous are incredibly careful not to disrespect their possessions since these items emanate from the upper Divine realm – from Hashem’s heavenly influence. This still doesn’t answer why possession would be even more important than our body. We may attempt to answer that whereas the body is vital only for this lifetime, the possessions that Hashem grants us also hold importance for future reincarnations. A friend told me that soon after her father’s passing, he came to her in a dream and asked her to pay a monetary debt he incurred to a certain person. The following day that person passed by, and my friend was able to carry out her father’s bidding. This way she spared her father from returning in another reincarnation, just to pay back his debt. This story may also shed light on the connection between being careful with our possession and avoiding stealing. We all receive a certain amount of divine heavenly influence dished out exactly in accordance with our mission on earth. Encoded within our portion in life is our assignment of how to use it righteously. Since we are obligated to donate 10% tithes of our income, if we are wasteful with our G-d-given resources, we may become short of giving to every cause with which we are charged. Or perhaps, if we neglect to take care of our belongings, we will need more resources to replace lost and damaged objects and subsequently have less to share. This may cause some people to be unable to repay a debt. Examples like these could be considered theft for a righteous person.

The Spiritual Value of Receiving an Item Used by a Tzaddik

Since material possessions are known to be infused with spiritual sparks, it is possible that failure to elevate all the sparks from our possession could be considered spiritual theft. Thus, the Ben Yehoyada commentary on Talmud Chulin 91a explains that from the letters מנצפ"ך [which also have ending letters] the mem, nun and tzaddi were rectified, yet the letters peh and chaf remained. Therefore, Ya’acov returned for the פַּכִּין קְטַנִּים/pachim ketanim – “the small jugs” fashioned from the פ/pei and the כ/chaf which Ya’acov was to rectify. Moreover, the Chatam Sofer explains that Ya’acov is a man of אֱמֶת/emet – ‘truth,’ yet he needed the פַּךְ/pach – ‘jug’ in order to become יִשְׂרָאֵל/Yisrael, as the numerical value of the word אֱמֶת/emet = 441+ פַּךְ/pach = 100 equals the word יִשְׂרָאֵל/Yisrael = 541 (Torat Moshe, Bereishit 32:25). Since tzaddikim can elevate the sparks of their possessions, we can understand the many stories about the greatness of inheriting an item used by a holy person. One simple person in the Talmud was questioned about where he gained his unexpected wisdom. He answered, “Rabbi Meir’s walking stick was in my hand, and it teaches me knowledge” (Yeushalmi Talmud, Nedarim, Chapter 9, Halacha 1). Some people are making a lot of money from such items. I just saw on the net that a sacred wand used by the Baba Sali during Study and Prayer Was sold for $24,800!

The Holy Reincarnations of the Jug of Oil that Ya’acov Retrieved

The jug for which Ya’acov risked his life was none other than the one containing the oil that Noach had pressed from the very first olives in the renewed world. When Ya’acov woke up [from the dream of the ladder], he found the jar of oil near the rock under his head. “He took the rock that he had placed at his head, and he set it up as a monument, and poured oil on top of it” (Bereishit 28:18). When the jug refilled itself, Ya’acov realized that it was prepared for a higher purpose. With this jug of oil, the mishkan, its altar and all its vessels were anointed. It also anointed Aharon, his sons, and all the kings, while its oil still remained. This is the cruise of oil about which Eliyahu said to the Tzarfit woman, “…the flask of oil will not be diminished” (I Melachim 17:10-16). This same oil also miraculously continued to flow for the wife of Ovadia the prophet (II Melachim 4:1-7). When Ya’acov saw all the future miracles that that were to be associated with this jug, it prompted him to risk his life to retrieve it (Yalkut Reuveini on the Torah, Parashat Vayislach). This is the jug of pure olive oil that the Maccabees found in the Temple, which burned miraculously in the menorah for eight days (Megaleh Amukot on Va’etchanan 66). This flask had passed through the hands of all Seven Shepherds of Israel until David received it. When he laid the foundation for the Temple, David hid the flask with prophetic insight, seeing that it would be needed during the time of Chanukah. Since it had absorbed each of Israel’s seven approaches to divine service, it was particularly fitting for lighting the seven branches of the menorah (The Imrei Noam, Rabbi Meir Horowitz of Dzikow (1819–1877). Needless to say, the jug of oil that Ya’acov retrieved was no ordinary jug.

EmunaHealing Exercise to Get in Touch with Spiritual Sparks Infused in the Material

1. Bring one of your precious possessions close to you. It may be a piece of jewelry that you are already wearing or that you will wear now for the spiritual healing exercise.

2. Make yourself comfortable and breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth, until you experience inner stillness, and a feeling of peace surrounds you.

3. Without opening your eyes, envision your precious possession and breathe in its energy.  Is it calming or invigorating? Is it challenging or supportive? Allow yourself to tap into the spiritual energy field of your piece of possession.

4. Tune into how you acquired this item. If you bought it yourself, recall the hard work you invested in earning the money for its purchase.

5. Perhaps it was a gift from a dear person. Visualize the person who gave it to you and your relationship with him or her. Which feelings did this gift elicit within you?

6. What sentimental value do you attribute to your favored item? Why is it so valued by you?

7. Touch the outline of your precious possession. Is it great or small? How does it feel? Is it smooth or does it have sharp edges?

8. Why did you receive or purchase this favored item? Why do you need it and why was it destined to belong to you?

9. If your favored item could speak to you, what would it say? Open your deeper perception to hear how it would answer the question above.

10. Allow yourself to feel grateful to Hashem for your possession, knowing how it is imbued with spiritual sparks specifically designed for your benefit, to elevate and be elevated by.

11. Give your favored item a hug, and let it go in your mind’s eye, as you relinquish obsessive ownership. Open your eyes and return to the reality around you.