[Avodah] pach hashemen

[Micha Berger]

There is a Yalqut Re'uveini that connects Yaaqov's pachim qetanim to
Chanukah's pach shemen. I recently used it in a blog entry
<http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2008/12/small-jugs.shtml>.

This is how I retold and interpreted it:

Yaaqov went back across the river to get some "pachim qetanim", small
jugs. When crossing back again to his family, Yaakov encounters an angel,
identified with Eisav and his people's guardian (among other candidates).

One of these pachim made its way down the ages to Shemu'el. Shemu'el
used it to anoint Sha'ul as our nation's first king.

 From Shemu'el, the jug was eventually inherited by Elisha. When the poor
Shunamit woman came to him desperate for funds so that her sons won't be
sold as slaves, Elisha told her to collect any vessel she had that could
hold oil, and to borrow all such that she could from her neighbors. And
Elisha then took the jug with the left over oil from the annointing of
Sha'ul, and filled every utensil in her home.

(I'm sure you see what's coming next, but to spell out the details.)
This jug was then placed in the first Beis haMiqdash, not with the
other jugs of oil, but with the collection of artifacts that attest to
miracles (the jar of mon, Moshe's staff, Aharon's blooming almond branch,
etc..) And the jug made it through the interegnum and was placed in a
similar spot in the second bayis. The seal that most understand to be
a mark of purity is taken by this midrash to also mark this special jug
so that it not be confused with the regular ones.

When the Yevanim defiled all the oil, this oil wasn't found because
it wasn't stored with the rest! (I know, if we assume this medrash is
historical, it contradicts a trend of thought I developed in another
recent post.) And the same miracle that supported the Shunamit is the
miracle of the oil of Chanukah. The pach shemen of Chanukah was one of
the pachim qetanim of Yaaqov.
...
What's the point of this medrash, the lesson it's written to teach?
Looking at the key themes in it, I think I can suggest an idea.
...
Rashi on Vayishlach quotes Chazal that Yaaqov went back because the
righteous consider their money precious, because they earn their money
honestly. Proper business ethics isn't "just" the permissable way to
conduct business, it actually sanctifies the activity. And therefore,
the pachim qetanim were sacred to Yaaqov, not to be simply left behind.
...
Sha'ul's mission for his kingship is to vanquish Amaleiq. Amaleiq is a
nation whose namesake forefather was Eisav's grandson....

The Shunamit was supported in her time of need by the rewards of Yaaqov's
sacred toiling in this world....

Chanukah was a step before Eisav-Edom, back at Yavan, Rome's role
model. The Jews lost themselves to Hellene values. To a religion where
even the gods represent physical forces...

And then they find the jug of oil. The jug of holy wordliness, of
sanctifying the universe through halakhah. Not disdain for the physical
or the beautiful, but knowing its value -- as a tool. And with that
concept the Chashmonaim revived Jewish loyalty, disbanded Hellenist
oppression, and restored the concept of Jewish autonomy for the next two
centuries. And when we couldn't maintain that, we still had the notion
that there was a role for Yefetic culture but not a clear idea of what
that role was, in stepped Edom. Through that struggle with Edom, we can
restore the world to "two great lights" [a reference to a Maharsha that
I skipped in this post but was in the blog] -- Yisrael and Eisav working
in harmony.



:-)BBii!
-Micha

...

Micha Berger             When faced, with a decision, ask yourself,
micha at aishdas.org        "How would I decide if it were Ne'ilah now,
http://www.aishdas.org   at the closing moments of Yom Kippur?"
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            - Rav Yisrael Salanter