Vayishlach and Chanuka. A Guest Post from HaRav Avraham Bukspan

 Rabbi Bukspan is the mechaber of a wonderful Sefer from Feldheim, "Classics and Beyond.  Parsha Pearls." It is a written in a very innovative and modern style, combining anthology and analysis, perfect for an American ben Torah that wants a substantive and creative thought on the Parsha.

ויותר יעקב. שכח פכים קטנים וחזר עליהם (חולין צא.)

 Yaakov remained. He had forgotten some small jars and he returned for them. (Rashi Bereishis 32:25)

בדקו ולא מצאו אלא פך אחד של שמן

“They searched and found only one jar of oil” (Shabbos 21b)

Many years ago I made a small observation which has panned out to something rather golden. The Shelah Hakadosh writes “there is certainly great symbolism and meaning behind the pachim ketanim of Yaakov, and with it we can understand the secret of the pach of Chanukah.”   

“ובודאי יש דברים גדולים רמוזים בפכים קטנים, ואז תבין גם כן סוד פך שמן של חנוכה”

I then suggested that the one untouched “pach” that was found -which served as the basis for the miracle of Chanukah, was from one of the “pachim ketanim” that Yaakov Avinu went back to retrieve. The basis for this would seem to be from the common use- in both the story of Chanukah and that night that Yaakov fought the angel-of the uncommon word פך - פכים.

If we take it as a given that those פכים קטנים, those small jars were ones that contained oil let’s speculate further on where that oil came from.


The dove returned to Noach with an olive leaf in its mouth;

וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ

 “In her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off” (Bereishis 8:11)

The Gemorah (Sanhedrin 108) cites one opinion that this leaf came from Gan Eden. (See also Bereishis Rabbah 33:6)

We are suggesting that this leaf -whose provenance is from Gan Eden-, was subsequently planted by Noach and from the olives which grew he took oil which he then used in his offerings to Hashem. Noach after a time passed this oil on to his son Shem Ben Noach a.k.a Malkitzdek, the Kohein LiKeil Elyon.

{It is worth noting that the Shelah Hakodesh ( parshas vayeishev mikeitz vayigash, torah ohr ) attributes the seal of the Kohein Gadol on the small pach to none other than Malkitzedek, the Kohein LiKeil Elyon, i.e. a Kohein Gadol.}

כן מצאו פך שמן והיה חתום בחותם כהן גדול. וכבר כתבתי למעלה בשם הרמב"ן כי החשמונאים חטאו שלקחו המלכות לעצמן. מכל מקום הם סברו שיש להם אחיזה במלכות בית דוד, כי תמר זכתה להיות המלכות ממנה, והיא היתה בתו של שם (זהר ח"א, קיז) שהוא מלכי צדק והוא מלך וכהן לאל עליון. וזהו ענין והיה חתום בחותם כהן גדול

Malkitzedek in turn gave it to Avraham Avinu who fittingly gave it to his son and spiritual heir, Yitzchok. And finally it was given to Yaakov where it was kept it in those “pachim ketanim”. And those are the jugs that Yakkov went back to retrieve.

ויותר יעקב לבדו אמר רבי אלעזר: שנשתייר על פכין קטנים, מכאן לצדיקים שחביב עליהם ממונם יותר מגופם וכל כך למה, לפי שאין פושטין ידיהן בגזל 

And Jacob was left alone. Said R. Eleazar: He remained behind for the sake of some small jars. Hence [it is learnt] that to the righteous their money is dearer than their body.  and why is this? Because they do not stretch out their hands to robbery; (Chullin 91a)
With this we can now understand (albeit differently than the Gemorah) why Yaakov was willing to risk his life for those jugs. They were not mere kitchen utensils; they had Gan Eden oil in them! This was Meyuchasdika oil! “It`s belong to my forbearers, of course I`m going to risk my life for this.”

And it is with this oil that the miracle of Chanukah occurs. So of course it will burn 8 days, it`s from Gan Eden! {We`ll see about the question regarding Shemen Nes}

As I stated above this was all speculation on my part, which I then shared with Harav Nachum Lansky of Ner Yisroel. He took me over to a shelf of Seforim, removed and opened a Tikunei Zohar and showed me where the Zohar states that the first stirrings of the miracle of Chanukah began at the very moment the dove had the olive leaf in its mouth.

ואיהו הוד תמניא יומי דחנוכה לארבעה ועשרין יומין דאינון ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. ומיד דעלה זית טרף בפיה שריא כ"ה על ישראל בכ"ה בכסלו.... ודא איהו חנוכ"ה. (תיקונא תליסר דף כט.)

“And it is in relation to hod that there are eight days of Chanuka after 24 days [of the month of Kislev]. These 24 days are equivalent to the 24 letters in the verse "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever". Immediately thereafter: "And behold in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off." (Gen. 8:11) Chaf -Hei [the numerical value of 25] dwells on Israel on the 25th of Kislev... And this is Chanukah.” (Tikunei Zohar 13)

While not proof positive that the oil is actually from the olive leaf the dots are there for a connection to be made.