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When the world was destroyed at the time of the flood, Noach and those on his ark were the only ones to survive. Once the flood finished, Noach sent a Dove from his ark out to see if the land was inhabitable, and safe for them to leave the ark. The dove returned, baring a branch from an olive tree, and gave this to Noach as a sign that the land was safe to return to. Unbeknownst to many, according to the midrash,  this very branch of an olive tree went on an incredible journey and is believed to still have further to go on its path, in future years.

The branch was pressed into oil, and stored in a little pot. Noach then gave this pot of oil to his son, Shem.

Shem ran a yeshiva (The Yeshiva of Shem), which is the yeshiva that Yaakov stopped and learned in for 14 years before he went to the house of Lavan. It is asked why Yaakov needed to learn here, as he was a great scholar and had learned his whole life with his own father, what could he possibly learn with Shem that he didn’t learn before. He did this because what he had learned from his father, Yitzchak was ethical laws that would only appropriate for someone who had been sheltered from the outside world, but now that he was going into Lavan’s house, he needed to learn the skills and tools to be able to keep to his morals and ethics even in Lavans house, and this is something that Shem and his yeshiva could teach him.

When Yaakov finished learning there, Shem saw it appropriate to pass this jar of oil from the branch onto him. This important object was now within his possession.

We learn in Parshat Vayishlach, that Yaakov, his 4 wives and children were now fleeing from the house of Lavan, and returning back to Yaakov’s home, where his mother and twin brother Eisav would be. This was a very difficult and risky mission, not only the sneaking out of Lavan’s house, but also the aspect of returning to his home, as when he left, his brother Eisav wanted to kill him; he could still be at risk upon returning. He prepares for a war, and sends Eisav a gift in order to appease him. He then hears that Eisav is coming with an army of 400 men, and he realizes that he is massively at risk. He and his family cross a river in the process of his journey. Once on the other side, Yaakov realises that he left something on the other side of the river, and so he riskily decides to go back alone for this item, leaving his family and all of his possessions on the other side. It is obvious that whatever he left must be of significant importance to him as he was willing to risk so much, such as leaving his family and getting caught by Eisav, just for this little item.

The item is described as just a little pot, a jar or even a tupperware. So why could it be so important? It was in fact that same jug with the oil in it from the olive tree branch that signified to Noach that the world was now safe. When across the river, he encounters an angel who he has a fight with, and they continue to fight all throughout the night. This situation has a very significant meaning, and it represents something similar to what we may encounter in our daily life. The angel, parallels our yetzer hara who we have to fight away in order to be able to do good. He had to fight this evil force in order to get to the light/good, being the pot of oil. Therefore, this pot of oil was in fact so important to him.

The two stories, of Noach and Yaakov have many parallels.

As Yaakov is approaching his brother's army, he realizes that his life could now terminate since his brother wanted to kill him. This is very similar to Noach and the flood, because in this situation, Noach’s entire world and everything that he knew was destroyed. Since Yaakov thinks that his whole world is about to be destroyed, he sees it as necessary to hold onto the last remnant of Noach’s world as a symbol of hope and aspiration, as at the end of the flood this exact oil was what gave Noach the hope that he could now live.

I see this story as similar to my year in Israel here at Midreshet Amit. I have left London, and come to a new and foreign place to engage in a year of chessed and torah studies. I will be encountered with new challenges, situations and types of torah that I will learn, yet I must remember that I should still hold onto what I know and have been taught from home, just like Yaakov saw it as appropriate to hold onto this sentimental pot of oil which had been passed onto him from the days of the flood.