The Significance of Small Jugs | Rabbi Menachem Feifer

The Torah tells us And Yaakov was left alone. On that night, preceding the meeting between Yaakov and the wicked Eisav, Yaakov was left by himself. And Chazal tell us a very strange idea, that he left his family and was all by himself, he went back to get Pachim Ketanim, which translates as small jugs. What was the significance of these small jugs? Why would Yaakov put himself in danger over small jugs? I'm no expert in gematrias, but I saw a gematria in a Sefer that explains this in a very unique, remarkable way. Small jugs, said this author, stands for the small challenges in a person's life. The trivial, seemingly-meaningless small tests that the Ribono shel Olam is constantly throwing our way. This was the battle between Yaakov Avinu and Eisav’s angel, otherwise known as the Yetzer Hara and the Satan. This is where a person becomes great. This is how a person grows and becomes a Gadol in his own way. It's struggling over the small jugs. The Satan knows that and we should be aware of it, as well. And the amazing gematria that this Talmid Chacham wrote, Pachim Ketanim is exactly the gematria of the word Satan. This is the main battle that a Yid has in life. The small jugs. And the Satan knows and that's where he tries to make us stumble, on small challenges that come our way. What was the final outcome of this battle between Yaakov Avinu and the Satan? Yaakov Avinu overcame the Satan. For you have wrestled with God and with men, and have overcome. He overcame that challenge. Rabosai, it is amazing to see another gematria. The name Yaakov, when added together with Pachim Ketanim, which equals to Satan, together makes the gematria of the name Yisroel. For a person to grow and become from a Yaakov to a Yisroel, we know in Sifrei Kodesh it’s brought, Yaakov is the lower spiritual level. Yisroel is the higher spiritual level. To become from a Yaakov to be transformed into Yisroel we need to do battle over the small jugs. Don't let the Yetzer Hara tell you it's insignificant when you're able to overcome them. Don't let him tell you that you haven't accomplished something great. You're building yourself into a different person. You're transforming yourself into a Yisroel.