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Purim
Purim and its Mitzvot
Purim has four main Mitzvot:
The Reading of the Megillah (Mikra Megillah)
The Festive Purim Meal (Seudat Purim)
Sending Gifts (Mishloach Manot)
Gifts to the poor (Matanot l'Evyonim)
As for prayer adaptations, the Torah portion of 'and Amalek came' is read Purim morning, and Al-Hanisim is added to the Shmoneh Esray (Silent Prayer) and Birkat HaMazon (Grace after Meals). Hallel is not, however, said on Purim; the Megillah reading being regarded as the Hallel of the day.
Eulogies and fasting are prohibited on Purim, and in a leap year, they are prohibited in the first Adar as well. A mourner likewise does not practice mourning publicly on Purim. He does not sit on the ground nor remove his shoes, and observes the private aspects of mourning, as is the case on Shabbat.
It is legally permissible to work on Purim, but is nevertheless not considered proper. The Sages have said: 'Whoever works on the day of Purim does not see any sign of blessing (through his work).' The type of work that is referred to is work which results in profit. Work involving a Mitzvah, however, or work for the sake of Purim, is fully permitted.
The Reading Of The Megillah
One is required to read the Megillah at night, and then again during the day. The Megillah may be read all night till the coming of dawn. By day, the Megillah may likewise be read from sunrise till sunset. However, if one has read the Megillah even before sunrise, but at least after dawn, he has fulfilled his obligation to read the Megillah. Both men and women are obligated to read the Megillah (or hear it read).
The most preferred manner of fulfilling the Mitzvah is to read the Megillah publicly, and in the Synagogue. Even if there are many people in one's company, he should not read the Megillah at home, but should rather go to the Synagogue, since, 'In a multitude there is Majesty;' and the miracle is made known more widely.
Positive Torah commandments are all deferred for the sake of hearing the Megillah. Even the study of the Torah is suspended for the Megillah Reading. The only Mitzvah which is not deferred by the Reading of the Megillah, is the Mitzvah of providing burial for a dead person, when there is no one else available to do so.
If one hears the Megillah read, he fulfills the obligation as if he were to read it himself; provided that the Reader is himself obligated to perform Mitzvot. It is, however, necessary to hear every single word, for if one has not heard the entire Megillah, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
It is proper for every person to hold a Megillah on parchment before him and to read along in a whisper, as he hears the Reader. If a scroll is not available, then a person should use a printed Megillah.
The Reader pauses when he reaches each of the four 'verses-of-redemption' which are found in the Megillah. As he pauses, the congregation reads each verse aloud, and the Reader then repeats it from his Megillah since those who fulfill the obligation of reading the Megillah by hearing it read, are required to hear the entire Megillah read. The following are the four 'verses-of-redemption:' 'There was a Jew in Shushan...' 'And Mordechai went forth from before the King in royal garments...' 'Unto the Jews there was light...' 'For Mordechai, the Jew, was second to the King. . .' The purpose of this custom is to keep the children from slumber so that the great miracle performed for Israel in the days of Mordechai and Esther, might enter their hearts.
The passage, 'That night the sleep of the King was disturbed,' is customarily read aloud; that is, more loudly, and with a variation in the melody, because therein the salvation of the Jews begins to be revealed.
The names of the ten sons of Haman together with the four preceding words ['500 men and'], and the word 'ten' which follows, are all read in one breath: thereby indicating that they were all slain and hung together. The 500 men mentioned with them, consisted of ten groups - each under the command of one of Haman's sons - who were charged with executing their wishes. If the Reader fails to hold his breath for the duration of the entire passage, he nevertheless fulfills the obligation of the Megillah Reading.
The Brachot of the Megillah
The reader of the Megillah recites three brachot prior to the reading, and one afterwards, and he should intend to fulfill the obligation of the congregation. The congregation answers 'Amen,' and they should likewise intend to fulfill the Mitzvah. They do not say 'Baruch Hu u'varuch Shemo' - in order not to interrupt in the middle of the brachah. Before the Megillah-Reading three brachot are said:
'Who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the Reading of the Megillah...'
'Who made miracles for our fathers in those days at this time...'
'Who kept us alive and sustained us...'
Afterwards, one brachah is said: 'Who waged our quarrels...' Two concluding passages follow, as indicated in the 'Siddur.' The second of these contains the word: 'Cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordechai . . . and also Charvonah shall be remembered for good.' The prayer is an allusion to the Sages' injunction to utter words of curse against Haman, and of blessing upon Mordechai and Charvonah. The first of the two concluding passages 'Asher heni' is not said after the Megillah-Reading by day.
The brachot preceding the Megillah-Reading are said before the reading of the Megillah by day as well; except that in saying 'Shehecheyanu,' ['Who kept us alive'], the Reader should intend to apply his 'brachah' to the other Mitzvot of the day - the Purim Feast, the Sending of Gifts, the Giving of Gifts to the Poor.
If one reads the Megillah alone, he recites the 'brachot' which precede it, but not the one which follows. If one has already fulfilled the obligation of reading the Megillah, and he wishes to read it a second time publicly for the sake of others, he recites all the 'brachot' beginning and end. If one reads the Megillah for another individual, he recites only the first brachot. And if the individual knows the brachot well, he says them himself.
Before the brachah which follows the Megillah Reading, the Megillah is rolled together since it is not respectful to keep the Megillah open after the reading. Before the Reading, the Megillah was folded in the form of a letter, because it is referred to as an 'Iggeret,' a letter. When the Megillah is read before women, the first brachah is changed. Since women are obligated only to hear the Megillah read, but not to read it themselves, the word 'lishmoa' (to hear) is used, instead of 'al mikra Megillah' ['over the Reading of the Megillah']. In Sephardic communities, there was an earlier “Pesak” by the Ben Ish Chai, that the Megillah is read for women without a “Berachah.” However, there has been a more recent “Pesak” by Rav Ovadiah Yosef, that the Megillah is read for women with the same “Berachah” – “al Mikra Megillah,” that is recited when the Megillah is read for men. Sephardic communities are divided as to which “Pesak” they follow.
The Festive Purim Meal
Seudat Purim
It is a Mitzvah to have a sumptuous meal on Purim, including meat and wine.
This meal is held during the day. If one holds it at night, he fails to fulfill his obligation. Nevertheless, after the reading of the Megillah on the night of the 14th [in 'unwalled cities'], or on the night of the 15th after the Megillah Reading [in 'walled cities'], one's meal should be somewhat more festive than usual. One should wear festival clothing and rejoice.
The main Purim meal is held Purim afternoon and is preceded by Minchah. The meal is extended into the night. Most of the meal should, however, be during the day.
When Purim falls on Erev Shabbat, the meal is held early, and is concluded sufficiently before Shabbat for one to be able to partake of the Shabbat meal with a good appetite. Some follow the practice of extending their meal till Shabbat arrives. They then place a Shabbat tablecloth on the table, recite Kiddush, and continue their meal.
The Custom to drink during the Festive meal
The miracle of Purim occurred through wine. Vashti was removed from her throne because of a wine-feast and Esther replaced her. The downfall of Haman was brought about through the wine feasting which Esther held. And through the repentance of the Jews, they expiated their sin in having drunk wine at the feast of Achashverosh
Our Sages of blessed memory, therefore, prescribed the drinking of wine on Purim, and they said: 'A person is obligated to drink on Purim till he no longer knows the difference between 'Cursed-is-Haman,' and 'Blessed-is-Mordechai.'This does not mean, however, excessive drinking of wine so that one might come to levity thereby; or that he might forget the required brachot or prayer. It is sufficient to drink a little more than is his usual habit, and to take a nap. He thereby fulfills the precept of the Sages: For one who sleeps does not know the difference between a curse and blessing Another explanation of the Purim drinking requirement.
The reason for holding the Purim feast towards evening rather than in the morning, as is the case with other 'Seudot Mitzvah', obligatory feasts, Shabbat or Yom Tov, on Shabbat or Yom Tov is that people are busy sending gifts to their friends during the morning hours.
The Gaon of Vilna gave an explanation which is alluded to in the Megillah: The Purim feast is held in memory of the feast held by Esther for Achashverosh and Haman. She held her feast the third day of the fast, two hours before the advent of night. All Israel fasted the full three days and three nights. Esther alone did not fast the entire third day because of the feast. And this matter is alluded to in Esther's words to Mordechai: 'And I and my maidens will also fast thus.' The Hebrew equivalent for 'thus' is 'ken,' and the numerical value of the two letters which comprise the word 'ken,' is seventy. That is to say - 'I will fast only seventy hours, whereas all Israel are to fast seventy-two hours.'
The Significance of the Purim Feast
The Purim Feast is especially significant in that it elevates the soul as it provides pleasure to the body. It is thus stated in the Zohar that on Purim one may accomplish through bodily pleasure, what he can accomplish on Yom Kippur through bodily affliction.
The people of Israel are invested with bodily holiness as well as with spiritual holiness. And it is proper for their physical actions to be sanctified always, and to be done for the sake of G-d alone. As long, however, as AmaIek exists, he corrupts the purity of Israel's actions. When Amalek's power is weakened and he is subjugated, the physical actions of Israel are again purified.
Priorities
'Although it is a Rabbinic precept to eat more fully on Purim, it is preferable for one to extend charity to the poor. For there is no greater joy than to rejoice the hearts of the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, and strangers. And one who rejoices the hearts of these unfortunates is likened to the Divine Presence. As it is said (of God) : (He) 'enlivens the spirit of the lowly, and restores the heart of the downtrodden' (Rambam, Hilchot Megillah Chapter 2).
Mishloach Manot
The Sending of Gifts to One Another
It is obligatory to send a gift which consists of at least two 'portions' to another person. Both men and women are included in this Mitzvah.
Only what is edible or drinkable without further cooking or preparation, is considered a 'portion.' One may therefore send cooked meats or fish, pastry goods, fruit, sweets, wine and other beverages. And it is the more praiseworthy to send portions to as many friends as possible. Even better, however, is to give more gifts to the poor than to friends.
One of the most popular food items that has been used for this Mitzvah isthe Hamentash, a calorific (fattening) concoction consisting of dough shaped into the form of a triangle [with just two possibilities allowed - exactly sixty degrees in each angle or an isosceles right triangle - just kidding!], with filling of various kinds.
Even a poor person is required to fulfill the Mitzvah of 'Mishloach Manot.' If one is unable to do so directly, he may exchange his own food for that of his friend; both of whom would thus fulfill their obligations.
The Mitzvah of Mishloach Manot may not be fulfilled with money, clothing and the like, but only with foods or beverages.
It is proper to send portions sufficient to convey regard for the recipient. One should not send an item so minute as to be worthless in the eyes of the poor.
If at all possible, these 'portions' should be sent by messengers, rather than to be delivered personally. And though it is said of all other mitzvot: 'It is more of a Mitzvah if done personally, than if done through a messenger,' this Mitzvah is different. Since the term, 'Mishloach Manot' (the sending of portions), is the term used in the 'Megillah' the proper procedure for fulfilling the Mitzvah, is to do so by messenger. Nevertheless, if one delivers his Mishloach Manot personally, he still fulfills his obligation.
The Mitzvah of Mishloach Manot should be performed by day.
A mourner is free of the obligation, but some hold that it rests even upon him, except that one in mourning should not send gifts which would be a source of rejoicing.
The Mitzvah of Mishloach Manot and the giving of gifts to the poor, during the days of Purim, are prescribed in order to recall the brotherly love which Mordechai and Esther awoke among all Jews. When there is inner unity among Jews, even the wrongdoers among them become righteous.
Gifts to the Poor
Matanot l'Evyonim
"Acharon, Acharon Chaviv!"
The Last mentioned is the most beloved!
In the Megillah (9:22), where the Mitzvot of Purim are listed, this one is listed last. However, as mentioned above in connection with the "Seudah," the Festive Meal, of Purim, providing monetary support for the poor is probably the most important of all the Mitzvot of Purim. Yet it tends to be minimized. Proper observance of Purim would require the spending of at least as much on this Mitzvah of Purim as on any of its other Mitzvot.
There is a prophetic precept to give at least two gifts to two poor people on Purim; that is, one gift to each. And even a poor person who himself has to ask for Charity, is required to do so. This obligation is fulfilled through any type of gift; whether of money, of food or drink, or even of clothing. One should, however, try to give a substantial gift. For if one gives a gift of money it should be sufficient for the recipient to buy bread weighing at least three eggs. At the very least, however, one must give a pruta or its equivalent value to each of two poor persons.
These gifts should be given by day. It is proper to give the gifts to the poor after the Reading-of-the-Megillah. If one sets aside a tithe, ten percent, from his income for Charity, these gifts should not be included in that amount. If, however, he gives some slight sum from his own funds and wants to add his tithe, he may do so.
If one has set aside money for gifts to the poor on Purim, he may not change their intended purpose and give them to another Charity.
A person cannot free himself, through his gifts to the poor on Purim, from the general obligation of 'Tzedakah' (Charity) which the Torah places upon him. And even a poor person is obligated to fulfill the Mitzvah at least once a year, aside from what he gives to the poor on Purim.
The gifts should be given in sufficient time for the poor to utilize them during Purim - and for their Purim meals. The poor person may do as he wishes with the gifts, however.
The special gifts for the poor which one is required to give for Purim, should not be given earlier, lest the poor partake of them before Purim; in which case the giver will not have fulfilled his obligation (though in any event the general Mitzvah of Tzedakah would apply before Purim.)
One is not strict with the poor on Purim in determining whether they are needy or not. Whoever puts out his hand is to be given a gift. If one fails to find poor persons in his place, he sets the intended gifts aside till he encounters poor people. Women are also obligated to give gifts to the poor on Purim.
When is Purim Observed?
Purim is different from all other Jewish holidays in at least one very interesting aspect. Purim is observed in some places exclusively on the 14th of Adar and in others, exclusively on the 15th (Shushan Purim).
The observance of Purim was thus originally ordained by the Sages: "To observe these days of Purim in their times. 'In their times:' In the specific time of each."
The reason for the different dates designated for the observance of Purim is that the Jews of Shushan originally observed the festival on a different day than the Jews who lived elsewhere. Whereas Jews in Shushan waged war on both the 13th and the 14th of the month, and observed the 15th as a day of festivity and rejoicing, in all other provinces the Jews waged war on the 13th and observed only the 14th as a day of festivity and rejoicing.
Therefore our Sages chose to distinguish between Shushan and all other places in accordance with the original event.
Wishing however, to accord honor to the Land of Israel which then was desolate, they determined as follows: The capital city of Shushan, in which the miracle occurred enjoys special preeminence and the festival is to be observed there on the 15th. This is despite the fact that in the days of Yehoshua, under whose leadership the Jewish People first entered and conquered the Land of Israel, Shushan was not yet surrounded by a wall, and hence enjoyed only minor status as a city.
All other cities which were already settled and were surrounded by walls in the days of Yehoshua, are to be accorded the preeminence of Shushan - although they might presently lack surrounding walls and might be in a state of ruin - and they are to observe Purim the 15th. Cities which were not surrounded by walls in the days of Yehoshua though they may have surrounding walls presently - are not to be accorded the status of Shushan, and they are to observe the festival on the 14th.
What then is the criterion for judging the status of a city?
The condition of the city during the days of Yehoshua. That is to say, walled cities either found by Yehoshua in the Land of Israel, or built with walls in his time, are assured of eternal existence. Their present destruction is viewed as passing. Cities outside the Land of Israel - though they later acquired the status of walled cities - are not regarded as assured of permanent existence.
Therefore the Purim which is observed on the 14th is called 'Purim-of-the-open-cities;' (Purim De'Prazot) and the Purim observed on the 15th is named the 'Purim-of-the-walled-cities' (Purim De'Mukafot).
In our times, the only city besides Shushan in which Purim is observed the 15th of Adar is Jerusalem, "Yerushalayim."
In a number of other places, the Megillah is also read the 15th - but only because of doubt. In these communities, the essential observance of Purim is fixed for the 14th, and though the Reading of the Megillah is repeated in them the 15th as well, the required brachah which precedes the Megilah-Reading, is not recited.
PURIM KATAN - Little Purim
On a leap year when, according to the Hebrew calendar there are two months of Adar, I and II, Purim is observed for two days in Adar II, which is followed by Nissan. However, the 14th and 15th of Adar A on a leap year are traditionally called "Little Purim". On these days also one is supposed to celebrate, is forbidden to mourn or fast and omits certain prayers.
"TRIPLE PURIM"
Sometimes Purim falls on a Friday, therefore making the next day, Shabbat, Shushan Purim. However, it is forbidden to read the Megilla on Shabbat, and of course, Shabbat cannot be postponed because of Purim.
For Jerusalem and other walled cities, the procedure is as follows:
“Mikra Megillah” is done on Thursday night and Friday morning, as in the “open” cities; “Matanot La-Evyonim” are given on Friday.
The reading of “Parashat Amalek” and the insertion of “Al HaNisim” into the “Shemoneh Esray” and the “Birchat HaMazon” are done on Shabbat, their regular Purim in ordinary years.
“Seudat Purim” is served and “Mishloach Manot” are exchanged on Sunday, the sixteenth of Adar.
Thus, the holiday is felt and marked in Jerusalem for three days, and therefore Purim in such a year is called “Purim MeShulash,” Triple Purim.
Other Purim(s)
Learning from the Purim experience, a custom has evolved for Jewish communities to celebrate the anniversary of their escape from destruction. These special communal Purims are also called 'Purim Katan.'
This is a day of rejoicing, feasting and the distribution of gifts which Jewish communities, families, or even individuals set aside in commemoration of a miraculous event through which they were rescued from catastrophe or destruction or from evil and oppressive edicts.
There are such festivities which are established for a definite period of years and others which are to continue through all the generations. These were called "Second Purim" and an effort was made to celebrate them like the first Purim following the pattern which Mordecai and Esther established for all the generations.
In honour of the Second Purim special megillot were written and read in the synagogue on that day in the cantillation of the Book of Esther (the megillot of the Purim of Castile, of Saragossa and of the Casablanca Hitler). Poets composed special poems on the pattern of "On account of the miracles" to be said during the "Amidah" (Shmona Esreh) and as part of the grace after meals (Purim of Candea, of Carpentras, France, and others). In other places they would recite the Hallel during the morning prayers as is done on Hanuka and the first day of the month even though the Hallel is not said on Purim.
The number, both in the Diaspora and in the Land of Israel during foreign rule, comes to hundreds. Many have been forgotten or have disappeared in the course of time, and others are recalled only in community annals and in history books.
Sometimes such a Second Purim was even established on a day of national mourning if the redemption occurred on that day; thus Purim of Candea falls on the 18th of Tammuz (1538) even though Tammuz is a month of mourning according to Jewish tradition. The Purim of Ibrahim Pasha on the first day of Av (when festivities are reduced to a minimum) commemorates the miracle by which the Jews of Hebron were rescued from the army of Ibrahim Pasha. And there are others.
Sometimes a Second Purim is established on a holiday without qualms about mixing celebrations: For example, the Purim of Ancona (Italy, 1740), on the second day of Succoth, the Second Purim of the community of Carpentras (France, 1651) on the eighth day of Pesach, when the community was rescued from a blood libel.
At times a Second Purim was established for a family as happened in Vilna where the 16th of Kislev (1803) is called "the Purim of Abraham Danzig". In a nearby military camp there occurred a heavy explosion. Many houses were destroyed and there were many killed and wounded. The house of Rabbi Abraham Danzig, scholar and poet, was in the area of the catastrophe but was undamaged and its occupants unharmed.
In 1629 Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller, the Rabbi of Prague and the author of the famous commentary on the Mishnah, "Tosefet Yom Tov", proclaimed as a Second Purim for his descendants the second day of Rosh Hodesh Adar to commemorate his deliverance from death.
A famous Second Purim is that of Frankfurt-am-Main on the 20th of Adar (1614-15). The baker, Vincent Fettmilch, who called himself the "New Haman", organized attacks on the Jews, who defended themselves. However, after a battle which lasted a full day and night they were forced to surrender and were expelled from the city, despoiled of all their belongings.
After several months the king of Germany learned that a flagrant injustice had been done to the Jews. He commanded that the baker be killed, his house destroyed, his body beheaded, quartered, and hung on the gates of the city.
The story of Vincent Fettmilch's crimes and of his punishment were inscribed in German and Latin on a column erected on the site of his house. The king called upon the Jews of Frankfurt to return to their homes with full honours, accompanied by a military band and with a reception by the local authorities. This Purim the Jews called "Vincent Purim" and they also proclaimed a special fast and penitence. Rabbi Elhanan Ha'elen composed a "Vincent Megillah" in Hebrew and Yiddish.
A "Hitler Purim" was proclaimed by the Jewish community of Casablanca (North Africa) on the 20th of Kislev (1942) because on that day it was saved from the Nazi invaders and their followers. A special Megillah, the "Hitler Megillah", was composed ("...and the month which was turned for us from sorrow to rejoicing and the making of holiday and the giving of gifts to the poor. Cursed be Hitler, cursed be Mussolini... etc...." From the Hitler Megillah).
- Casablanca Purim Katan, celebrated on the 2nd of Kislev, commemorates the Jewish community there being saved from anti-Jewish riots and Nazi occupation in 1943.
- Purim Winz was established by the Jews of Frankfort on the Main (Germany) on the 20th of Adar in 1616, and celebrates the expelled Jews being admitted into the town, as well as the execution of the chief Jew-baiter and anti-Semite, Fettmilch.
- The Jews of Tiberias celebrate a Purim Katan on the 7th of Elul dating from 1743 when they were saved from the danger of war from the surrounding Arab countries and their foreign allies.
- Cairo: called 'Purim Mizrayom,' the Jews of Cairo celebrated the 28th of Adar, 1524, when they were saved from extermination.
Megillat Esther - Introduction
Introduction
Purim is known as the Holiday of the "nes nistar," the "hidden miracle." This is because HaShem saved the Jewish People without splitting any seas, or making mountains dance and catch fire, as he had done with Mt. Sinai, when he gave His Torah to the Jewish People there some thirty three hundred years ago. In the miracle of Purim, nothing that strange happened.
It was rather the way that events were tied together - overheard conversations, the pride of a tyrant that "went before his fall," the sleeplessness of a King, the watchfulness of the King of Kings, that allowed the People to be saved, once they had done "Teshuvah," Repentance, for a sin only alluded to in Megilat Esther.
Megilat Esther is the story of men and women, some very righteous, some terribly wicked, and how they interacted - with the Holy One, the Producer and Director of the Play, Who miraculously allows freedom of choice, watching from behind the scenes.
The End of the Babylonian Empire
In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 5, we find the scene of the last Babylonian ruler, Belshazzar, the son of Nevuchadnezzar, at the center of a party. The purpose of the great feast is to celebrate the abandonment of the Jewish People by their G-d. For the Prophet Yirmiyahu had prophesied that the Jewish People would be in Exile in Babylonia for seventy years, following which they would be redeemed. Belshazzar had calculated the seventy years, he thought, and no redemption had come for the Jews. Hence he thought it safe to take out the vessels that were taken from the Temple by his father, and they could be used and abused by the party-goers.
Then a hand had appeared and had written upon a wall the enigmatic phrase "Mene Mene, Tekel Upharsin." Not one of his magicians or advisors had been able to read, let alone decipher those words. But Belshazzar's wife had reminded him of the presence in the palace of a Jew from the Captivity of Judea, Daniel, who was able to interpret things that were above the comprehension of other men. Daniel was summoned and told him that the words were a message from the L-rd that the time of the Kingdom of Babylonia had ended. And indeed, that night, there was an invasion by the Persians and Medes, and Belshazzar was slain. Persia and Media were the new ruling nations of the World, and Darius the Mede was the first King of the new Empire.
Why we wear disguises on Purim
The custom to wear disguises on Purim in general is based on G-d's hiding His identity in the Megillah of Esther. The salvation of the Jewish People seems to be accomplished through the actions of people alone, and G-d's Name doesn't appear once.
The custom to wear disguises on Purim and to appear as non-Jews is related to our father Yaakov's wearing of Esav's clothes when he received the blessings that were due him. It is as if we announce that just as Yaakov only had the outer appearance of Esav, but was inwardly holy and pure, so are all appearances of evil in Israel only external, and inwardly we remain a holy people.
This custom has also been related to a verse in the Torah: 'And I shall surely hide My face on that day,' on which the Rabbis comment: 'Where does the Torah allude to Esther?' It is said (Dvarim 31) : V'Anochi haster astir panai...' (And I will surely hide My face...' 'haster' = 'to hide' - and 'haster' and 'Esther' are phonetically alike). From this we learn that hiding one's face is proper on the day of Esther.
Israel and Amalek are two extremes in the history of the nations. They are furthest apart from each other, but as is sometimes the case with extremes, at times they seem similar to each other. It is the way of Esav, and of Amalek his descendant, to disguise himself in garments which are not his; to talk smoothly, to pretend to be pious and just, while inwardly harboring only evil, deception and cunning. You thus find it said of Esav: 'For there is hunt in his mouth.' His mouth and his heart are not equal.
The same trait, but totally inverted, is found among the righteous of Israel. You thus find of David, King of Israel, that he appears like a sinner, whereas in truth he excelled in piety. The same trait characterized our father Yaakov, whose righteousness was so much concealed from all eyes, that even his father Yitzchak failed to recognize his true self until Rivkah revealed his hidden traits and caused the blessings to be given to Yaakov who alone was worthy of them.
Background of the Hamentash
Jewish Tradition has it that the Hamentash, being similar to a three-cornered hat, is the kind of hat that "Haman HaRasha," the wicked Haman, wore. But why do we wear the hat of our great enemy? Of one who wanted to destroy our People?
Because Purim is the Holiday of "V'Nahapoch hu," of Topsy Turvy and Upside Down, of evil plans falling upon their plotters' heads. It is the Holiday which shows our enemies with their high and mighty plans for world domination, for being Number 1, winding up at the bottom of the list!
Of Haman wanting to ride on the King's horse, in the King's robes and crown, pulling Mordechai through the streets of Shushan on that horse wearing that clothing!
To paraphrase a once-popular tune about a certain Lola, "Whatever Haman wants, Mordechai gets!"
And this is the one Holiday that we are permitted to laugh at our enemies! To mock them and to make up funny plays about them! As it says in "Mishlei"/Proverbs 3:34, "As concerning mockers, He will mock them."
When the mighty general Sisera was killed by a woman, Yael, Devorah the Judge and Prophetess sang about that event, "…so may they be destroyed, all the enemies of Hashem! And as for those who love Him, may they be like the sun rising in its glory!" ("Shoftim"/Judges 5:31)
On this Holiday of Purim, we show our faith in Hashem that the bigger our enemies, the harder will they fall! "Utzu etzah, V'Tufar, Daberu Davar V'lo Yakum, Ki Imanu E-l," "Make your plans; they will be nullified - Hold your conferences of hate against us, and all your plans will not succeed; for Hashem is with us!"
“Ad D’lo Yada” - “Until one Cannot Distinguish”
The Talmud makes the following unusual statement regarding the required festive meal of Purim: "A person must drink until he cannot tell the difference between 'Cursed be Haman' and 'Blessed be Mordechai.' " This is usually understood to mean that a person should drink until he reaches a level of intoxication such that he can no longer distinguish between Haman, the arch-villain of the Purim events and Mordechai, one of the two heroes. This would be a radical departure from the normal Jewish practice of self-control and of maintaining the ability to make crucial distinctions, such as between good and evil.
Clearly, however, it is possible to interpret the quoted statement of the Talmud very differently. The requirement is not to drink to the point where one can no longer distinguish between Haman and Mordechai, between evil and good; rather, it is that one must drink until one cannot distinguish between "Cursed be Haman," the destruction of evil, and "Blessed be Mordechai," the reward of the righteous. Both the destruction of evil and the enhancement of the good shift the moral balance of the world towards the side of the good. Thus, it is not at all a trivial distinction that the Talmud is pointing to.
It means also to say that the Jew's obligation on Purim is to use the spiritually elevating quality of wine to rise to a high level of trust in G-d. This level is such that it becomes possible to see in the various circumstances which together resulted in the downfall of Haman, and of other wicked oppressors in our past, the Hand of G-d acting from behind the scenes. And He does this, although His Name is not mentioned once in the Megillah, nor have we seen clear-cut interventions by G-d in human history for a long time, for the purpose of bringing about the salvation and survival of the Jewish People.
“Al HaNisim” Section for Purim
With great brevity, and without going into the details of the "nes nistar," the "hidden miracle" which Hashem performed for the Jewish People, against the backdrop of the conspiracy and intrigue of the Persian royal palace, using "coincidence" and exquisitely fortuitous timing, the text of the Purim "Al HaNisim" recounts the evil plan of Haman. (This hiddenness is, incidentally, why the name of G-d appears nowhere in Megillat Esther, and why masquerade, the hiding of one's identity, is popular on Purim.)
Haman's burning desire was to physically destroy the entire Jewish People, from the young to the old, women and children, in one day selected by lottery, the thirteenth of the Hebrew month of Adar.
But Hashem turned the tables on him, a reversal of fortune which is indeed one of the themes of Purim, and provided him with his just desserts. Instead of watching his nemesis, Mordechai, hang from the gallows which he'd personally erected, he and his ten sons were hanged together from that very same gallows.
The text is as follows:
In the Days of Mordechai and Esther, in Shushan, the capital, when Haman, the wicked, rose up against them and sought to destroy, to slay, and to exterminate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, on the same day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions; But You, in Your abundant mercy, nullified his counsel and frustrated his intention and caused his design to return upon his own head and they hanged him and his sons on the gallows.
Speaking of tables, one of the required mitzvot on Purim is the "Seudat Purim," the Festive Meal of Purim. Since this meal is obligatory on Purim, so is its Bircat HaMazon. Therefore, if one forgets to say 'Al HaNisim' in the Bircat HaMazon, the Grace after Meals has to be repeated, together with its 'Al HaNisim.'
Others are of the opinion that one is not required to repeat the 'Al HaNisim,' because it is the drinking of wine, rather than the feast itself, which is the essential ingredient of Seudat Purim, and 'Al HaNisim' is not recited over wine.
Purim is Forever
Our Sages teach that when the Messiah arrives the festivals will cease to be observed, but Purim will continue to be observed. The Midrash (Mishlei 9) derives this unusual conclusion from a statement in Megillat Esther, (9:28) "the memory of Purim will never cease from among their descendants." Why should a relatively minor festival be observed forever while the basic and more significant festivals will no longer be needed? The following analogy will help explain this extraordinarily puzzling rabbinic teaching:
Two individuals were given an assignment: Identify your friends in the black of night. One was supplied with a flashlight. He identified his friends by shining light in their faces. The second did not receive a flashlight. He was compelled to identify his friends by listening to their voices and the sound of their walk. The first did a far superior job. Seeing people's faces is far more effective than listening to their distant conversation or walk at night. But the second person developed a unique talent. By learning to train his ears and to listen attentively, he developed a special sensitivity, born of his concentrated listening.
When the sun rose in the morning, the first person extinguished his flashlight. What value is there to a small light in the glare of sunlight? The second individual, however, had developed the talent of recognizing people even when he couldn't see them. He had acquired the ability to recognize people in the dark. This talent, which he developed and perfected during that long and dark night remained with him during the next day, and the next.
During a leap year, there are two months of Adar in the Jewish calendar, Adar I and Adar 11. Usually, halacha insists that we observe a commandment at the earliest moment available, but Purim is an exception. Here, the law mandates that we celebrate Purim and read the Megilla of Esther on the second Adar (Talmud: Megilla 6:2). Why? We want to make a point of the relationship between the redemption of Purim and the redemption from Egypt. Just as the redemption from Egypt is dominated by the word Anochi, "I am the Lord your G-d who took you out of the Land of Egypt", the redemption of Purim is also dominated by the 'word Anochi, "I am the Lord who will surely conceal" (Devarim 31:18). Anochi Haster Asteer.
The Talmud asks, "how do we derive Esther from the Torah" (what are -the roots of Esther in the Torah)? despite the fact that Esther lived many generations later? The Talmud replies: in the Torah it says (Devarim 31:18) Anochi haster asteer, I am the Lord who will surely conceal. " ("asteer" " I will hide, is written with the same letters as Esther).
What lesson do we derive from the two Anochis? That the Jewish people possesses two methods by which to identify and recognize G-d. The first is the Anochi of the Exodus. I am the Lord your G-d. " I performed public miracles when I brought you out of Egypt and gave you the Torah. This Anochi can be compared to the person who identified his friends by using a flashlight. There is a second way to recognize G-d. The ability of the Jewish people to recognize G-d's Anochi I am" when He is concealed bespeaks a unique talent, the ability to identify and understand the ongoing redemption of haster asteer, I will surely hide and conceal. " The presence of G-d's hand in human events even when it is not evident, perceived or obvious is similar to the special talent of the person who trained his ears to recognize friends at night by listening to their voices and sounds.
What conclusion does this lead us to? When the night of exile will be banished by the rising sun of the Messiah, when the presence of G-d, the Redeemer will shine in all its strength and glory, this presence will be so glaring and obvious that we will no longer require the lights provided by our holidays to perceive the guiding hand of G-d in historical events. At that time the light of G-dliness will be seven times more powerful than the light of the sun. And then the festivals with which the Jewish people felt the presence of G-d's guiding hand through great historical events will no longer be required. At that time, the holidays, all of which are rooted in the Exodus, Zecher Le'yetsiat Mitzrayim, will pale when exposed to the glare of the light of redemption.
However, there is one exception. The special talent acquired by the Jewish people, enabling them to recognize the hand of G-d's guiding providence when G-d's hand was concealed will remain their eternal possession even after the sun of the redemption will rise. At that time all of the holidays will pale, except for Purim, "whose remembrance will never be forgotten. "
We see that there exist two types of light. The first is, " G-d is my light," and the second is, "Though I sit in darkness, G-d is my light" (Micah 7:8) The special quality of Purim is its ability to bring to the fore the light which breaks through the darkness. Just as that unique light which guides man through darkness has a unique advantage, even surpassing the normal light of the sun, so, too, the pearls of knowledge which shine through the "not knowing" of the ad de lo yoda of Purim, are especially precious.
Translator's Conclusion:
Pesach is the holiday of spring, the first holiday of the first month of the year. As the plants break through the cold barren earth, as the rays of spring warm the ground and cast away the cold, the heart is stirred by feelings of redemption. When a year has two Adars, Purim takes place at the end of the year. Purim is the last holiday - and must occur on the last month of the year. All attempts to destroy the Jewish people will end with the banishment of the darkness of exile.
The moment Purim departs we prepare for the new year by studying the laws of Pesach. Our Rabbis taught, "When Adar arrives we begin to increase our joy." We rejoice in the knowledge that our enemies have been subdued, that the exile has ended. Pesach is coming. It is a prelude to the great redemption which will witness the rebirth and regeneration of the Jewish people as it rejoices in the arrival of the King Messiah.
The Evils of Wine & Drugs
When the Jew celebrates, a glass of wine is almost always close at hand: Kiddush, Havdala, the Passover Seder, Purim, and every wedding ceremony and Brit Milah. Wine serves as the symbol of our sanctity, of freedom, of Divinely inspired victories, of the greatest, most joyous moments of our past, and of our dreams for the future. Wine has always held an honored, obligatory, almost irreplaceable, place in our culture. Yet, over the ages, how often did one hear of a Jewish drunkard!
Who, more than the Jew, could better have justified drowning the sorrows and torments of life in a glass of alcohol? Yet the Jew of yesteryear rarely indulged in such a luxury. Even today, with alcoholism rampant in American society, with the Jew exposed no less than any other American to the temptations of drink and drugs, the Kiddush wine seems to protect its celebrants rather than enticing them into the vicious, all-too-familiar, alcoholic spiral of self destruction. People rarely have become drunk on Kiddush.
Is there a hidden charm in the Kiddush wine? Or does the Kiddush itself contain the magic that fends off the dangers of the wine used in its celebration?
Perhaps the very pedestal on which we have placed wine inspires the Jew to raise wine from the gutters to which alcoholism would doom it.
Wine is far more than a drink. In its power to loosen restraints, it clarifies the contrast between man’s inner self and his external reality. As the premier product of earthly bounty, wine represents the pursuit of pleasure – both earthly and heavenly. And in wine’s ability to induce forgetfulness, it confronts the ever-present tension between pain and suffering on the one hand and the human need for happiness and comfort on the other.
Can we deny that there are times when a small measure of forgetfulness is good? Aren’t there times when the routines of life seem to bog us down and a drop of refined pleasure would raise our spirits; or when we find our rational minds too limited and restrained, while a measure of freedom would enable us to soar to greater intellectual and spiritual heights?
Yes. But it must be a measure: too little and we accomplish nothing; too much and we do more harm than good. A precise balance must be found between the forces of joy, pleasure, and freedom embodied in wine and the reality and rationalism that exist outside of wine.
Perhaps the magic of the Kiddush lies precisely in its ability to balance the drink of wine and the message of the Kiddush, to enable the Jew to balance the forces symbolized by wine with the forces of rational reasoned pursuits symbolized by the kiddush. Perhaps, in a deeper sense, this knowledge has enabled the Jew to negotiate safely the contradictions of his existence, the sorrow and joys, tragedies and victories that are often the catalyst that brings people to hopelessness, thereby leading them to drink. The Jew, with an understanding built on Kiddush, has been able to face all and yet maintain his equilibrium, his hope, and his dreams.
Shoshanat Yaakov
At the conclusion of the Megillah reading both at night and in the morning on Purim we say a prayer called “Shoshanat Yaakov” – “The Rose of Jacob”. This small paragraph reiterates the conclusion of Megillat Esther as well as restates the who’s who of the “heroes and villains” of the Purim story.
As you would expect, the prayer refers to Mordechai the righteous and Haman the wicked as well as Esther the heroine and the vicious Vashti. The final phrase mentions a less famous character in the Purim story-Charvona.“And Charvona should be remembered for the good.”
Who was this Charvona????
In chapter7- verse 9- Haman’s world comes crashing speedily towards the ground. King Achashverosh explodes with rage against the Haman for a variety of reasons. Firstly Esther openly accuses Haman of attempting to destroy her people- the people of Israel, next- Haman is seen lying on the sofa too close to Queen Esther,… and at this telling moment Charvona chimes in the right tone of voice, “ and Haman built a gallows to hang your trustworthy servant Mordechai”. It was the final straw. Achashverosh immediately orders the execution of Haman.
What a great story!! But who was Charvona??
The Ibn Ezra comments on the verse and explains that Charvona may have been Eliyahu Hanavi- the man who always comes to our rescue whenever we need him. He comes to every Brit Milah-Circumcision and every Passover Seder table.
The question is why does he appear as a common soldier in the royal court of Achashverosh? Perhaps the lesson here is that G-d has many messengers that he sends to us on a regular basis. The problem is our antennas aren’t always tuned in to recognize them. Everybody thought that Charvona was just another Persian soldier; but he was Eliyahu Hanavi.
This lesson is very fitting for the holiday of Purim, which is characterized as a holiday of “covered” miracles. In fact, it is intriguing that in the entire Megillat Esther G-d’s name is not mentioned even once! This symbolizes the character of the holiday of Purim and what we can be gained from it. We need to keep our eyes open for all of the Charvonas out there and pay attention to the messages they bring.
May we all extract a little bit of the spiritual electricity of Purim and ignite the rest of the year with it.
Purim and Yom kePurim
"Rava said: One is required to become intoxicated on Purim until the point that he cannot differentiate between 'Cursed be Haman' and 'Blessed be Mordechai.'" (Gemara Megillah 7b) Why is inebriation halachically mandated? Do other forms of celebration not suffice to express our joy at the salvation precipitated by the nes of Purim?
The story of Purim is unique in that each segment of the tale appears to be a coincidence which is unrelated to the balance of the narrative. God's name does not appear in the text, and the miraculous nature of Purim is only detected by piecing together all of the events and realizing that the each occurrence was a purposeful piece in God's puzzle for bringing Bnei Yisroel near to Him and saving them. The miracle of Purim occurred via Hester Panim, which means that Hashem interacted with the world in a hidden, imperceptible manner. (The custom to adorn masks and costumes (see Remo in Shulchan Aruch O.Ch. 696:8) bears recognition of this state of affairs, for we celebrate God's salvation of Hester Panim, in which His hand is outstretched but hidden from view.)
In the same vein may we understand the halachah of drinking on Purim. The Gemara in Sanhedrin explains that one's inner essence is externalized as a result of intoxication. Inebriation reminds us that one can appear to be a certain way on the outside, whereas that same person is totally different internally, when his true essence is perceived behind his "mask". Thus, by merrying through the medium of drink, we, too, celebrate and recognize once more God's nes via Hester Panim.
The Arizal stated that Yom Kippur is related to Purim ["Yom kePurim" - "A day like Purim"]. On Yom Kippur, we return to Hashem and are represented by the Kohen Gadol, who enters the Kodesh Ha-Kodoshim - the most inner sanctum of holiness - which is removed and off-limits from day-to-day life. We shed our material shell and identify ourselves as malachim - angels - relating to God via our inner essence, our neshamah. This is the parallel of Yom Kippur and Purim, for the teshuvah of Purim and Yom Kippur necessitate our realization that our inner, spiritual, Godly selves be recognized and flourish beyond our exterior facade so as to draw near to God.
On an halachic note: The Gemara (Megillah 7b), the Rambam (Hilchos Megillah 2:15 ) and the Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 695:2) rule that drinking on Purim is a halachah of the seudas Purim. It is thus clear that those who drink large quantities at night after the Megillah is read as well as on Purim day before the seudah and following it are acting quite inappropriately, as their drunkenness is not in the context of mitzvah performance and is not condoned.
Parshat Zachor
The Mishnah Berurah (O.C. 685:1:1) explains in the name of rabbinic authorities that Parshas Zachor is read on the Shabbos prior to Purim because of the exhortation to eliminate Amalek, from which Haman stemmed, and to relate the mitzvah of obliterating the memory of Amalek to its execution on Purim during the days of Mordechai and Esther. Is there a deeper understanding behind this rationale for the relationhsip between Parshas Zachor and Purim?
Rashi (on Devarim 25:17) comments that Amalek represents "mikreh" - coincidence. That is, Amalek personifies denial of Hashem's existence and interaction with the universe, positing that all which occurs is due to coincidence and happenstance, rather than due to God's will and planning.
As I explained in greater detail in the dvar Torah about drinking on Purim, a major theme of Purim is the recognition that God controls all - even though we cannot perceive His hand in the course of events as they unfold. That which seems to be natural coincidence is really Hashem's hashgacha - providence - and Purim demonstrates how this hashgacha works in a world without open miracles, which are reserved only for periods in which the Beis Ha-Mikdash stands and God's glory is dramatically manifest. Thus, although things would seem to be quite natural in the present state, Hashem operates from behind the scenes in the mode of "Hester Panim" ["Hidden Visage"], still fully controlling all according to His master plan, with His hand "pulling the strings" of life, despite our inability to see it directly.
Whereas Amalek argues that the course of life and history are arbitrary (for we cannot often directly perceive Hashem's involvement, as in the days of Mordechai and Esther as well as today), Purim enthusiastically counters that all is part of Hashem's perfectly-planned scheme and it affirms His continued interaction from behind the scenes. This is the connection between Parshas Zachor and Purim.
The Book of Esther
There is a puzzling statement by one of the most famous Rabbis, and experts in Kabbalah (Jewish mystical knowledge), of the last millenium, Rabbi Isaac Luria (known as the Ari’zal), who lived in the middle 1500’s in the beautiful city of Safed (Tzfat), in Israel. Commenting on the Jewish festival of Purim (which begins this Monday evening, March 17th, and continues until Tuesday evening), Rabbi Luria said that it has greater holiness and sanctity…than Yom Kippur!
Yes, you read that right. What many Jews consider to be a very minor holiday, a masquerade primarily for children or a Jewish version of Mardi Gras (an excuse for drunken revelry, that is), is actually, according to Rabbi Luria, an extremely sacred and holy occasion. In a certain respect, he claims, it even overshadows our Day of Atonement! And this despite the fact that Yom Kippur derives from the Torah itself, while the observance of Purim, commemorating the salvation of the Jewish people from the evil designs of Haman, advisor to the King of the Persian empire (and spiritual ancestor of Adolf Hitler) in the fourth century, B.C.E., was a much later enactment of our rabbinic Sages, as described in the oral tradition (Talmud).
What was the Ari’zal talking about?
The full answer would require a whole course of study…but here’s a little taste of what he meant.
The Torah teaches us that there are two primary emotions that propel us in our (lifelong) spiritual journey to elevate ourselves, and grow closer to our Creator. One is awe (yir’ah, in Hebrew), and the other is love (ahavah). Both are necessary, since G-d is both our "Father" and our "King." He is simultaneously very close to us (always providing our needs, hearing our prayers, guiding our progress) and, yet, very separate and removed from us (the Eternal One, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Whose essence is far beyond our ability to grasp). Love draws us close, in joy and gratitude, while awe keeps us from becoming too cozy, if you will, with a Supreme Being Who gave us our lives and entrusted us with the responsibility (and free will) to live them in accordance with His guidelines.
Our great teachers tell us that although both emotions are necessary, the "higher" one on the spiritual scale is love, ahavah. On Yom Kippur, we approach G-d primarily through awe, by trembling before Him and sincerely beseeching Him to help us improve ourselves and achieve atonement (forgiveness and spiritual purification) for our transgressions. On Purim, we approach G-d through an overwhelming outpouring of love, by rejoicing before Him and thanking Him for delivering us from extermination. Love leads to greater closeness to G-d, to greater holiness, than does awe! What’s more, the concept of holiness in Judaism is generally not to divorce from the physical pleasures of life (the path G-d tells us to adopt on the day of Yom Kippur), but to sanctify and elevate those pleasures, to use them in serving G-d with joy. This we do on Purim, by eating and even drinking (though not by acting like animals), in true holiness before G-d, letting our physical bodies delight along with our souls.
And our rejoicing is done ideally with the help of wine (though it’s no sin to break out the Jack Daniel’s too), because wine, specifically, helps us remember the miraculous deliverance recorded in the Megilla. The story begins with a (fateful) wine party, and wine plays a crucial part at other junctures in the story. Note, however, that despite what the adolescent in us would like to believe, the Sages never decreed that we should get drunk on Purim. Rather, the mitzvah is to rejoice with food and wine, to reach a state of such happiness with G-d’s miraculous salvations that we can’t discern which is a greater revelation of His glory in the world: the elevation of the righteous ["blessed is Mordechai"], or the downfall of the wicked ["cursed is Haman"]. Both are seen to be the hand of G-d! We reach a level of joy such that all we see is the good that Hashem does, even if it is through the agency of the wicked, their temporary successes, and their eventual downfall.
Crucially, we rejoice on Purim together with our fellow Jews, and the observances of the day are meant to increase our feeling of love and brotherhood with them. [The four main observances are: gathering to read the Book of Esther, sending portions of food to at least other Jewish person, giving special gifts of charity to our fellow Jews, and having a Purim se’udah, or feast.] On Purim, we realize that we must come close to G-d collectively through our shared experience, destiny and mission to be a "holy people" and a "light unto the nations."
We see now that Purim is quite a lot more than St. Patrick’s Day, which coincidentally (or not so) is today, Purim eve. (Observant Jews, in fact, are fasting right now, as the day preceding Purim is known as The Fast of Esther, and commemorates, in the opinion of some commentators, the three, day fast that Esther called for, prior to her appearing before the King to ask mercy for her people.)
Purim is a day of great closeness to G-d, a day of unbounded love between Him and the Jewish people, when our prayers (if we can squeeze them in amidst all the commotion) can achieve very powerful effects. In fact, many great sages have pointedly urged us not to squander the opportunity, and to make time to pour out our hearts in prayer to G-d on this sacred day.
I don’t think we need any reminders that our prayers are needed at the present time, as awesome things are happening in the world right now. I’m not sure what the ultimate heavenly calculation is, but it’s surely no coincidence that President Bush will address the nation tonight…ON THE FEAST OF PURIM!! Could this (finally!) be the final chapter in the downfall of a modern-day evildoer, who if not exactly like Haman, nonetheless styles himself after Nebuchadnezzar, the destroyer of the First Temple?!! Whatever will ensue in the coming days, we can take heart in one of the messages of Purim: if we turn back to G-d with all our hearts, and do teshuva, then darkness will be transformed to light, and mourning to celebration. "The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor." (Esther: 8, 16)
May we all have a very joyous, memorable and HOLY Purim! And may we be twirling our groggers next year in Jerusalem…
Megillat Esther - Part I
The Beginning of the Megilah - Another Feast!
The Megilah begins by informing us that its historical context is the Persia-Media of King Achashverosh, who then ruled over the Empire. That MegillahEmpire encompassed one hundred twenty seven states and provinces (definitely not to be confused with the one hundred twenty seven righteous years of our Mother, Sarah); in effect, the entire (more-or-less) civilized world at that time.
Achashverosh is making a feast for all of his Kingdom, and for the same reason that the unfortunate Belshazzar made one! Again, Achashverosh has done his homework, and is convinced that Yirmiyahu's seventy years are by now certainly over (wrong again!).
Actually, there are two reasons for Achashverosh's feast. The most important one is to celebrate the supposed abandonment of the Jewish People by their G-d.
The second reason for the feast has to do with the fact that he wants to keep his population, especially the most powerful members of it, including the army, its officers and all the princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses, etc., happy. For, the Midrash tells us, Achashverosh is not of "royal blood." Rather, he has come to power through a revolution. Therefore, he is never totally sure of himself in his role as King. His wife, Vashti, the Queen, is however a genuine "blue-blood," being from the House of Nevuchadnetzar, King of Babylon, and World Conqueror, as she does not hesitate to remind her husband, as we shall see.
Also on the guest list are the Jewish People. Achashverosh goes all out to make them comfortable; he has "glatt kosher" meat, under impeccable "hashgachah," perhaps under the "OU" of the time. The Jews, on the other hand, have weighed their options. A beautiful catering hall, great food, terrific smorgasbord, and the King's probably correct in his calculations. They feel a little queasy about celebrating with vessels from the Temple not only on display, but in use. But the majority of them have come.
And it is their presence at a feast celebrating their abandonment and mocking their Temple that, according to the Midrash, has made them guilty of treason against G-d, and therefore candidates for destruction!
"Also Queen Vashti Made a Feast for the Women"
The Tale (Tail(?)) Continues
Not to be outdone, Queen Vashti made a feast for the women of the Kingdom. Her purpose was to show off her great beauty, since she had been one of the most beautiful women in the world. But HaShem spoiled her party. She developed a full-blown case of leprosy. Others say she actually grew a tail!
These blemishes were appropriate punishments for Vashti, for her abuse of her captive Jewish girls. She had made them work for her on Shabbat completely naked, thus greatly offending them from the point of view that they would have to violate the Shabbat, and also by preventing them from practicing the characteristic of "tzniut," modesty, which was a major part of their life-style. So HaShem punished her "Midah K'neged Midah," "Measure for Measure," by not allowing her to make a display of her "pritzut," her total immodesty.
"Bring Vashti the Queen,�, with (only) the Royal Crown"
Her predicament became worse. On the "seventh day," the Shabbat, Achashverosh, now totally drunk, demanded that Vashti appear before him and his guests. Of course, in her present state, Vashti refused, not out of a sense of modesty, but out of a sense of embarrassment over her appearance. Not only did Vashti not come - she also sent the King an insult - "Who was he, just a commoner, to tell her royal self what to do?"
This had never happened before! No one, certainly not the queen, had ever been summoned to come before the King, and refused. What a humiliation! One of the King's advisors, named "Memuchan" in the Megilah, but identified in the Midrash as none other than Haman, suggests that Vashti should be severely punished. Not only has she made a fool of the King before all his royal guests, but soon the story will spread across the Kingdom, that wives don't have to obey their husbands any longer!
To prevent this scandal from becoming public knowledge, Vashti should be given a taste of the King's "justice." Never more should she be allowed to come before the King! And, in those days, that usually meant that poor Vashti would lose her head.
(We see that Haman already has his eye on the throne and is out to remove all obstacles, such as the queen, from his path.)
The King issued a royal proclamation to the effect that there would be no change in the relationship between husbands and wives as a result of the unfortunate and misguided behavior of Queen Vashti. Husbands would continue to "rule in their castles," be they shoemakers or Kings, and wives would remain in their obedient status, OR ELSE!
The Contest for a New Queen
Enter Esther
It was not long after the unfortunate demise of Queen Vashti that Achashverosh felt lonely for a new queen. Of course his advisors were ready with a solution - to stage a contest - a combination of a "Miss Persia"-style beauty pageant, combined with a search for a girl with true royal qualities.
At this point, the Megilah introduces us to Mordechai, a descendant of Shaul, the first King of Israel, a member of the "Sanhedrin," the Jewish Supreme Court, and a recent exile from Yerushalayim. He raised the young Esther, who had lost both her parents. Taking note of Esther's great beauty and fearing that she would be snatched up in the contest of what was originally supposed only to include unmarried women, Mordechai married his young niece.
There was a frantic search throughout the Empire, from India to Ethiopia, for this gem of a girl who possessed both great beauty and royal qualities. Many candidates were quite interested and were brought to Shushan for their one-night tryout with the King. Each was given their choice of clothing, cosmetics, music, entertainment, you-name-it, but the King was still unsatisfied. When the search was enlarged to include married women, they came to Mordechai's home, and were immediately struck by Esther's beauty and character.
Mordechai realized that this strange occurrence must be an act of HaShem, to place a Jewess inside the palace, close to the King. He didn't know yet from what direction the danger would be coming, but he felt confident that HaShem was creating the "refuah," the healing, before administering the harmful blow. He spoke at great length with Esther about this thought, and she finally consented to go with the King's men, although her first reaction was to refuse, and be killed.
Esther asked only for the minimum requirements, which were readily supplied her because everyone who saw her was taken by her charm. Achashverosh was delighted with her, and Esther was crowned the new Queen of Persia and Media, and a Feast was proclaimed in her honor.
Bigsan and Seresh, Some Bodyguards!
Life had returned to normal in the palace, but Mordechai was getting more and more anxious about Esther. It happened one day, when Mordechai was in the royal courtyard, which he had access to as one of the heads of the Jewish community, that he heard two voices. The voices were soft, but not soft enough, considering what they were talking about! These were two men of the King's security staff, in highly trusted positions, plotting the assassination of the King!
They were a province at the far end of the Empire, Tarsis, where they spoke in a language which most people had never heard of, much less understood. That was why they were not nervous about being overheard. But Mordechai was a member of the "Sanhedrin," each member of which was required to speak seventy languages, including the language of Tarsis. He heard the details of the plot, which involved poisoning the King in just a few days. He quickly requested a private audience with the Queen, Esther, and told her of the plot. The Queen told the King about the plot that night, in the name of Mordechai. The plotters were apprehended, hung from the gallows (trials were considered wasteful of tax-payers' money in ancient Persia), and the details of the plot and its aftermath were recorded in the Chronicles of the King.
The Rise of Haman
Due to Haman's usefulness in the matter of Vashti, and his general aggressive and persistent requests for promotion (and generally, making a nuisance of himself), Haman was given the promotion that he had been seeking. Thus, in the short-term, Haman could be considered fortunate; although, in the long-term, his head would be raised in the manner of the Chief Baker of the Pharaoh in Egypt as part of the celebration of the Birthday of the Pharaoh.
He was appointed to the second-most-powerful office in the land, assistant King, which he interpreted as equivalent to god, and everybody was ordered to bow down to him as he rode by in the streets of Shushan, or wherever Haman traveled in the great empire. But there was one dissident, who refused to bow down to Haman. That was Mordechai, who bowed to no one but HaShem.
"Guide for the Perplexed"
Perplexed by the behavior of this one bearded individual, who was steadfast in refusing to bow before him, Haman demanded that palace officials investigate the matter. These officials determined the family background of Mordechai and spoke at length with him, endeavoring to find out why he was disobeying this simple command of the King. But for Mordechai, it wasn't even a question - in his Religion, Judaism, there was no provision for bowing before anyone or anything but HaShem, the true G-d.
When he received this information, Haman went from "perplexed" to "apoplectic;" for in his family tradition, there was little love for Jews. King Shaul had wiped out almost his entire nation at the command of HaShem, sparing only the King of Amalek, Agag, from whom Haman was a direct descendant. Of course, there had been good reason for that; namely, that his people represented, and taught, the ideal of "absolute evil," and the possibility of frustrating G-d's purpose in creating the human race, but Haman was proud of that! Who else could say that they represented absolute "anything," except perhaps the Jews, whose ideal was absolute holiness and obedience to HaShem and His Torah.
Haman determined that he was going to return the "favor" to the Jews, and exterminate the entire nation, not just Mordechai, down to the last woman and child!
Chorus: (from a half-remembered children's song about Purim)
"Oh, once there was a wicked, wicked man,
HamentashenAnd Haman was his name, sir!
He would have murdered all the Jews,
Though they were not to blame, sir!"
"Oh today we'll merry, merry be,
Oh today we'll merry, merry be,
Oh today we'll merry, merry be -
And 'nasch' some hamantaschen!"
The Persian State Lottery - the "Pur" (of "Purim")
Haman, ever superstitious, decided to use a Lottery to determine the date of the "Great Execution." And the Lot fell on the merry month (later, anyway) of Adar. He then approached the King with these diabolical words, "There is one nation scattered and separated among the nations in all the provinces of your Kingdom, and their laws are different from those of every other nation, and the King's laws they do not observe, and it is not worthwhile for the King to leave them alone."
"The Removal of the Ring"
Now that's a very strange statement coming from the mouth of Haman, "It's not worthwhile for the King to leave them alone"!? After all, why not leave them alone? Who were the Jews bothering?
In any case, Haman proceeded to offer ten thousand talents of silver from his own treasury to Achashverosh for the purpose of funding the operational aspects of his "Solution to the Jewish Problem." By his next gesture, Achashverosh demonstrated that then, as now, "money talks."
Achashverosh removed the signet ring from his finger, and gave it to Haman, making him the "Lord of the Ring." With it, Haman could authorize "Royal Proclamations" as he pleased. Because this ring controlled millions of bloodthirsty Persian and Median swords, the truth is evident of the statement we find, "The removal of the ring of Achashverosh had more effect on Israel (in terms of moving them in the direction of "Teshuvah," Repentance) than the sixty prophets who prophesied in the time of Eliyahu" (Eichah Rabati, 4:25). Although ironically, it was the disobeying of the prophecies that led to the removal of the ring.
The date is now set: the thirteenth of Adar. On that day, our haters wish to destroy the entire nation of Israel, G-d Forbid. At first, it boggles the mind. Even the Nazis, may their names be erased, needed several years to inflict the damage that they did to our People, and they used "High Technology." How could an entire nation be destroyed in a single day?
But the answer is simple. The Nazis operated more-or-less out of the public eye. They didn't publicize the concentration camps, the gas chambers, the crematoria. But in the case of Persia and Media, the entire population of the empire of Achashverosh was to be involved in the bloody work. And everywhere, the Jews were a minority, defenseless without the help of the One Above.
Chorus:
"Oh once there was a wicked, wicked man,
And Haman was his name, sir!
He would have murdered all the Jews,
Though they were not to blame, sir!"
"Oh today we'll merry, merry be,
Oh today we'll merry, merry be,
Oh today we'll merry, merry be -
And 'nasch' some hamantaschen!"
Mordechai's Request
Through his channels, Mordechai knew of what had happened in the palace, the agreement between Achashverosh and Haman about how to deal with the Jews. But he also knew something more important - which he had been told in a dream - that the Heavenly Court had ruled in favor of Haman. Because the Jewish People had derived enjoyment from the Feast of Achashverosh, and worshipped idols time after time, and would not learn the perilous nature of its ways.
He tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went into deep mourning. He went into the heart of Shushan and cried out with a great and bitter cry. Esther heard about the mourning of Mordechai and of his greatly altered appearance, and anxiously sent word to find out what the problem was. Mordechai thought, "This must be why HaShem put Esther in the palace." He informed Esther of the bad news and requested that she go immediately to the King and ask him to rescind the proclamation that spelled disaster for the Jews.
Esther responded initially that even she, the Queen, could not just walk into the chambers of the King uninvited. The Law of the Persian Court was that anyone who did so, for whom the King did not extend his golden scepter to him or her, had forfeited their life.
To which Mordechai responded with the immortal charge, "�Do not imagine to yourself that you will escape in the King's house from your responsibility to the Jewish People. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and salvation will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish; and who knows whether it was not just for this purpose that you were elevated to the palace?"
Esther Rises to the Occasion
That was enough for Esther to hear. Now she and Mordechai would act as a team, and try to raise their fellow Jews to fast and do "Teshuvah," Repentance, before HaShem. She said that she and her maidservants would fast for three days, and she asked Mordechai to organize a "Ta'anit Tzibbur," a public fast, in her behalf, to invoke more "Rachamim," from the Father of Mercy. "U-vechen, "And so, I shall come to the King, though it is not according to the law, and if I must perish, then I will perish." (Esther 4:16)
Megillat Esther - Part II
PART II - The Golden Scepter
On the third day of her fast, Esther donned her royal robes; according to the Midrash, it was the Holy Spirit that clothed her. She stood facing the throne. "The ball is now in the court," as they say, of Achashverosh. His is the next great decision. The Talmud in Masechet Megila discusses the personality of Achashverosh, as to the question, "Was he a wise King or was he a foolish King?" It seems clear from his next move that at least here he acted wisely. For otherwise, the story of Purim would be very different, and it would be clear to the Talmud that he was nothing but a wicked tyrant.
Achashverosh extended the golden scepter to Esther and she approached the throne. He asked her, "What is your request, Queen Esther? You may request until half of my Kingdom, and your request will be granted."
What did Achashverosh mean by his enigmatic expression, "up until half of my Kingdom?" RASHI suggests two possibilities, beginning with the Midrashic. According to the Midrash, the reference is to "something that is in the middle and at the center of the Kingdom;" namely, the "Beit HaMikdash," the Holy Temple. Achashverosh, according to this view, was refusing to grant permission for the Jewish People to rebuild the Temple, but there is a problem with this interpretation:
The King didn't yet know that Esther was Jewish; therefore, why would he think
that she was coming to request his permission for what was purely (not really, but according to his limited understanding) a Jewish interest?
The other interpretation is according to the plain meaning, the "P'shat," of the text. That his response was the response of a King in love with his Queen, and indeed ready to grant her, in a revolutionary departure from male-dominated practices in ancient (and modern) Persia/Iran, up to half of his Kingdom, actually sharing the Kingdom with her.
Esther's Request
Esther must have thought long and hard during the days of her fasting about what she would ask Achashverosh in order to accomplish her double objective of saving her People from the immediate danger, and to get rid of the danger that threatened them in the future as long as Haman and his family were alive.
She could not have helped but notice that Haman could scarcely conceal his tremendous ambition for the throne, and that he fancied himself a ladies' man. She intended to use these two aspects of his personality against him.
She therefore answered the King, "My request is that the King and Haman join me in my chambers for a feast of wine." As soon as she said this, she saw the early signs of jealousy and fear in Achashverosh's eyes. "I also plan to reveal to you my nationality and royal origins at the feast of wine," she continued. The smile of pleasure at hearing that his request to know the nationality of the Queen, and her royal origins, would finally be revealed, enabled him to partially conceal those negative emotions as they played across his face. His voice did not betray him either as he said, "Anything you wish, your Royal Highness." When Esther had left, he commanded one of his lackeys, "Get Haman immediately and bring him to Esther's feast."
The first feast went well enough, but Esther didn't feel quite ready yet to spring her trap. So that when the King asked her, "What is your request, Queen Esther, and what is your petition? I'll give you up to half of my Kingdom," Esther played for time, and asked that there be another feast.
Haman's Transition
When Haman left Esther's first feast, he was in a very upbeat mood. But he did a quick about-face. The Megilah says it this way, "And Haman went out on that day joyful and with a glad heart, but upon Haman's seeing Mordechai at the King's gate, that he did not rise nor stir before him, then Haman became filled with anger at Mordechai." (Esther 5:9)
When Haman reached his home, in order to assure himself of his greatness, which Mordechai's non-recognition seemed to open to question, he gathered his family and closest friends around him. He recited before them all the reasons that he was listed in the "Who's Who of Persia-Media?" and his most recent accomplishment, that Esther had invited him, and only him, oh yes, the King was also invited, to a feast that she was making.
But Haman said that all his accomplishments and all his possessions were "gor-nischt," as long as the Jew Mordechai didn't show him respect! Then Zeresh, his "ezer k'negdo," the woman who was supposed to be his helper, made a suggestion that seemed helpful at the time: "Let them construct a gallows, fifty "amot" (approximately 75-100 feet high, and that Haman should get up early in the morning, and suggest to the King that this upstart Mordechai be hung upon it. Once you do that, Zeresh concluded, you'll be able to go to Esther's feast in a happy mood (unless Zeresh herself, jealous of Esther, was trying to rid herself of Haman). In any case, Haman liked the idea and ordered the construction of the gallows be undertaken (oops! a bad word for Haman, in view of who would actually inaugurate the gallows into full operation, but that's for the future), immediately.
The Turning Point
"On that night, the King's sleep went a-wandering" Esther 6:1), perhaps because of Esther's unusual invitation of Haman to what he'd assumed would be a private get-together between himself and the Queen. He was afraid not only of losing Esther to Haman, but also of losing his head in a coup. Specifically, he was afraid that someone had once done him a favor, and he had not repaid his benefactor. So he called for the reading of the Chronicles of the Kingdom of Persia and Media.
The reading began with some items that didn't seem relevant, such as the number of sweaters worn in the Kingdom during the three previous winters, but then came an item that made Achashverosh sit up with a start! Mordechai the Jew had reported a plot on the King's life to Queen Esther, who had relayed the information to Achashverosh. The plotters had been summarily hung, but nothing at all had been done for Mordechai!
The King tried to think of an appropriate reward: perhaps a hundred maidens, or thirty thousand camels, but somehow nothing he could think of seemed appropriate for the pious Jew. He needed advice, and quickly. Hearing the steps of someone running, he called out, "Who's in the courtyard?"
And, lo and behold, Haman "just happened" to be in the courtyard, rushing to the King to request permission to hang Mordechai, as the first victim of the new gallows that he had had constructed in his backyard next to the children's swings. As Haman entered the throne-room, before he had a chance to pose his request, Achashverosh asked, "What should be done for the person whom the King wishes to honor?" (Esther 6:6)
Surprised by the query, Haman soon regained his composure, and formulated a response, based on the obvious assumption that the King meant him. After all, whom else could the King possibly wish to honor? So he let his fantasies run wild! He said, "For the man whom the King wishes to honor, let them bring royal attire which the King has worn, and a horse upon which the king has ridden, and the royal crown that was placed on the King's head." (Esther 6:7-8)
"And let the clothing and the horse be given into the hand of one of the King's Princes, and let him clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him lead the fortunate person on the horse through the broad streets of the city, and let him proclaim before the honoree, "Thus shall be done for the man whom the King wishes to honor.' " (Esther, 6:9)
The First Fall
The King, well aware of Haman's vaulting ambition and jealously suspicious of his intentions regarding Esther, and knowing quite well his hatred for Mordechai, now delivers the first blow to Haman as an unwitting "messenger" of HaShem. The King said to Haman, "Make haste, take the attire and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordechai the Jew who sits at the King's gate; let nothing fall from all that you have said." (Esther, 6:10)
With nearly complete humiliation, Haman gives that honor to Mordechai. Haman returns to his home in "mourning and great embarrassment" and receives some more uplifting advice from Zeresh, "If Mordechai, before you have begun to fall, is a Jew, know that you will not prevail against him, but you will surely continue to fall before him." (Esther, 6:13) While they were still speaking, officers of the King arrived to take Haman, willy-nilly, to Esther's feast.
Esther's Second Feast
And so the King and Haman came to drink with Esther, the Queen. The King, by now quite impatient, and more than slightly inebriated, asked again, "�Queen Esther, what is your request? I will give you up to half the Kingdom!" (Esther, 7:1-2)
And now, Esther was ready to respond, "If I've found favor in your eyes,�, grant my life as my request, and my people as my petition. For we have been sold, myself and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain and to be annihilated; and if we had been sold into slavery, I would have remained silent, but the enemy is not concerned with the damage done to the King." (Esther, 7:3-4)
Hearing this, Achashverosh went into a fury, and asked, "Who is this enemy, and where is he, whose heart has emboldened him to do this? (Esther 7:5) And Esther pointed directly at Haman and said, "�this is the enemy, this wicked Haman! (Esther, 7:5-6)
Chorus:
Oh, once there was a wicked, wicked man!
And Haman was his name, sir.
He would have murdered all the Jews!
Though they were not to blame, sir.
Oh today, we'll merry, merry be!
Oh today, we'll merry, merry be!
Oh today, we'll merry, merry be!
And "nasch" some hamantaschen!
And the King rose in his fury, and stepped out into the palace garden, and Haman rose to beg for mercy from Queen Esther, but he slipped, or tripped or, according to the Midrash, was pushed by an angel, and fell onto Esther's couch. The King, returning from the garden, took in this lovely scene of Haman sprawled on Esther's couch, and said menacingly, "Do you dare force the Queen, with me in the house?" When those words came out of the King's mouth, Haman realized that he was utterly lost, and his face went deathly white with terror!" (Esther, 7:7-8)
And now came the advice that fell upon Haman with the full force of poetic justice, from the mouth of Charvona, one of the King's advisors, "Haman has said that he made a gallows in order to hang Mordechai. But the King has decided to honor Mordechai. Let us not disappoint the gallows - let Haman be hung from it." (Esther 7:9-10)
The Ring Changes Hands Again
Now Esther begged Achashverosh to rescind the decree concerning the Jews, "for how can I bear to see the evil that will befall my nation, and how can I bear to see the annihilation of my people?" (Esther, 8:10) But Achashverosh answered that the decrees of the King of Persia and Media could not be rescinded. But he did agree to transfer to Esther and to Mordechai, for Esther had revealed her connection to Mordechai the Jew, the signet ring that was given to Haman, and for them to issue decrees that would in effect counteract the original decrees.
Thus, decrees went out to all the one hundred twenty seven states and provinces of the Kingdom of Achashverosh that were a mirror image of the original decrees, but with a role reversal. For now, the Jews throughout the Kingdom were legally empowered to "assemble and to stand up for their lives; to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate every force of any nation or province that would attack them, and to take booty as well, on one day, in all the provinces of the King Achashverosh, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month,,, which is the month of Adar." (Esther, 8:11-12)
Mordechai now was raised by Achashverosh to the level that was formerly Haman's. "And Mordechai went forth from before the King, in royal attire of blue wool and white�" (the same colors as the modern State of Israel) "�and a large gold crown and a cloak of fine linen and purple wool; and the City of Shushan shouted and rejoiced. For the Jews there was light and joy, and happiness and honor. And in every province, and in every city, wherever the King's command and his law would reach, there was joy and happiness for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many of the people of the land were converting to Judaism, for fear of the Jews had fallen upon them." (Esther, 8:15-17)
Thus the effect of the original Amalek, who is described in the Torah as "And he did not fear G-d," (Devarim 25:18) nor the People of G-d, and that was his essence, and the lesson he taught the nations. That lesson was now reversed.
"And it was turned around"
"And on that thirteenth day of Adar, on the day that that the enemies of the Jews hoped to rule over them, it was turned around, that the Jews would rule - they over their foes." (Esther 9:11)
The ten sons of Haman were hung on the same gallows as their father (Esther 9:7), and the Jews were triumphant in Shushan, the Capital City, and everywhere throughout the Kingdom. And everywhere they triumphed over theirmenemies and, although it was permitted, nowhere did they take from the spoils of war (Esther, 9:10,14,16)
In the provinces, the battles took place on the thirteenth, and the victory celebrations took place on the fourteenth. In Shushan, the battle was a two-day affair, possibly because of the presence there of a Persian version of the "Republican Guard," and the victory celebrations were on the fifteenth of Adar. Therefore, Purim in most places is celebrated on the fourteenth of Adar; in ancient walled cities, such as Jerusalem and Shushan (more specifically, those cities that had walls in the time of Yehoshua bin Nun), it is celebrated on the fifteenth of Adar.
Eternal Purim
So Mordechai and Esther moved to make Purim an eternal part of the Jewish calendar. Because the Jews had done "Teshuvah," they had repented and "accepted again what they had begun to do" (Esther 9:23), they set themselves again on the proper course as HaShem's emissaries and witnesses in the world. The holiday was called Purim, because "Pur" means "lottery," and it was by a lottery that Haman determined the date to carry out his evil plan, and it was on that date that his plans were overturned.
Purim turned the month of Adar "from sorrow to joy, and from a time of mourning to a holiday" (Esther, 9:22). The new holiday was comprised of "days of 'mishte v'simchah,' 'feasting and joy,' 'mishloach manot ish le-re'ehu," sending portions of food from one to the other, and last and most important, "matanot la-evyonim," presents of money to the poor, so that they too could enjoy a joyous Purim.
"The Jews confirmed and took upon themselves and upon their descendants, and upon all who would join them, that it should not be revoked, to keep these two days,�, every year. And these days should be mentioned and kept in every generation, by every family, in every province and city. And these days of Purim shall not pass from among the Jews, and their memory should not cease from their descendants." (Esther, 9:27-28)
Every Day Purim - Every Night Kippurim
THE BA'ALEI HAKABALAH discovered mystical associations and parallels between Purim and Yom Kippurim. The initial kaf in Kippurim indicates that Yom Kippurim is a "day like Purim," What a strange association! To think that the awesome Yom Kippur is in any way similar to the joyous and boisterous Purim! To imagine that the most solemn and serious day of the year is similar to the most raucous and frivolous day! In what way does Yom Kippur resemble Purim? What did the mystics really mean? Rabbi Soloveitchik found two similarities between these two days which only superficially are really very different. He says, "Perhaps the feature common to both Purim and Yom Kippur is that aspect of Purim which is a call for Divine compassion and intercession, a mood of petition arising out of great distress." On Yom Kippur too, "the prayerful mood of Yom Kippur emerges out of a sense of spiritual anxiety and the desperate need for reconciliation with God."
But this great human dependence upon God, synonymous with the very fabric of Purim and intertwined with the essence of Yom Kippur, is even more readily apparent in the second similarity pointed out by the Rav. Both Purim and Yom Kippur "involve the casting of lots (goral) characteristic of games of chance. As for the Purim goral it determined the date chosen by Haman for the destruction of the Jews." For the Yom Kippur Temple service, two male goats, identical in appearance, size, and value, were brought, one marked "unto the Lord," and the other was hurled to its destruction. How was it decided which shall live and which shall die? Rashi describes the fateful casting of lots:
He placed one goat at his right and the other at his left. He then put both his hands into an urn and took one lot in his right hand and the other in his left. These he placed on them. The goat upon which fell the lot bearing the inscription Lashem was for the Lord, and that bearing for Azazel was later sent forth to Azazel (Rashi, Lev. 16:8).
What then is the similarity between the pur, the goral of Purim and the casting of lots on Yom Kippur? Both point to man's basic condition of vulnerability, insecurity, and fickleness. The whole Purim story is filled with unreasonable, absurd, irrational events. One day Jews are secure in Persia; the next day they face destruction. One day Mordechai faces execution, the next day he is Prime Minister. Haman's conspiracy against the Jews emanates from nowhere. Thus, he needs to draw lots when to kill them. There's no rational reason or event leading to the execution. "Purim, therefore," the Rav explains, "epitomizes the instability, uncertainty, and vulnerability which characterize human life generally but particularly govern the destiny of the Jews. . . . It alerts the Jew to the sudden turns of fortune, lurking dangers, the fickleness of life, even as the goral itself seems to operate through blind chance."
Why does man sin? Why do two brothers, twins perhaps, or two youngsters brought up in the same community, turn out so different, one a tzadik, the other a rasha? Pressures, temptations, lures of intoxicating pleasures, appeals of political and social ideologies, home background, lack of moral instruction or inspiration, changing fortunes, pressing circumstances-these and more are all part of human vulnerability, acknowledged by God while at the same time forgiven by Him.
Yes, they are twins, but the difference in environment affected their personalities. So many chance circumstances affect the direction of life. So much of what one ultimately becomes is a goral which propels one in various directions. "It is because of this," says the Rav, "that man can stand before the Heavenly Bar of Justice, hoping for compassion and forgiveness. Despite his free will and accountability for his deeds, man enters his plea before the Almighty, claiming that he is not the author and designer of the worldly pleasures that were too powerful for him to resist." The temptations were all part of the big goral.
Yom Kippur then is very much like Purim. Both involve the Pur-the big goral. All the unknowns, the irrationals of life, portrayed in every fabric of the Purim tapestry on a communal-national level, repeat themselves in the daily routine of everyman's life, thus compelling man to seek God's compassion and forgiveness on Yom Kippur. In a sense everyday is Purim; tumult, confusion, uncertainty, lurking dangers and temptations. Every night is Yom Kippur; regret, sorrow, insecurity, a need for understanding, sensitivity, compassion, and forgiveness.
The very striking similarities, then, between Purim and Yom Kippur are clearly defined by Rabbi Soloveitchik. What has always troubled me however, about the mystics' statement that Purim k'Purim, that Purim is a day like Yom Kippur, is whether they meant that Yom Kippur is similar to Purim, or are Yom Kippur and Purim actually one and the same? The Gaon of Vilna taught that there are two exceptions to the well-known principle that every Yom Tov is devoted half to God and half to our pleasures and enjoyment, chatzi La'Shem V'chatzi lachem. The exceptions, he said, are Yom Kippur, devoted exclusively to matters of God and spirit, and Purim, devoted primarily to physical pleasures, such as mishloach manot and matanot l'evyonim. Whereas on all other holidays we observe mitzvot commanded by God, we pray, read the Torah and study, while at the same time we eat festive meals, make Kiddush, dress beautifully, and share worldly pleasures, Yom Kippur is all spirit and Purim is all pleasure. What happened to the rule of chatzi La'Shem V'chatzi Lachem? Why doesn't it apply on Yom Kippur and Purim? Because, the Gaon says, Purim k'Purim, both of these days are in reality two halves of one day, and on this very unique day composed of half Purim and half Kippurim, indeed we do have chatzi La'Shem vchatzi Lachem. A very deep concept, indeed.
What the Gaon means, I believe, is that Purim is the actualization or realization of Yom Kippurim. Purim is the flesh on the soul of Yom Kippur. Purim is the gashmiyot. Yom Kippur is the ruchantyot. But in this world gashmiyot and ruchantyot must be integrated and synthesized in one being. There are those Jews who live a Yom Kippur existence. They are removed from worldly affairs. They learn, pray, fast, observe, but not much more lest they sin and have to "klap" more Al Chet. They eat minimally. It may not be sufficiently kosher. They drink little. They may become intoxicated. They enjoy little of God's world. They may be enticed and overwhelmed. These all-year-round Yom Kippur Jews have little confidence in their abilities to make it in this physical world. Every night is Kol Nidre night. They go to sleep in their kitel.
On the other hand there are the all-year-round Purim Jews. Their life is one continuous joke. They eat, drink, and are merry. They constantly drown out the soul's demands and expectations with their hand-made groggers. They refuse to remove their masks, so they would be able to find out what the spirit wants. All-year-round Purim Jews can never distinguish between "Blessed be Mordechai" and "Cursed be Haman." Their favorite tune is "A gantz yohr Purim." They sing with rock volume, laugh hysterically, and are too drunk to think rationally.
The truth is, however, as the Gaon put it, that Purim k'Purim means that the normal Jew's goal is to make every Purim partially Kippurim, and to create a partial Purim out of every Kippurim. Judaism expects that we always worship God with Joy-ivdu et Hashem b'simcha. Judaism anticipates a sense of optimism and hope even in the midst of Yom Kippur. Judaism ushers in the ecstasy of Purim with the serenity of the Fast of Esther. Judaism teaches that Yom Kippur begins on the ninth of Tishrei with plenty of food and drink. Judaism expects that the very end of Yom Kippur is the very beginning of building the sukah, the holiday of simchateinu, our joy. Normal Judaism seeks a sense of balance between joy and serenity, between physical pleasure and spiritual eternity. Because we understand the fragility of all physical relationships, because there is no moment of joy without its memory of sadness, because despite personal happiness we live in the midst of universal tragedy, and because we continue to mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple, the conclusion of the public wedding ceremony, the greatest moment of personal joy, is the groom's breaking of a glass, the absolute signal of mourning. While standing under the chupah merging so much joy and hope and love, the groom's head is covered with ashes symbolic of grief, destruction, and mourning.
Purim and Kippurim stand under one roof, embodied in one synthesized and integrated human being, composed of smiles and tears, memories and hopes, anxieties and cheers, body and soul, tuxedo and kitel. After all, the very day of greatest joy, the wedding day, is also a mini-Yom Kippur for every bride and groom. They fast. They recite Al Chet. Their personal Purim is a Yom Kippurim.
The Kotzker Rebbe once told his Chassidim about his son-in-law, the Avnei Nezer. "Do you know why the Rav of Beila, the Avnei Nezer's father, merited to have such a son? It happened on a Purim when all the scholarly and righteous Jews were so deeply involved and engrossed in the Purim seudah that there wasn't one Jew anywhere in the entire world learnin Torah that hour, except the Rav of Beila. This was taken note of in the Heavens, where it was pointed out that if not for him the entire world would have been void of Torah that hour. Therefore, he was rewarded with a son who would shine the world with his Torah holiness."
Purim k'Purim means recognizing Kippurim consequences on Purim and sensing Purim emotions on Kippurim.
Just Say No, Even on Purim
by Kelly Hartog, Staff Writer
Courtesy of The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
Religious groups are protesting drinking on Purim following a rise in teen alcoholism.
One is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until one cannot distinguish between "cursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai" (Talmud, Megillah 7b).
Purim is like the Jewish topsy-turvy day.
Unlike many Jewish holidays, which are marked by serious and meaningful customs like lighting the menorah or holding a seder, Purim's main edict seems to be: have fun.
On the holiday that celebrates the downfall of the evil Haman and the saving of the Jewish people from destruction, adults and children alike dress up in costumes, put on satirical spiels and conclude the holiday by eating a festive meal - and getting drunk.
Now, concern over the rise in teenage alcoholism in the Orthodox community has led some rabbis and organizations to protest this last custom.
This year, the Orthodox Union (OU) and the National Council for Synagogue Youth (NCSY) have produced a brochure aimed specifically at teenagers to combat the issue of drinking on Purim.
The brochure is being distributed to some 10,000 OU synagogues and NCSY chapters throughout the country and can also be downloaded from the NCSY Web site (http://www.ou.org/ncsy).
The two-page pamphlet features cute diagrams printed in wine-colored text. It explodes the idea that you're "supposed" to drink on Purim, and has catchy headlines that include "Breaking News: A nonalcoholic version of wine is now widely available! It's called grape juice."
"Purim in general is an amazing wonderful holiday but a lot of kids take it to excess," said Rabbi Steven Burg, national director of NCSY. "It's important to send a message in this brochure that this is not carte blanche. It's not a Jewish frat party where it's OK to get trashed in this 24-hour period."
Burg said that Purim was chosen to launch the pamphlet because it's a major holiday in the Orthodox community.
"Over the years drinking on the holiday has been taken to excess and I don't even think we realize it," he said.
But combating drinking on Purim is not the end goal of course; it's putting an end to teenage alcoholism and all forms of substance abuse - a trend that's on the rise, say those who work with teenagers.
Some current events have made the problem more pressing. In November 2004, 42 high school kids were arrested for drug and alcohol abuse at a party of a Livingston, N.J., yeshiva student. And, just last month, an Encino boy died from a drug overdose while in yeshiva in Israel, while four others were arrested there on drug dealing charges.
Many in the Orthodox community have recently demanded some institutionwide action against an often hidden problem among kids. And Purim - along with other religious events that encourage drinking - has also come under fire.
Last month, the OU called for an end to Kiddush Clubs - an ever-popular Shabbat morning custom where some synagogue congregants leave services during the haftarah reading for bite to eat and a drink or two.
Despite protests from congregants, some synagogues have taken action. Young Israel of Century City was among the first, sending out a letter to its members to say that a Kiddush Club "sets an inappropriate example for our children," and citing a young man who said the beginning of his substance abuse began as a child with alcohol at his shul's Kiddush Club every Shabbat morning.
Certainly, the rise in substance abuse among teens is not confined to the Orthodox community, but the OU's new task force signifies that the religious community is taking notice.
The whole community is in denial, said Rabbi Mark Borowitz, the founder and director of Beit T'Shuvah, a Jewish rehabilitation house who himself is a recovering alcoholic.
"None of us have wanted to face this problem," he said. "And the OU should really be commended for saying OK, we have this issue and we're not just going to sit around and do nothing."
Borowitz says teenage alcoholism is on the rise across the board.
"Kids are looking for something to get out of themselves and that's always problematic," he said. "As things get worse in the world there's more hopelessness and there's more need to escape."
Burg said that the community's denial of the problem is melting - and that the OU's new anti-drug task force will help. Under the banner of "Safe Homes, Safe Shuls, Safe Schools," the new program will hold meetings, provide educational material and guest speakers throughout the country. In addition, NCSY has posted materials on its Web site discussing the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. There is also a sign-up list for kids to publicly promise to avoid taking drugs and alcohol.
"We want our kids to have a clean, moral life," Burg said. "And we need to bring a heightened awareness to parents to keep their eyes open. Teenagers are not adults. They still need love and a hug and understanding."
Burg, who is hosting 150 teenagers this year at his house, will lead by example: this year he will only serve grape juice.
A Purim Miracle for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Our Way
The mitzvah of hearing Megillat Esther is a requirement of every Jew. Using our Power Point program will facilitate the “inclusion” of our fellow Jews who are deaf or hard of hearing within your community, and allow them to be part of this mitzvah. We would like to make this program available to every synagogue which is interested in including the deaf population into their services.
Our Way/NJCD is proud to offer a power point presentation of Megillat Esther for the deaf and hard of hearing. Developed in Canada by Frank Ducheony of Our Way Montreal, this program is designed to enable the deaf and hard of hearing to follow the Megillah reading and participate in the holiday of Purim.
Here’s how it works: Simply put the disc into the drive in your computer and the program will pop up on the desk top. It can be projected to the front of the synagogue and a hearing person follows along with the Chazzan using the mouse of the computer. Every time the name of Haman is read, the word is clicked and a visual graphic comes up to represent “stamping out the name of Haman”.
This is a fun and engaging program which can be used not only for individuals with hearing loss, but is also useful for the elderly and the visually challenged, and to engage young children.
There is a donation of $100 which would be used to further develop inclusive resources for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Please contact us at 212-613-8127 or jacobb@ou.org to order your copy and for more information.
Message from Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.
To our esteemed rabbis and community leaders:
As you know, I have been alerting the community of the increasing problem of alcohol abuse and marijuana smoking among Jewish adolescents. It is unfortunate that many people still do not accept that some of our own children are involved. This is happening to children from the finest families.
Given the gravity of the problem and the ineffectiveness of prevention programs, the very least we can do is to avoid encouraging intoxication.
Purim is soon upon us, and many people drink to excess because of the mistaken notion that there is a "mitzvah" to get drunk on Purim. Rabbi Shneur Zalman in his Shulchan Aruch (529) says, "It is impossible to serve Hashem either in levity or drunkenness." One of the final authorities on halacha, the Chafetz Chaim in Mishna Berura (695) states clearly that the proper thing to do is not to drink to intoxication, but rather to drink just a bit more than is customary (which would be a glass or two of wine), and go to sleep. This is the proper way to fulfil "not distinguishing between 'cursed be Haman' and 'blessed be Mordechai.' "
There is certainly no justification for drinking anything but wine. Aruch Hashulchan (695) condemns drinking spirits (liquor) in very sharp terms. Alcohol intoxication is an abomination, and overriding the rulings of the Baal Hatanya and the Chafetz Chaim by drinking to intoxication is inexcusable.
Let us use good judgement on Purim. We should set a model for our children by not drinking to excess and by supervising adolescents so that they do not drink. We can all enjoy a safe, respectable Purim.
I invite you to affix your signature below, indicating your agreement and support, and to distribute this letter throughout the community.
Sincerely,
Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.