Purim 5761

(Based on the comments of the S'fas Emes)

There's no getting around it: one of the central lessons of the Book of Esther is that the unity of the Jewish people is the key to our salvation. Big time.  

How does Haman, in proposing his plan of genocide to King Ahasverosh, describe the Jewish people? "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm…" (Esther: 3, 8)  Haman was confident that he could prevail over us precisely because he perceived that we were "dispersed," our hearts divided from each other.  

And indeed, our Sages tell us that it was this internal division that gave rise to the gezera (heavenly decree) in the first place, culminating in the political elevation of Haman.  For when a large number of Jews in Shushan went ahead and participated in the gaudy feast of Ahashverosh (which opens the Book of Esther), despite the strong objections of the great Torah sage and leader, Mordechai, they demonstrated that their hearts and minds were not in tune with their spiritual leaders (and the values they embody), and that they (subtly) desired a greater degree of hischabrus (attachment) to the less-than-holy lifestyle of their Persian neighbors.    

The diagnosis?  A disturbing division between Jew and Jew, and--usually part of the same syndrome--an internal gap between each Jew and his or her ultimate spiritual calling: to serve G-d with all of one's strength as part of a "holy nation." 

In a word, this is the essence of golus--exile--with its physical displacement ("scattered abroad") and its more profound spiritual disconnection ("dispersed").  

G-d responds to the Jewish people "measure for measure."  Our internal "division" manifested itself externally in the meteoric rise of Haman -- descendant of an ancient enemy of Israel, Amalek, whose very name is related to a Hebrew word meaning, "nip off, cut off."  Amalek's purpose: TO DIVIDE.  [The commentaries explain that the mission of Amalek is to "cut off" this world from its spiritual source, to separate the physical world completely from kedushah (holiness)…while the task of the Jewish people is the opposite: to imbue the physical with kedusha, under the direction of the Torah, thereby consecrating everything in this world.]  In the final analysis, we bring our enemies on ourselves. 

Esther understood our condition clearly.  How, after all, does she propose to remedy the grave threat that Haman and his decree represent to her people?  She tells Mordechai: "Go, assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan, and fast for me."   It was the strength of our coming together that reversed the fortunes of Haman.  Aside from the actual fasting and praying we did for three consecutive days (not a trivial matter on its own--72 hours without coffee!), it was the assembly itself--and the willingness to follow the directives of our spiritual leaders which that represented--that turned the tables against Haman.  Only after the spiritual rectification of our assembly, prayer and teshuvah did Esther take the physical initiative to petition the King. 

As the S'fas Emes bluntly puts it, "It was through the power of the assembly and the kehillah (congregation) that the salvation came about."   

And the salvation, in this case, included many goodies: besides the vengeance we were able to wreak against our enemies in the Persian empire (as recorded at the end of the Book of Esther), we were blessed soon after with the ability to complete the Second Temple and enjoy a period of great development of the Oral Law.  Of course, it wasn't too long before sinas chinam (baseless hatred) reared its ugly head again, causing the destruction of the Second Temple.  Er…but let's not focus on that right now, as Purim approaches.  Let's think love, unity, togetherness… SIMCHAH (joy). 

I know what you're thinking.  Or, rather, what I'm thinking.  It's not so easy, this love and togetherness thing; after all, I can be moody…sometimes …and people (yes, EVEN Jewish people) can be difficult….sometimes. How can we really reach this utopian state of collective goodwill? 

Well, the happy news is that on the day of Purim, anyway, it couldn't be easier!  Our Sages gave us special mitzvos, commandments and observances, all of which promote a feeling of brotherhood and unity among the Jewish people: 

1) Coming together as a kehillah (congregation) to hear the Megillah read, evening and morning. 

2) Sending gifts of ready-to-eat food to friends (shalach manos), ideally through a messenger.  [Technically fulfilled by sending two types of food, differing in their respective blessings, to one person…but hey, THE MORE YOU SEND TO MORE OF YOUR FELLOW JEWS, THE MERRIER!] 

3) Giving special gifts of money to the needy.  [Technically fulfilled by two monetary gifts to two different people.  There are wonderful organizations that distribute money to the poor on Purim itself, like Od Yosef Chai; contact your Rabbi to ask about pledging money to them.  You can also designate such monies for poor people, and distribute them at a later time, if you have to.] 

4) Enjoying a festive meal (seudah) during the daytime--and this year, it should begin before noon because of the proximity to Shabbos.  Ideally, the meal is in the company of friends and family, and our Sages encourage us to imbibe more than usual…not for the sake of drunkenness, but to commemorate the miracle of Purim (effected in part through wine) and, more generally, to open (and elevate) our hearts in love for our fellow Jew and for G-d.  Wine should be part of the simchah shel mitzvah--a holy rejoicing in the blessings of the day.  No resemblance to Bourbon Street last week.

May Hashem help us all be VERY religious this Purim--keeping all of its laws and observances to the "T," and imbibing its special spirit (and spirits), so that we may take away from this most holy day a lasting feeling of love and affection for our fellow Jews.  If we really want to see salvation, unity and togetherness are essential…and I do believe Purim is a good place to start. 

HAPPY PURIM!!

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