Lead Tidbit
Shushan Purim on/in Shabbat Jerusalem
There are two separate issues here which taken together make a powerful statement. First we have the split observance of Purim, with "regular" cities observing Purim on the 14th of Adar and walled cities on the 15th. The Megila tells us what happened historically to lead our Sages to the two days of Purim, but we still can ask why they did it. They did not have to. They could have declared Purim to be a one-day festival, or more, without separating walled and unwalled cities onto different days. And although we call the 15th of Adar Shushan Purim, it is NOT in honor of Shushan that we have different days. It is in honor of Yerushalayim.

Mentioned only once in the Megila - as the place from which Mordechai was exiled, it becomes highlighted in Purim observance, even though - or maybe because - it was desolate and in ruin at the time of the Purim story. How can we celebrate anything - including Purim - without placing J'lem above our joy?

The Purim story takes place in Exile - can only have taken place in Exile. And in its aftermath, we were still in Exile. Building the Beit HaMikdash is a pre- and post-Purim theme, and the anticipation of the Geula is the "and we lived happily ever after" that needs to be part of the story and celebration. Jerusalem remains part of the Purim story because it is THE place where Purim is observed on the 15th of Adar. Shushan is long gone; Jerusalem is here to stay. (There are many cities that observe the 15th in addition to the 14th due to doubt, but only Jerusalem is a definite 15th.) Pesach has its L'SHANA HABA'A BIRUSHALAYIM; Purim is observed in Jerusalem on its own day.

The other issue is the ban on Megila reading on Shabbat, which creates the unusual Purim M'shulash we are celebrating this year. We know that the ban (like that on Shofar and Lulav on Shabbat) is to avoid inadvertent violation of Shabbat by someone who would think that it is permissible to carry in an un-Eiruved public domain in order to read/hear the Megila. What would you say is the probability of a Jew who owns a Megila, cannot read it, lives where there is no Eiruv, and who wouldn't know that you can't carry on Shabbat even to facilitate a mitzva? Very low. Chazal did not have to make a ban on Megila on Shabbat, applicable to every Jew regardless of where they live and how knowledgeable they are. But they did. And what it shows us - what we could suggest it was meant to show us - is that the Purim message is subordinate to the message of Shabbat. Shabbat demonstrates and reminds us that G-d created the World and everything in it and continues as Master of the Universe. Megilat Esther and Purim tell us that sometimes G-d functions behind the scenes and maintains His guardianship of the People of Israel. What a mockery it would be to proclaim G-d's presence in Jewish History while doing something, albeit good-intentioned, that inadvertently violates the sign of His Mastery of the World.

Neither Shabbat nor Jerusalem are main "characters" in the Purim story. But both represent a wholeness of Judaism that Purim is but a part of.