{"id":38481,"date":"2016-03-18T14:29:09","date_gmt":"2016-03-18T14:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/?p=38481"},"modified":"2016-09-26T09:14:32","modified_gmt":"2016-09-26T09:14:32","slug":"vnahafoch-hu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/vnahafoch-hu\/","title":{"rendered":"Purim: V\u2019nahafoch Hu"},"content":{"rendered":"

The underlying meaning of v\u2019nahafoch hu<\/em> is that what initially is perceived as a cause is really an effect, and what seems to be an effect is really the cause.<\/p>\n

\"iStock_000017014380_Small\"Haman was hanged on the 17th<\/sup> day of Nissan<\/em> (see Rashi on Megillas Esther 4:17). \u00a0Yet, Mordechai waited until the 23rd<\/sup> of Sivan to send the new royal missives throughout the kingdom (8:9). \u00a0Why? \u00a0Why not send the new letters immediately? \u00a0The Gra explains that one of the reasons for this delay was so that Klal Yisrael would daven for a total of seventy days, corresponding to the seventy years of galus Bavel<\/em>, the end of which they were at (pirush red<\/em>, Megillas Esther 8:9).<\/p>\n

This comment of the Gra, if you really think about it, is astounding in its implications!<\/p>\n

Essentially, Haman\u2019s demise meant the nullification of the death threat on Klal Yisrael. \u00a0Nevertheless, Mordechai wanted them to think that they were still in mortal danger so that they would daven from the depths of their hearts, pouring out their souls to the Ribono shel Olam<\/em>. \u00a0Seventy days of this highest level of tefillah was necessary.<\/p>\n

There were two facets to this necessity of seventy days of tefillah. \u00a0The Gra says that each day of tefillah corresponded to one of the years of galus Bavel<\/em>. \u00a0During those years, there was no avodah<\/em> in the Beis HaMikdash. Tefillah is called avodah she\u2019balev<\/em>, and it functions as a stand-in for avodas ha\u2019korbanos<\/em>. \u00a0The seventy days of tefillah was necessary to make up for the lack of avodah<\/em> in the Beis HaMikdash for seventy years. \u00a0Yom la\u2019shana<\/em>. \u00a0Furthermore, the implication of the Gra\u2019s words is that they needed the zechus<\/em> of this tefillah in order to leave galus Bavel<\/em>, return to Eretz Yisrael, and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash.<\/p>\n

It stands to reason, then, that it was for the sake of these seventy days of tefillah that the whole gezeirah<\/em> of Haman had to happen. \u00a0V\u2019nahafoch hu<\/em>! \u00a0What at first appears to be a circumstantial, ancillary effect of the events that took place \u2013 namely, the teshuva and tefillah of Klal Yisrael in their time of tzarah<\/em> \u2013 was actually the whole cause and reason for all of the events of Purim to begin with!
\nAnother result of the events of Purim was the hadar kibluha b\u2019ahava<\/em> (Shabbos 88a). Because Klal Yisrael was so inspired by the miracle that Hashem did for them, they reaccepted the Torah with love (Rashi ibid). \u00a0Once again, this would seem to be an incidental effect of the events that took place. \u00a0In truth, though, this was a root cause of all the events of Purim.<\/p>\n

There is a famous statement of the Pirkei Heichalos<\/em> that during the time period of the second Beis HaMikdash, HaKadosh Baruch Hu<\/em> opened up the gates of wisdom. \u00a0The primary manner in which this was manifest was throught the development of Torah<\/em> shebaal peh<\/em>. \u00a0It was specifically during the period of Bayis Sheini<\/em> that the full depth and power of Torah<\/em> shebaal peh<\/em> emerged and came to the fore.
\nHowever, there was a serious problem. \u00a0At Matan Torah<\/em>, HaKadosh Baruch Hu<\/em> suspended Har Sinai over Klal Yisrael like a barrel and told them, \u201cIf you accept the Torah, great; and if not, your burial place will be right where you are.\u201d \u00a0Therefore, there was a potential for a moda’ah rabah l\u2019Oraysah<\/em> \u2013 that Klal Yisrael could claim their acceptance is not truly binding since there was a significant element of coercion involved (Shabbos 88a).<\/p>\n

But what, you may ask, with naaseh v\u2019nishma<\/em> – that Klal Yisrael willingly initiated full acceptance of the Torah? \u00a0The Medrash Tanchuma<\/em> on parshas Noach says that Klal Yisrael\u2019s declaration of naaseh v\u2019nishma<\/em> was in reference to Torah shebichtav<\/em>, and the kafah aleihim har k\u2019gigis<\/em> was for Torah<\/em> shebaal peh<\/em>. \u00a0Torah shebaal peh<\/em> is the part of Torah that demands one to put forth great exertion and toil. \u00a0When one begins a sugya<\/em>, he is in the dark. \u00a0It is the part of Torah that requires the most of a person. \u00a0That is why they needed to be coerced, to a certain degree, to accept it.<\/p>\n

Now, at the close of galus Bavel<\/em>, the tekufah<\/em> of Bayis Sheini<\/em> is about to commence. \u00a0The time period which will mark the seminal development of the chachmah<\/em> of Torah shebaal peh<\/em>. \u00a0But that cannot happen so long as the modaah rabah l\u2019Oraysah<\/em> is still around. \u00a0Chochma<\/em> cannot be given to those who are not truly prepared to work on it. \u00a0It was absolutely necessary, therefore, that this modaah rabah<\/em> be nullified. \u00a0This, then, is one of the major reasons that Purim had to happen. \u00a0V\u2019nahafoch hu<\/em>! \u00a0The hadar kibluha b\u2019ahava<\/em> is not an incidental effect of the Purim experience, it is a root cause.<\/p>\n

Chazal tell us that\u00a0HaKadosh\u00a0Baruch Hu<\/em> first puts the mechanism for salvation in place, and only subsequently brings about the tzarah<\/em>. \u00a0Thus, Esther was firmly ensconced in the royal palace before Haman\u2019s horrible decree was issued (Megilla 13b).<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s think about this for a moment. \u00a0What caused Haman\u2019s terrible ire to be roused to the point that he wanted to do away with all of the Jews? \u00a0Of course, it was the fact that Mordechai refused to bow to him. \u00a0Take note, though, of the following words of the pasuk: \u201cAnd all the servants of the king that were stationed at the gate of the king<\/strong><\/em> would kneel and bow to Haman\u2026and Mordechai would not kneel and he would not bow (3:2).\u201d \u00a0It is clear from the pasuk that this requirement for everyone to bow to Haman was only for those stationed b\u2019shaar <\/em>hamelech<\/em>, by the king\u2019s palace, and not in all 127 countries under the dominion of Achashverosh. \u00a0As such, had Mordechai not been at the shaar hamelech<\/em>, the events of Purim would never have taken place! \u00a0And what brought Mordechai to find himself daily at the gate of the king\u2019s palace? \u00a0Esther! \u00a0Because Esther was in the palace, Mordechai frequented there to keep as much of an eye on her as possible. \u00a0It emerges, then, that v\u2019nahafoch hu<\/em>: the refuah<\/em> of Esther being in the palace was itself what caused the makah<\/em>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The underlying meaning of v\u2019nahafoch hu is that what initially is perceived as a cause is really an effect, and what seems to be an effect is really the cause. Haman was hanged on the 17th day of Nissan (see Rashi on Megillas Esther 4:17). \u00a0Yet, Mordechai waited until the 23rd of Sivan to send […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133194,"featured_media":37949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[348],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-purim"],"yoast_head":"\nPurim: V\u2019nahafoch Hu - Jewish Holidays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Haman was hanged on the 17th day of Nissan yet Mordechai waited 70 days to send the new royal missives throughout the kingdom. 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