Divrei Purim
Little-Known Customs
In his book Purimshpiel, Gadi Pollack mentions several customs which have been practiced on Purim. They include:
Young men make an effigy of Haman and string it up. (Minhag Yisroel Torah 930:3)
Some write the names of Haman and Amalek, and later erase them with liquor. (Sefer ha-Toda’ah 2:45)
The “Jewish Look”
“’And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.’ (Esther 2:15) Rabbi Eliezer says, ‘Everyone thought she was from his own nation.’” [Megillah 13a] Why do Chazal point out Esther’s appearance as the determining factor in others’ opinions of her? What’s more, Achashverous ruled the entire civilized world.. How could Esther look like every nation?
Says Rav Pincus: Just as every person has a unique face (Brachos 10a), every nation has its unique “look.” Chinese look “Chinese,” French look “French,” and Americans look “American.” Even when people move and then marry only among themselves; over time, they and their descendants begin to look more and more like their new neighbors.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no “Jewish” look. We have a choice. Those who nebbuch imitate their host nations begin to resemble them. On the other hand, the more a Jew remains faithful to HaShem’s Torah, the more he or she possesses a special countenance. Just as Adam HaRishon was b’tzelem Elokim, his face reflected G-dliness, so also can that of a Torah Jew.
[We can see this phenomenon simply by gazing at photographs of tzaddikim from different places and generations. Externalities aside, they share a certain glow, a chayn -- tzelem Elokim! What’s more, when a gentile converts and strives to dwell under the wings of the Shechinah, his or her face can actually change, as did that of Onkelos.]
Chazal here are not praising Esther’s looks, but her spiritual accomplishments. Esther, one of the seven prophetesses mentioned in Tanach (Rashi on Megillah 14a), possessed a tzelem Elokim with such intensity that it rivaled that of Adam himself, the ultimate ancestor of all humanity. Therefore, whoever saw Esther saw a hint of his own ancestry and therefore assumed she came from his own nation!
Real “Purim Torah”
Kimu v”Kiblu, a collection of essays on Purim by HaRav Shlomo Brevda shlit”a, is a treasure house of glimpses into the depths of Purim. Among them is the title essay, which, step-by-step, describes a great opportunity accompanying this joyous day. In essence, the better that we fulfill the mitzvos -- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual -- of the day, the more we can energize our own Torah learning, each person on his own level.
How does this connection work? Rav Brevda begins by showing that Purim is not Purim, without Torah. The Mishnah in Megillah (2:3) brings three opinions of which posukim of Megillas Esther are essential for one to hear in order to fulfill his obligation. Rav Brevda notes that all agree that one must hear “kimu v’kiblu” (9:27) which refers to the Jewish people’s accepting the Torah.
He then gives some historical background to kimu v’kiblu. The events of Purim completed a process which had started at Har Sinai. The Gemara (Shabbos 88a) tells us that at that time, Hashem raised the mountain over us and demanded, “Either accept the Torah, or here will be your graves!” We accepted, albeit under duress. The Gemara there adds that in the times of Achashveroush, through the love of the miracles of Purim, we “accepted what we had already fulfilled” (“kimu v’kiblu”). Tosafos there asks, “Didn’t we joyfully shout, ‘na’aseh v’nishmah’ at Har Sinai, willingly accepting the Torah?” The Chasam Sofer answers that over the Written Torah, the Jewish people said, “na’aseh v’nishmah;” but over the Oral Torah, they needed Har Sinai overhead to accept, for that part entailed emunas chachamim, and they were not yet able to completely accept the authority of the Sages.
Their initial hesitation seemed justified; when Mordechai, the gadol of his generation, refused to bow to Haman, he seemingly put the Jewish nation in mortal danger. When Haman fell, however, the people then saw the truth. Mordechai had been correct all along; following the Sages is the right path to take, even if it does not appear that way to our limited vision. Says the Chasam Sofer: kimu v’kiblu naturally followed, with the same enthusiasm as na’aseh v’nishmah, nearly an eon earlier.
Still, the people needed guidance from the Sages to make the most of the miracles. Mordechai and Esther sent “words of peace and truth” (Esther 9:30) to the Jews of 127 provinces – “peace,” of the miracles; and “truth,” that a great opportunity for accessing Hashem’s Torah had arrived.
What miracles did Mordechai and Esther show the people? The “words of peace” demonstrated that Hashem had orchestrated the entire saga of Purim, from beginning to end. For example, He sent malachim to fill one role after the next. Three malachim accompanied and aided Esther when she approached the king; Gavriel rewrote what Shamshai (Haman’s son) had erased from the king’s book of remembrances; a malach redirected Esther’s accusing finger from accidentally pointing at Achashveroush, over to the direction of Haman; malachim dressed as people appeared in the king’s garden, cutting down trees and thereby fanning Achashveroush’s wrath; a malach held Haman down on Esther’s couch long enough for the king to see him and boil over; Eliyahu disguised himself as Charvonah and showed the king the gallows Haman had prepared for Mordechai; and later, when the king intended to speak angrily at Esther over the carnage the Jews had made in Shushan while killing their enemies, a malach came and transformed his words into kindness.
Their “words of truth” instructed the people how to take advantage of the opportunity in Torah. The Jewish people did not merely accept the leadership of the Sages of their day. Living in the midst of perhaps the most hedonistic culture until modern times, they now took on a lifestyle that made the Oral Law more accessible to themselves. The Mishnah in Avos (6:4) tells us that for one to acquire Torah, he must live a modest lifestyle, avoiding frilly luxuries that can dull the spirit. There would be no more feasts of Achashveroush for the nation of Torah.
Hashem replied to the Jewish people, middah-k’neged-middah. Rav Brevda explains that just as there are laws of physical nature, such as gravity and entropy, so also are there laws of spiritual nature, such as yeridas hadoros, that the further in time a generation is from matan Torah, the lower is its understanding of Torah. Suddenly, water flowed uphill; when the Jewish people rejuvenated their toil in the Oral Law, Hashem revealed to them a new level of Torah – secrets of Maaseh Breishis and the ensuing ability to change the natural order -- which only a select few people in previous generations had merited. For example, only Eliyahu and Elisha could revive the dead in their times. Later, the smallest sages of Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi’s time could revive the dead, with less effort than the two neviim. (Avodah Zara 10b)
HaRav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l takes another approach to Purim and Torah. When our ancestors in Persia sinned with Nebuchadnezzar’s statue and Achashverous’s feast, they broke a key connection with Hashem. When they did tshuvah, not only did Hashem reestablish that connection, He actually forged a new bond with His beloved nation. Among the manifestations of this heightened relationship is the day of Purim itself. Just as other yamim tovim carry with them special spiritual aspects, so does Purim.
Every chesed which Hashem bestows upon us carries with it a danger: perhaps it could chas veshalom become the cause for us to rebel against Him. That comfortably-full feeling can actually bring us to a spiritual backfire, as the Torah warns, “And Yeshurun grew fat and kicked.” (Devarim 32:15)
How can Hashem’s goodness actually hurt us? Because it does not come directly from Him, but indirectly, through His world, it can cloud our ability to discern the true Source of goodness. [For example, when picking up a paycheck, we might think that it came from our good relationship with the boss, and not from the A-mighty Himself, utilizing the boss, the company, the customer, and the economy itself, as illusory intermediaries.]
While we can and do shield ourselves by constantly expressing our appreciation to Him (through blessings, for example), the danger still lurks within us.
Therefore, HaShem in His great wisdom sets boundaries to His chesed. We cannot receive His full unfiltered flow of goodness; it would only kill our neshamos.
Torah is one exception. Because the proper learning of Torah comes directly from HaShem Himself, we are able to receive it without any limits. Therefore, He can bestow His endless Torah upon us, as well.
Purim is another exception. We re-experience that renewed bond, and so become deeply attached to HaShem.
How is this connection manifested? During the rest of the year, when a person eats or drinks, he or she becomes subtly attached to this-worldly pleasures, and thereby distanced from HaShem, as explained. On Purim, eating, drinking, and other enjoyments lead to “ad d’lo yada,” an actual separation from this world, in its deeper sense. On this day, they function in the exact same way as Torah does, all year – direct means of coming closer to HaShem Himself.
Purim is an opportunity for everyone to renew his bond to the Torah and to the Sages. May we merit to enter the gates of wisdom that Hashem has opened.
What Teshuva Can Accomplish
In the sixth chapter of Chovos HaLevavos’ Sha’ar HaTeshuva, Rabeinu Bechaya brings four motivating forces – corresponding to four different levels -- that can bring a person to teshuva.
The first and highest, teshuva m’ahava, flows naturally from a person’s recognition of the never-ending bounty of goodness that Hashem pours upon him. When we start to think about the myriad blessings that constantly come upon us and that they are tailor-made for our benefit, and then realize that all is a gift from Hashem, we feel an appreciation and want to express it. Rav Noach Weinberg shlit”a, recommends that a person write down five gifts from Hashem that he possesses, every day. They can be anything from yetzias Mitzrayim to the upcoming Shabbos dessert, and everywhere in between.
The more one practices this program, the more he desires to serve Hashem, the more he will do so, and the more his relationship to his Creator will develop. Hashem in His goodness has specified 613 pathways – the mitzvos – for us to show our gratitude.
The second force comes from mussar. When a person learns Torah or hears tochachah from a chacham or tzaddik, he is reminded of his obligations to Hashem and strives to improve his ways. The Torah, which literally means “instructions for living,” is full of advice to improve our lives and increase out happiness. For example, from a careful reading of Parshas Vayigash, we can learn practical techniques in persuasion from Yehudah’s speech to Yosef. (It worked; Yosef was forced to stop his plans and reveal his true identity.) By learning Torah as a guidebook to life, and by listening to our sages, we are in effect doing teshuva.
The third happens when we see the troubles that come upon those who transgress Hashem’s will. For example, in Sefer Kuzari, Rabbi Yehudah haLevi postulates the “fruit and peel” approach to human history. Just as an orange consists of a fruit, which is kept, and a peel, which is discarded, so also do the Jewish people constantly slough off their weakest members. From the four-fifths of our nation who were lost in one Egyptian night, to the ten tribes lost to Sancheriv, to the Misyavnin, Tzaddukim, and later “movements,” those Jews who slackened in their service to HaShem paid the ultimate penalty – “Va’avdtem ba’goyim” – they were lost into the nations. (See Makos 24a) If a Jew finds himself learning with less enthusiasm than he should, he can remind himself that he has taken a step on the slippery slope that leads to oblivion, and then pull himself back.
The fourth and lowest level of repentance comes as a reaction to one’s own suffering. When we feel any pain – physical, emotional, or spiritual – the first place to look is in the mirror. Some years ago, a very special family was suddenly plagued with accidents. One misfortune followed another. As the wife was being wheeled into the hospital, she shouted to her husband, “Check the mezuzahs!” While the wife’s hunch may or may not have been correct, the act of checking itself was the right move.
How great is the power of
teshuva? HaRav Avigdor Miller zt”l, noted that klal Yisroel merited the miracles
of Purim through their intense teshuva, which came from the impending decree of
destruction. That, he pointed out, was the lowest and least powerful level of
teshuva. Imagine, he said, what incredible force a Jew can wield if he can learn
to do teshuva m’ahava, by appreciating just a few of the endless blessings that
come from Hashem!
Vashti, Revisited
Chazal tell us of Vashti’s foul character. She enjoyed inflicting cruelties upon her victims. For example, the Gemara (Megillah 12b) tells us that from sheer meanness and a desire to pull Jews from Torah, she would force Jewish girls to break Shabbos in a humiliating way.
Hashem does not overlook
a thing; Vashti’s filthy neshamah badly needed a cleansing. The book Seder
HaDoros lists in its comprehensive history the gilgulim, the reincarnations, of
various people throughout the ages. Chazal tell us of a cow which was owned by a
certain Jew. When he rested on Shabbos, so did she. She became so used to her
day off that when the Jew sold her to a non-Jew, she refused to work on Shabbos!
This non-Jew tried his utmost to force her, even beating her, but in spite of
her suffering, she had been so trained to keep Shabbos that she could not budge.
The non-Jew demanded his money back. When the Jew whispered in the cow’s ear that she must now follow her new master’s ways (and the cow seemed to acknowledge), the non-Jew realized: “If a cow, which has no speech and no mind, has recognized its Creator; should I, whom my Maker has created in His Image, not go and recognize him?” He converted and entered yeshiva. Eventually, he became a tremendous rav, one of the Tannaim. His opinion in halacha was often cited. His contemporaries named him Rabbi Yochanan ben Torsa, “the son of the cow,” for that cow had “raised” him into the Jewish nation.
Says the Seder HaDoros: Vashti had been reincarnated as that very cow! Just as she beat Jewish girls into breaking Shabbos, so also was she beaten, because as a cow, she had been trained to keep Shabbos. Middah-k'neged-middah!
Think about it -- the Divine Plan spanned centuries; a wicked queen’s forced tikkun also served as a catalyst to bring a non-Je w to Torah greatness!
Light and Dark
The Gemara (Yuma 29a)
brings the first verse in Tehillim 22 (the perek which Chazal tell us was
uttered by Queen Esther herself as her tefila on the way to see Achachverous):
“Lamnatzeach al ayeles ha’shachar mizmor l’Dovid.” “For the Conductor, on the
ayales hashachar, a psalm by Dovid.” While an “ayales hashachar” literally
translates as a certain musical instrument, the Gemara records: “Rav Asi
explains, Just as the shachar is the end of the night, so the time of Esther was
the time of the end of miracles.”
To Rav Asi, the nighttime refers to the time of miracles; but once the “shachar” rises, i.e. the morning arrives, and the miracles are over. The mefarshim point out that this goes against logic. Miracles, which enlighten us, should be compared to day, not night!
HaRav Yonason Eybeshitz explains Rav Asi. In Yaari Im Divshi (2:1), he declares that we are accustomed to think that witnessing a miracle is in fact a zchus we earn. There is, however, another side.
The Zohar (1:21b) states that a miracle is like a completely new creation by Hashem. In fact, Hashem is so great that a relatively small miracle from Him can be considered even greater, k’v’yachol, than Maaseh Breishis itself.
Therefore, the Gemara in Shabbos (32a) warns us not to request a miracle, for if Hashem grants it, He will subtract from our merits. After all, we are actually asking Hashem to do something greater than creating the universe.
Therefore, Hashem performed the many miracles recorded in Tanach because He saw a great need for them. In those times, the emunah, the belief and the loyalty, of the Jewish people, was not complete. Over and over, they fell into the trap of following the ways of the nations around them. One of the Jewish People’s most prominent mistakes involved worshipping the stars and considering the fortune or “mazal” brought by them to be incontrovertible. To counter this weakness, Hashem made miracles – both inside the Bais HaMikdash and out – which demonstrated that He ruled the world.
Still, eventually the Jews weakened to a point that despite all the miracles, their actions brought about the churban and exile.
Now, says Rav Eybeshitz, we can understand why Haman rejoiced when Adar was chosen by lot to be the planned date fro the destruction of Klal Yisroel. According to the zodiac, not only is that month at the worst mazal for Israel, it is also the most propitious time for Edom/Amalek. The Jews also knew this fact, and the centuries of idolatry which had infected their souls only increased their dread of impending doom.
When the turnabout came with the rise of Mordechai and Esther and the fall of Haman, along with the rise of Yisroel and the fall of Edom/Amalek, the Bnai Yisroel realized that the Jewish nation is not governed by the fortunes of the zodiac. As Chazal tell us, “ain mazal l’Yisroel;” Jews are governed exclusively by their relationship with Hashem, and not the signs of the zodiac. At that point, the Megila tells us “kimu v’kiblu:” we could now accept Hashem’s sovereignty and His Torah with complete faith.
What’s more, the yetzer hara for belief in other powers in the world – like a belief in the power of the zodiac - was broken. When we saw that Hashem exclusively rules the world and can override the mazalos, we no longer had a need for Him to reveal Himself openly through a seeming change in nature by performing miracles.
Therefore, the lack of miracles which we see today is not an indication of our spiritual lowliness, but an expression of our success in developing, keeping, nurturing, and enhancing our emunas Hashem.
As an analogy, one who travels by night needs a light to make sure he has remained on the right path; by day, he is fine without one. Likewise, in olden times we needed miracles to guide us through the darkness of this world. With the dawn’s light during Esther’s time of kimu v’kiblu following the miracles of Purim, we can now stride with confidence, without the need for miracles.
The Gemara (Yerushalmi Megillah 1:5) declares: “At the end of days, all holy writings will be annulled, except for the Chumash and Megillas Esther.” Says HaRav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l, the entire Torah can be divided into these two parts, for the lessons from the rest of Nach – from Yehoshua to Divrei HaYamim – can be readily found in the Torah. What is found in the Megilla that is not obvious in the Torah?
The answer, he says comes from a fundamental difference between Purim and all other holidays. During the rest of the year, the benefits that Klal Yisroel receives from Hashem are generated in some way through our deeds, as cause and effect. For example, because of the zchus avos, and because we kept certain Jewish practices while in Mitzrayim, we merited the miracles of Pesach. Because the Chashmonaim dared to fight the “unbeatable” Greeks, we merited Chanukah. Furthermore, even our daily lives are affected by our deeds. As we say in Krias Shma: “It will be that if you hearken to My Commandments that I command you today . . . then I shall provide rain for your land in its proper time.” (Devarim 11:13) In fact, the Gemara (Yevamos 63a) declares that all world events are somehow linked to the Jewish nation, for “even the ships which travel from France to Spain [far away from the major Jewish settlements of that time] are blessed only because of Klal Yisroel.”
Purim, on the other hand, was not dependant on our actions, but purely by our throwing ourselves on Hashem’s mercy and relying upon His gratuitous intervention.
The difference in Purim is reflected by the exchange between Esther and Mordechai, when she learns of Haman’s plot to exterminate the Jewish nation. At first, Esther sends Mordechai changes of clothing, urging him to stop wearing sackcloth. He refuses and tells her to plead with Achashveroush. She in turn refuses, saying that she has not been summoned to the king. He then answers back, “Do not imagine in you soul that you will be able to escape in the king’s palace any moer than the rest of the Jews. For if you persist in keeping silent at a time like this, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place. And who knows whether it was just for such a time as this that you attained the royal position?” She then changes her mind, agrees with Mordechai, and orders a three-day fast, in essence canceling the upcoming Pesach.
What did they disagree about? Says Rav Pincus: Both agreed that action was needed. Esther thought that the traditional method of hishtadlus – effort and deeds, mitzvohs, to build our zchusim – was warranted. Therefore, Mordechai shouldn’t fast and dress in sackcloth. Rather, he and the rest of the Jews should put on their best Yom Tov clothes and do as many mitzvos as possible; on that zchus, the salvation would come. The Jews would then form a formal delegation, wait for the best time to approach Acashveroush, and then discuss the matter with the king.
Mordechai’s replies and Esther’s final actions indicate a different approach. As the Midrash (Esther Rabbah 7:13) tells us, Mordechai had met Eliayahu, who told him that Haman’s decree was not the real issue; Hashem Himself had decreed destruction upon the Jews! In such an unprecedented situation, our own merits would not suffice. The Jews’ only hope was to arouse Hashem’s mercy. Therefore, Mordechai did not bring together the greatest sages of his era to fast, pray, and learn. Nor did he take advantage of the many mitzvos of Pesach to build a zchus. Instead, he gathered children, who had neither bowed to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, nor had attended Achashveroush’s party, and presented them before Hashem. Furthermore, in such an emergency, waiting for an opportune moment to see the king would not help; Esther had to do what seemed suicidal: barge in upon the king uninvited, then invite him and Haman – of all people – to two parties. Hishtadlus says that one should never allow one’s enemy to be present to defend himself. With the doom already sealed, Esther was hoping for a miracle, as the Gemara (Megillah 15b) relates.
Their desperate plan worked; Hashem rose from His Throne of Justice, sat on His Throne of Mercy, and tore up His decree. The avalanche of Divine mercy had such an effect upon the Jews that “kimu v’kiblu,” they attained incredible closeness to Hashem.
Says Rav Pincus: Now we can understand why we are required to drink until we can no longer comprehend the vast gap between Mordechai and Haman. What is our greatest generator of mitzvos and merits? Our minds! Between learning Torah and developing proper intentions for mitzvohs, our brains play a central role in our Avodas Hashem. On Purim, however, we remind ourselves that sometimes, our minds cannot suffice: we must fall back on pure bitachon, trust in Hashem. There are times when we must realize our limits, throw our burdens before the A-mighty, and await His answer.