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לקים עליהם להיות עושים את יום ארבעה עשר לחודש אדר ואת יום חמשה עשר בו בכל שנה ושנה (אסתר ט:כא).

“To celebrate on the fourteenth and fifteenth day of Adar every year” (Esther 9:21).

Why Variant Days?

Purim is a unique holiday! It is the only Yom Tov that depending upon where you live, there is a different day to celebrate. If you live in a city that was walled from the time of Yehoshua or if you live in Yerushalayim, then you celebrate on the fifteenth of Adar. If you live in any other city, your holiday is on the fourteenth. Why was it not established that there simply be one uniform day upon which everyone would celebrate? More so, even if your city celebrates on one day, both days are still partially celebrated by everyone! Why is this so? Why is this unique phenomena found specifically here? What is the lesson behind all this?

Why Twice?

Another question: The Gemara (Megillah 4a) tells us that one must hear the reading of the Megillah once at night and a second time during the day. Why is this the Halachah? On every other holiday we do not find that we have to perform the same ritual twice in one day? Do we blow the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah once at night and once at day? Do we shake the Lulav one time in the evening and once during the day? Even regarding Rabbinical ordinances, do we light the Menorah with a Berachah at night and day?! This Halachah needs to be understood! Why are we obligated to hear the Megillah twice?

A Conscience Mind

The verse states that “it is more productive to go to a house of mourning than to attend a joyous party… the living person will take it to heart” (Koheles 7:2). It was once asked to Reb Chaim Brisker that according to this verse, the greatest and most noble people should be the caretakers that perform burial for the dead and deal with death every day. This is the most powerful experience one can have! Why is this generally not the case then?! He answered them that this is for the same reason that the horses that the caretakers use to pull the hearse are also not great! The horse isn’t thinking about what it is doing and thus remains uninspired. Only when one takes the message of life to heart will it have an effect on him. The verse itself concludes that death is only an inspirational tool if “the life person takes it to heart”! Two people can witness the same event but how they grow from it and become greater is dependent upon how much they contemplate what they saw and learn a lesson from the experience.

What Does It Mean?

The Gemara (Berachos 32a) asks, if someone prayed and finds that his requests were not fulfilled, what should he do? The answer: He should pray again! This answer is quite perplexing, what is being said here? Is this the best advice that our sages can give us, “just try again”?!

Chazzaras HaShatz

The Vilna Goan shows how truly profound and relevant the answer is! This Gemara is hinting to a most powerful idea. When we daven in shul, we first daven the Shmoneh Esray by ourselves and after that it is repeated by the Chazzan. The Gemara tells us that the reason for this institution was because there were many people in the shul who did not know how to read and thus they had to listen to the Chazzan’s repetition to fulfill their obligation. However, nowadays, where this is not the case, why do we still do it? The Gra explains that our Gemara sheds light on this question. Chazal are stating that if one davened and was not answered in the silent Shmoneh Esray, then he should daven again by listening to the Chazan’s repetition and this will grant him the merit to be answered. The first time he prayed, his reliance in Hashem was that of “chochmah, knowledge”. He stated factually that Hashem is the provider of all his needs. It was a strong intellectual statement. Now, the second time he davens (by answering Amain to the Shatz’s prayers) he acknowledges the statements by answering “Amain, it is true”, this is “binah, contemplation”. It has become emotional. When he acknowledges even deeper in his heart that Hashem is the only source for wisdom, money, health and all of his needs, this will grant him the merit to be answered for these requests. Chazzaras HaShatz is the internalizing and contemplation process for bringing oneself closer to Hashem.

In Other Words

Indeed, the Mabit explains this Chazal in the very same way. He teaches us that the essence of prayer is not to let God know what you lack and thus desire, for He is well aware of what you have and what you need! So what then do we accomplish through our prayers? The answer is: Our objective is to recognize with full cognizance that only Hashem can provide us with our needs and wishes. In short, prayer is not intended ‘to tell God what you need’, it is rather: ‘to tell yourself that you need God’! Therefore, if one’s prayers seem not to have been answered, he must push himself more, to focus upon and internalize that Hashem is the only provider, thus making himself a more elevated person and more worthy now to receive what he needs. This is what Chazal are instructing us by “he should pray again”! This theme is parallel to the Gra’s explanation.

Back To Purim

This is the exact lesson of our double reading of the Megillah. When one reads it once, he gains knowledge, but when he reads it again it enters his heart! We read it twice to show that we desire to connect deeply and emotionally to recognizing Hashem’s guiding hand on our lives.

The Finishing Touch

What is left to explain is why do we only find this concept expressed here by the laws of Purim? Why am I required to specifically hear the Megillah twice in order to internalize its lesson, why don’t we find this by any other Torah portion or Mitzvah which also have many lessons worthy of internalization?

The answer is that this is the exact theme of Purim. The Jews reaccepted the Torah specifically because of the miracle of Purim. They came to the recognition that Hashem passionately loved them and thus they loved Him in return. Their miraculous salvation brought them limitless love and internalization of Hashem’s great care for them. This is the precise Yom Tov of deep contemplation, to the furthest degree! [Indeed, the Mitzvah of "Ad D'lo Yadah" finds root precisely in this idea as well, to be discussed be'ezras Hashem in a future article.]

Hence, when it comes to the Megillah, the scroll which reveals Hashem’s great orchestration of world events for our benefit, we repay Hashem by true contemplation and strive to deepen our connection to Hashem through repetition.

Two Days

Indeed, this is hinted very deeply in the fact that Purim is two days, the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar. No other Yom Tov has two viable days. This is to show that the entire theme of the day is to extrapolate and internalize all of the beautiful messages that the Yom Tov has to offer us. The celebration was given the maximum length that could be justified. Indeed, the very first Mishnah in Meseches Megillah states that (in the time of the Mikdash) the Megillah could be read on any one of five possible days!

Penetrate The Heart

This is the approach of a true seeker of Hashem. Every day he strives to see and appreciate all that Hashem does for him! As he contemplates and internalizes the great kindness of Hashem, his heart is filled with love and excitement to grow higher and closer to his Maker.

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Hashkafah, Machshuvah Bein Adam LeMakom, Growth, Prayer, Tefillah, Wisdom