Close To Torah

This series title will probably have many different meanings to different people! We all would love to celebrate the festive and exciting day of Purim throughout every moment of our lives! So what is my objective here? I strive to take one verse or theme found in the stirring Sefer of Megillas Esther and show how beautiful and relevant its’ message is for us at all times and not just once a year!

Purim is a Yom Tov who’s very mention evokes many fond memories. Megillah reading, Haman banging, meshloach manos, and family celebrations! Indeed many people look forward to the arrival of this sacred holiday all year!

The purpose of this series is to illustrate how one can learn many practical lessons for how to serve Hashem and how to live a happy and productive Torah life from the verses of the Megillah and from the story of Purim itself. Every topic discussed will be one complete self-contained thought, exploring a relevant message which the Megillah brings out to us. Though a sensitive eye will discern the collective themes of the entire series!

It is my sincere hope that the reader will find the topics discussed to be both thought-provoking and inspirational. If I have encouraged one to look at the Megillah, and Torah in general, with a deeper appreciation towards gleaning its’ timeless lessons, then indeed I have fulfilled my wish.

May Hashem guide me to interpret His holy Torah correctly, and may the lessons contained here be shared properly from my heart and enter gently and smoothly into your heart. May we all merit to serve Hashem to our fullest and to celebrate Purim’s lessons all year round!

Why Learn This All From Esther?

“Very nice idea,” you’re thinking, “but why did you choose Megillas Esther as the place from which to extrapolate lessons for life, is not the entire Torah meant to be instructions for how to live?!”

Excellent question! A most appropriate place for us to begin. Please listen carefully as I explain the first idea which I would like to share. This perhaps could encapsulate the entire theme of this series and will certainly give one the ability to take all of the concepts and lessons contained within to their fullest degree.

You are fully correct in stating that all of Torah is our guide to life, so what makes Megillas Esther unique?

It’s So Easy!

In order to delve into the lessons of Torah, it is necessary for one to be familiar with the Torah topic which is being discussed. Before one can show the depth of a Torah verse or topic, he must first make sure that his listener is somewhat familiar with the actual matter being explored. Thus, Esther has a distinct advantage in this domain for two reasons. Firstly, its’ storyline and even actual text is well known by many Jews, young and old. Consequently, when discussing Esther, we have the lead in that we are able to jump right into the depth!

Secondly, the story itself is a semi-short, self contained narration, and a most thrilling description of events which are easy to follow and attention-grabbing! Thus, we have the ability here to develop the depth of many points.

Going Deeper-Microcosm of Lessons

In truth it is really much deeper than that. Chazal (Shabbos 88a) teach us that the Jew’s acceptance of the Torah at Sinai was not fully binding. They had been partially forced and therefore could claim that their acceptance was not totally from their own freewill. After the Purim miracle the Jews then made a commitment for themselves and for all future generations that they would now reaccepted the Torah, totally on their own accord and their acceptance could no longer be rescinded. Thus, we may suggest that Megillas Esther, which records the events that led up to their true acceptance of the Torah and contains hints to the actual reacceptance as well, is like the Torah itself which contains all of the practical lessons in the world. It is like the original Torah which they accepted at Sinai which has all of the eternal truths in it.

Additionally, our Holy Sefarim call the miracle of Purim, “Techiyas Hamasim, resurrection of the dead.” This means that the Jewish people’s fate was signed and sealed by Hashem to be annihilated. When they repented whole-heartedly Hashem then rescinded the decree and gave them life. This is an element of resurrection from a state of eminent death. Thus, the deliverance from the adversity was like a new start at life for the Jewish Nation. This ties into the above thought as well that Megillas Esther encapsulates all Torah ideas. Just as when a child is born, his body contains the miniature form of his future self, in a microcosmic way, so too the Megillah itself which discusses the amazing resurrection which the Jews underwent, contains a hint to all of the great lessons of the Chumash itself. This is hinted to by the rebirth of Klal Yisrael.

The lesson is that when one contemplates Torah he will find much depth and understanding that will guide and shape the way he thinks and lives!

Hence, I chose Purim and Megillas Esther as the starting point from which we can discuss and colorfully illustrate many of the important foundations of our faith. In each essay I will try to show an idea learned from Purim and how it can be lived everyday of the year!

I welcome you to this fun project and look forward to growing together with you!

Who reads introductions anyway?! So let’s just lay down one last foundation and then next time, B’Ezras Hashem, we will start with the meat and potatoes!

Megillas Esther is unique from all other books of Tanach in that nowhere throughout its’ entire ten chapters is there any mention of Hashem’s name. This is very perplexing indeed?

One explanation is as follows. There are two ways in which Hashem runs the world, one is in the open and the other is in hiding. When the Jews were taken out of Egypt, Hashem performed blatant and open miracles to liberate them. Every nation of the world was both convinced and awed by Hashem’s indisputable absolute power. That was Hashem orchestrating the world in the open. The miracles continued throughout the Jew’s forty years in the desert. However, Hashem does not prefer to operate in the open, for this takes away man’s freewill. Hashem wants man to put in effort to see Him and not simply to be “forced” into action by Hashem’s imminent presence. Therefore, Hashem limits His open control of the world, whereby man now has to search to find Hashem in the world. This would leave freewill for those that desire to deny Hashem, and provide a rewarding challenge for those who seek Him.

Purim: The Hidden State

The climax of this hidden state came during the time of the Purim story. This is the meaning of the Talmud which classifies the story of Esther to be a fulfillment of the verse “Vanochi Haster Aster Pani Bayom HaHu, I (Hashem) will hide Myself.” This is the reason that Hashem’s name is not stated explicitly in the Megillah. The challenge of the Nation was to recognize Hashem’s hand bringing about their entire salvation, while it was not openly seen!

The Depth Behind Their Re-acceptance

As explained earlier, the Jews of the desert indeed accepted the Torah, however, their acceptance was deemed as coerced. The coercion was through the holding of the Sinai mountain over their heads and threatening their deaths if they would refuse the Torah. The depth is that because they were living with Hashem revealed blatantly in their faces they had no choice but to accept the Torah. Therefore, it was as if they were forced. It was only during the time of Purim, when Hashem’s guidance was hidden and not seen outright that the Jews had the opportunity to now accept the Torah on their own accord!

Thus, the entire theme of the Megillah itself is to teach us that although the world seems to be going around on its own, we Jews strive to see and acknowledge Hashem Who is running it all. Thus, it is most appropriate that the Sefer which represents man’s striving to connect to Hashem in a most distracting and challenging world, should contain all of the lessons and inspiration for how to life a happy and productive life in this world. Hence, we will attempt to glean these lessons from the Scroll which is dedicated to teaching us how to live in a world where one must choose and put in much effort to see and connect with Hashem.

Translating the Message

Indeed the Scroll itself is called “Megillas Esther.” The word “Megillas” contains the root “megaleh,” which means “to reveal.” The word “Esther” means “hidden.” Thus its’ title itself expresses its’ objective to us quite clearly. Megillas Esther: to reveal the hidden! Hashem hides His running of the world’s events behind a mask called “nature” and “natural means,” we come and reveal the true Source Who is running it all!

Yosef HaTzaddik: Tzofnas Panayach

Interestingly enough, this was also Yosef HaTzaddik’s job and greatness in Egypt. In a nation of haughty, deniers of Hashem, where self-aggrandizement and perversion reigned supreme, Yosef announced to Pharoah, “Hashem does everything, not I!” At a time when he could have pushed Hashem out of his mind and sinned with his master’s attractive and seductive wife, he grabbed on to spiritually and fought the challenge. He saw Hashem through the darkness and acknowledged His Kingship. Thus he was rewarded with ruler-ship himself and the title of “Tzofnas Panayach.” A translation of this names shows it to be the same as Megillas Ester. It means “the revealer of hidden things.” Indeed, this is the job of the Jewish nation to see Hashem’s guiding hand even in the gloomy darkness of exile. This is the entire theme of Megillas Esther!

The law states that on Purim one must hear every single word of the Megillah to fulfill his obligation! There is no stricter law found for all other Rabbinical required reading throughout the year! The reason that the law is so demanding here is because every verse and every word of Megillas Esther is part of the great lesson! We will try to demonstrate this to the best of our ability.

Our series will now strive to bring out these beautiful ideas and together we shall grow in love and service of Hashem! Stay tuned!

ויודע הדבר למרדכי ויגד לאסתר המלכה ותאמר אסתר למלך בשם מרדכי (אסתר ב:כב)

“Mordechai found out (about the assassination plot) and informed Esther the queen who reported the plans to the king in the name of Mordechai” (Esther 2:22).

There is a perplexing line in a Mishnah which needs much understanding.

The Mishnah in Avos (6:6) lists the forty-eight keys for acquiring Torah. The very last one is, “אומר דבר בשם אמרו, when quoting something not originating from your own self, be sure to credit the true producer”. The Mishnah states that this brings גאולה, redemption, to the world! The proof cited is our above quoted verse, “Esther informed the king in the name of Mordechai.”

Haman’s Downfall

Mordechai heard Bigson and Seresh plotting to poison the king. He immediately informed Esther of the plot and the king launched an investigation that ended with the verification of the scheme and their swift execution. At that time, it was recorded in the king’s chronicles for posterity. According to Esther’s statement, it had been Mordechai who had uncovered the plot and this was duly recorded. The event was well forgotten and Mordechai never got any recognition for it. Meanwhile, years later, the king was unable to sleep one night and requested that his records be read to him to review his royal affairs. He was thus reminded of what Mordechai had did for him and realized that he never rewarded him for it. It was at that moment that Haman the Evil arrived before the king to request permission to hang Mordechai. This enraged the king and thus began Haman’s downfall! Hence, it was because Esther stated the original report in the name of its’ true source that the framework for Haman’s destruction was laid!

Three Difficulties

There are three fundamental questions here.

Firstly, the idea is simple and understood, but why is it a key for acquiring Torah, it seems to be a key for functioning in society and not dominantly for Torah? It appears to be a very significant key as well because it is the final key listed and it is also the only key which has a scriptural source quoted to prove its’ importance?! How are we to understand this?

Secondly, what is the concept of ‘bringing redemption to the world’ and what does it have to do with acquiring Torah?!

Thirdly, why is this lesson intrinsically tied to Purim, it seems to be a mere detail of the entire event. Why is it that this law stems from Megillas Esther specifically? Even if you see it as a major point in the entire story, still, in Torah we must understand why each lesson was derived from where it is found?

Let us get to the depth of this Mishnah and thereby shed light on one of the most fundamental lessons of Purim!

Simple Steal!

Plagiarism is an easy crime. You heard or read something nice and now you repeat it or copy it and give yourself credit! As long as you are not caught, it is quite easy to get away with. After all, your name is on the work; your mouth expressed the ideas, so why should anyone suspect that you are not the genuine author! Only, it is not the truth! An honest person will give proper credit-citation! Yes, it looks like it is my idea, but I must tell you the true creator!

Torah Worldview

When we learn Torah, it is with the recognition that we are studying the wisdom of Hashem. How can we, physical creatures, understand the Great Hashem and His wisdom through our earthly toil?! The answer is that we can’t, and in truth we have no ability to do so! So how do people achieve understanding in Torah? The answer is that it is all a gift from Hashem! Hashem grants us wisdom as a gift in exchange and recognition for our efforts! Hence, we do not produce Torah ourselves, we receive the endowment of understanding from Hashem. This is a paramount principal regarding our study. We can easily deny Hashem’s assistance and state that we thought of things on our own, but this is plagiarism!

In truth, this idea applies to all areas in life as well. It covers our business endeavors and our every undertaking. Man puts in his effort to produce and God carries out and brings him success, if He so wills. This is how the entire world operates. Our job is to give Him the credit!

If a person tells over an idea of someone else and takes credit for it as if it were his own, he is denying truth. But he is doing much worse than that. He is compromising the entire construct of the world; he is missing the whole theme of reality! The entire goal of the universe is to give credit where it is due! This world is comprised of only Hashem’s bestowments and care; our job is to acknowledge it!

We have previously explained how God’s name is totally absent from the entire Book of Esther. This is to show that the entire greatness of the Jews was that they saw and credited how Hashem operated and controlled the world from behind a mask called ‘nature’. They saw the miracles of God throughout the entire Purim story while an outsider would call everything lucky natural chance! They knew Who was doing everything and they took it to heart!

Answer to Question 1: Its’ Relation To Torah

Now we can understand everything. The purpose of the world is to provide a battleground for freewill to allow man to either ignore or deny God and choose evil or to seek and find God and decide on good. Hashem is waiting to be found and acknowledged! This is what we Jews spend our lifetime proclaiming! “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu…, there is a God who runs the world!” We give credit where it is truly due!

Indeed, this is the path enumerated in the Mishnah for how to acquire Torah. Torah is the ultimate truth and the climax of its’ lessons is the full appreciation of Hashem as Supreme King. This is why this key is given the most prominent focus in this Mishnah listing the keys for acquiring perfection!

Answer to Question 2: Bringing Redemption

The Geula which this key brings to the world is that of personal redemptions and a cumulative contribution that will eventually be large enough to bring the final and ultimate redemption. In all times in life when we give proper credit, we are strengthening our ability to recognize the True Source of everything! This recognition prompts salvations!

Answer to Question 3: Why From Purim

This is learned from Megillas Esther and heavily stressed for this is the essence of the entire lesson of Purim. The Jews were “Omer Davar B’Shaim Amro”. They gave credit to Hashem for all that He did for them under a potentially deniable cover. On the outside, plagiarism and denial were possible, but the Jews saw past those distractions and passionately clung to the true Source of their salvation. They acknowledged that all of their triumph was brought from Hashem!

This is the perspective of Purim which can be applied every day of our lives!

In line with the aforementioned concept, I would like to thank my dear friend Rabbi Chanoch Eliyahu Sofer Shlit”a for helping me think of and develop the above quoted ideas!

איש יהודי היה בשושן הבירה ושמו מרדכי בן יאיר בן שמעי בן קיש איש ימיני (אסתר ב:ה)

“There was a Jewish man in Shushan, the capital, named Mordechai…” (Esther 2:5).

The Gemara makes a cryptic comment on this verse regarding the genealogy of Mordechai. Megillah (12b) states: “Mordechai was the son of Yair, this hints that he (Mordechai) lit up the eyes of the Jews with his prayers, the son of Shimi, Hashem heard his prayers, and the son of Kish, he knocked and called by the doors of mercy in prayer!

The Quandaries
Firstly, what is the Gemara trying to teach us?

Secondly, this Gemara seems like it is just pushing and stretching concepts into the names?

A Puzzling Approach

The Vilna Goan was perplexed by these two questions. He provides a fantastic explanation and lays down a cornerstone of the entire theme of Purim. Though his words need explanation as well. Here is what he says.

Man has four organs on his face. They are: eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Three out of these four are used for Torah.

Sight is for reading Torah SheB’ksav, the written portion of Torah.

Hearing is for listening to the oral portion of the Torah, Torah shel Ba’al Peh.

Speech is for communicating your Torah to others.

What is Smell?

This leaves the sense of smell which is not used for Torah!

Smell is the description used for the offering of Korbanos to Hashem, hence, it represents Tefillah, prayer! Chullin (139b) states that Mordechai’s existences is hinted to in a verse describing the spices of the Ketores, the incense! The Goan concludes by stating that thus the three senses are shown by the Gemara to be hinted in the three names and are related to prayer. Also, these four senses are hinted by the four letters of the Shem Hashem (v-u-v-h). This is what he answered, but what does it all mean?!

The Gra asked a bomb question and provided an answer, however, at first glance it is very unclear how he answered the question! If Mordechai represents the idea of prayer, and the other three senses being discussed are Torah scholarship, why are they found in reference to him and why is prayer ascribed to them!? The Gemara shows the senses used for Torah learning to be referring to prayer!? What is going on here!?

Torah and Tefillah

Let us illustrate the depth and beauty being expressed here! The Gemara Niddah (70b) teaches us an important rule. “How does one succeed in acquiring Torah? By learning and praying to Hashem. One element without the other will not fully succeed!” In order to accomplish in Torah one needs to daven to Hashem as well!

The Chazon Ish expresses this sentiment most powerfully, “when one grows in wisdom, he sees the beautiful cycle of how his prayer uplifts his learning and his learning improves his prayer!” A deep and enlightening comment indeed!

As we have discussed earlier in this series, the purpose of Torah is to bring one close to Hashem and to recognize that He is the true provider of all! The purpose of prayer is to remove all physical shackles from us and connect us ever so deeply to our Maker! When one learns and davens whole-heartedly this elevates his existence and heavily contributes to his spiritual refinement. Only one who has tasted these delicacies can understand the growth and enjoyment involved!

Now it all comes together. The theme of Esther revolves around the reacceptance of the Torah and true prayer to Hashem. Both of them are the two ingredients necessary for getting close to Hashem!

Mordechai’s Feat

The Gemara, according to the Gra, is expressing all of this! Mordechai embodies the concept of both the reacceptance of Torah and a deep connection to Hashem through recognizing His guiding hand. Torah and Tefillah build upon one another! Mordechai was the sense of smell, this was his essence. He then connected himself through this vehicle to bring out all of the aspects of Torah! Hence, the Gemara homiletically interprets all of the names with an intertwinement of Torah development and prayer! This was what Mordechai accomplished.

Mordechai brought the four letters of Hashem’s name (י-ה-ו-ה) together! The h-Yud is sight (a small eye!), v-Hey is hearing, u-Vav is the throat which speaks, and the last v-Hey, brings it all together as smell, prayer. This completes the full bond to Hashem!

When the Jews called out to Hashem in true repentance and sincere recognition of His supreme power, they were miraculously saved from their enemies and granted supremacy! In recognition of Hashem’s kindness and miracles performed for them, they were inspired to accept the full yoke of Torah upon themselves as well! This is prayer and learning at its’ greatest!

It is not surprising then that the Sefer containing the lesson of davening would contain one of the most famous hints expressing advice on how to concentrate in prayer! Megillas Esther (9:25) when read homiletically, states: “When you stand (in prayer) before the king (Hashem) look in the book (the Siddur!) in order to banish distracting thoughts!” How apropos!

Another lesson is expressed by Mordechai’s behavior after getting off the horse which Haman had led him through the city on. In order to ride on the king’s horse Mordechai saw fit to remove his sackcloth which he had been wearing while praying on the ground. However, the moment that the ride was over, Mordechai did not just stand around enjoying his partial victory! Rather, he returned immediately to his fasting and sackcloth with unrelenting prayer. He would not stop petitioning Heaven until he saw that every Jewish life had been saved. We must always continuously pray to Hashem and not stop beseeching Him until He answers our prayers!

We now see how one can live the lessons of Purim regarding prayer and Torah every day!

…והנערה יפת תואר וטובת מראה ובמות אביה ואמה לקחה מרדכי לו לבת (אסתר ב:ז)

The girl (Esther) possessed a beautiful appearance… and when her parents died, Mordechai took her as his daughter (Esther 2:7)

Chazal tell us (Megilla 13a) that the word “bas, daughter,” in this verse is to be read as “bayis, house,” meaning that in actuality Mordechai took Esther as his wife.

There are many lessons inherent in our verse, let us examine some of them as we attempt to resolve the many difficulties found in understanding this verse.

The Numerous Issues

The first problem is, why does the verse describe Esther as being taken as a daughter if it really means wife, why not just say wife?! Also, according to Chazal’s elucidation, how do we explain the word “bayis, house” this is a strange reference to marriage as well?

Let us site an additional source that is hard to understand as it will ultimately shed much light on this important topic. The Gemara (Sotah 12a) states, “he who marries a women for the sake of Heaven is considered to have given birth to her as his daughter.” At first glance, this statement seems perplexing and hard to understand. What are Chazal trying to teach us? What does it mean to marry L’shem Shamayim, for the sake of Heaven? What is the parable and benefit of considering her to be his daughter?! Very perplexing?!

The commentators are surprisingly silent on many of these issues. One line from the Ben Ish Chai, though, opens up the gates of understanding for us. He connects this Gemara to another statement of Chazal (Bava Basra 141a). “If your first child born is a daughter, this is a good sign for your children who follow!”

He ends by stating that if one marries a woman for the sake of Heaven, then her presence makes it as if you gave birth to a daughter first and thus it is good for your children who follow. This is his answer! But what does it mean?

This completes all of our quandaries regarding many cryptic words; now we will try to find a proper explanation!

The Original Plan

When Hashem gave Adam his wife, Chava, this was the first marriage to ever take place. The Ramban and many other Commentators state that one must study those early events well and take note of every nuance expressed as it represents the foundation of all future unions as well.

One illustration provided by the Ramban is that Hashem did not give Adam his wife until Adam asked for her! Hashem first wanted him to recognize his deficiency without her and then to request her from Hashem and only after that would he be given the great gift of marriage, with newly-gained appreciation. This is a fundamental outlook for one searching for their mate and has connotations for those married as well!

An Extension

The very first description which Adam gives upon seeing his wife is (Beraishis 2:23): She is a bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh, she should be called Isha, woman, for she comes from Ish, man!

Why in fact did Hashem create the woman from a part of man himself? Could He not have just used raw material from another source, perhaps from dirt just as Adam was formed?!

This is a simple yet fundamental question. The answer will prepare us to understand Hashem’s goal for marriage!

Hashem wanted man and woman to be one unified unit! True, each one would have different personalities, tendencies and strengths, in fact very diversely, but, in essence they would blend and work together! By creating their bodies (and souls as well as stated in the Zohar) from one place, this gave them an intrinsic bond and connection that would last for eternity. Man and woman were to ponder their shared creation and realize the importance of building a deep relationship between them. Hashem created them from one body to teach them to work together to become like one! Their serving Hashem together by following His Torah and Mitzvos and treating each other with sensitivity and respect makes them into one! (based on Gra in Mishley 9:10)

Like One

R’ Yaakov Yosef Herman was once waiting in an office together with his wife and newly married daughter and son-in-law, R’ Chaim Pinchus Scheinberg. R’ Scheinberg was sitting next to his own wife and his in-laws were on the outer ends of the two of them. He joked with his father-in-law saying, “I’m closer to my wife that you are to yours!”

R’ Herman chuckled and then retorted with his own quick rebuttal, a lesson that would last a lifetime: You just got married, so for now, in order for you to be close to your wife, you must sit right near her, but my wife and I have been married for years and are so close and connected in our hearts that no physical distance can ever separate us! Thus, I am closer to my wife!

This is the Torah’s perspective on marriage. Intimate closeness in heart and soul.

Bone and Flesh

One more point and then we will tie our original verse about Adam together!

The verse stated that the woman was created from Adam’s “bone” and “flesh.” We understand the reference to his bone as the verse earlier stated explicitly that Hashem created Chava from one of his ribs, hence she comes from his bone. But what is the “flesh” referring to? Where do we see that Hashem built Chava out of any flesh of Adam?!

Chazal (Pirkey D’R’ Eliezer 11) were perplexed by this exact question and thus explained the following. Hashem took flesh from Adam’s heart and used it in the construction of Chava! The depth here is that one’s wife has the power to capture his heart and this in fact is Hashem’s plan for marriage! A deep and loving bond should permeate their lives together!

To Summarize

Hashem desires for man and woman to connect and work together to grow. He set them up to unite and help each other. Their job is to become one and thus be a helpmate for one another in serving Hashem to their fullest. A derivative of this proper bonding will be that they will have children and their love for each other will then pour forth upon their children and inspire them too with an appreciation and dedication to the service of Hashem!

Selfish Spouse

Someone who gets married for selfish reasons does not appreciate this. He simply wants to marry for his own self-pleasure. He seeks to get and to take whatever he can from his spouse and has no plan for caring or sharing. He is thus failing to see that Hashem created man and wife to become one. He cares not for lofty goals, all he wants is personal gratification. He cares nothing of connection, only for fulfilling his desires! This is not the correct approach and his plan will surely fail. He cannot find happiness when he does not follow the Torah’s prescription for fulfillment. Inevitably, he will get tired of her and will not feel very good about his life. This is because he neglected to serve Hashem. It is a tragic and vicious cycle. Very often, he will start to terribly mistreat her and show no appreciation as his only focus and desire is to fulfill his own wants, not caring about the needs of others. His marriage will be painful and his family will become dysfunctional. His children will be turned off from what he claims to believe in as they lack a proper role-model. This is not always the case, but it is the general course that a selfish person is on. How tragic indeed. Only one who follows the Torah approach will have much enjoyment and fulfillment waiting for him.

To Put It All Together

We now understand what it means to marry for the sake of Heaven. To see marriage as an opportunity for growing and encouraging Avodas Hashem together! To appreciate how Hashem created her from his bone and heart so that they can connect! As the Raavad writes, “the beauty of marriage is to be like one single body and entity, connected and working together.”

The Maharal (Ohr Chadash p. 114) states that this is what it means by “if one marries L’Shem Shamayim, she is like your daughter.” A daughter is built from you, she is an extension of you. The Torah wants you to view your wife as an extension of yourself. This is the most productive and beneficial outlook. It is meant in the most positive way, to be truly connected and close.

This is the exact meaning of marrying for the sake of Heaven and the explanation and benefit of considering her your daughter, your connection!

Our original verse is stating this as well. The verse began by stating that Esther was a most beautiful and attractive young lady! We know that her looks and charm even made her the winner of Achashvayrosh’s beauty contest. But this was not the sole focus of Mordechai. He married her for her qualities. She was someone to work and grow with. He viewed her as his daughter, an extension of himself, fulfilling Hashem’s plan for marriage!

What is the Bayis?

But still why do Chazal use the word bayis, house? The answer is that this ties everything together!

The Gemara quoted by the Ben Ish Chai stated that when a girl is born first this is good for the children who follow. He stated that if you marry L’Shem Shamayim you are considered to have had a daughter first already. What does this all mean?!

The Gemara there explains the benefit of this firstborn girl. As the oldest, she will care for and nurture all of her siblings under her! This is the benefit for her family! They will have a second loving and caring mother!

There is nothing that a parent would not do for their child. So if one asks what is the most important thing that I can do for can my children to prepare them for success? The answer is: the best thing you can do for your children is, love their mother! When children grow up in a warm and healthy environment this puts them at a great advantage for life!

If two people marry L’Shem Shamayim, to grow with their spouse in service of Hashem, they have shown that they will work together and be kind and considerate towards each other. They realize that she is his daughter, connected as one! Hence, they will work hard to have marital harmony. They will have the benefit of a loving and nurturing mother for she will be happy and encouraged by her husband who loves and believes in her. Their children will benefit from the “firstborn daughter” who cares for them so affectionately and carefully! A truly heartwarming and inspirational home! This I believe is the intention of the Ben Ish Chai and this I believe brings everything together.

Because she is the bas, they will have a beautiful bayis! May we all achieve these beautiful goals! The opportunity to live with this perspective is available every day!

ויהי אומן את הדסה היא אסתר בת דודו כי אין לה אב ואם והנערה יפת תואר וטובת מראה ובמות אביה ואמה לקחה מרדכי לו לבת (אסתר ב:ז)

He (Mordechai) raised Hadassah, who was Esther… for she had no parents; the girl (Esther) possessed a beautiful appearance… and when her parents died, Mordechai took her as his daughter (Esther 2:7).

We have discussed (see Part 1) the idea of “Bas” and “Bayis.” Chazal tell us that Mordechai married Esther and together they built their Jewish home. There are two more beautiful lessons which I would like to develop based on this verse. They pertain to Hadassah and Bayis.

Why Call Her Hadassah?

What was her name? Throughout the entire Megillah, she is called Esther, except for one place. The very first time that the Megillah talks about our hero, she is named Hadassah! The Gemara (Megillah 13a) disputes which of the two names was primary. Nevertheless, both opinions must explain why the name Hadassah is used to introduce her? What is going on here? Also, why is she called by a name which translates as “myrtle,” and why is she called this specifically in the verse that hints to her marriage?

It also must be noted that we find the same occurrence by Haman. The first time that he is referred to, according to Chazal, is in the first Chapter of Esther, when a brazen advisor named “Memuchan” speaks before his superiors. That Memuchan was none other than Haman. That is the first and last time that he is called by that name. How do we explain this as well?

Wife is Bayis

Chazal tell us that the word “bayis, house,” hints to marriage. We find this same idea expressed in Shabbos (118b), “Rebbe Yosi stated that he never referred to his wife as “wife,” rather, he called her, ‘my house’.” What is going on here?

The Wedding Ring

In order to understand what is being expressed here we must first examine the rationale behind an interesting custom at the wedding ceremony. The Chasson, groom, stands under the Chupah canopy together with his Kallah, bride, and in front of two witnesses he recites his declaration of marriage and then places the ring on her finger. With her acceptance, they are now married. Customarily, he places the ring specifically upon her index (pointer) finger. Why is this so? Now, it certainly does not invalidate the marriage if he were to place it on any other finger or even in her palm, however, how do we understand this preferred custom? Why we do not tell him to place the ring upon her “ring finger” as would seem more logical?

Now, truth be told, the simplest reason is just a practicality. The witnesses need to see the placement of the ring upon her and the easiest finger to stretch out in clear view is certainly her pointer! But there is more depth here as well, as we shall see.

Fingers and Senses

Rabbeinu Bechayeh (Parshas Tzav) teaches us that the five fingers correspond to the five senses that we possess. More so, each finger is naturally drawn to the sense which it represents. Try to guess them yourself before you read on! Here is his list in summary:

1-Thumb: corresponds to taste (mouth). (There have been babies in their mother’s womb who were observed sucking their thumbs!)

2-Index (Pointer): corresponds to smell (nose!) This one is well known!

3-Middle: corresponds to touch. Since it is the longest finger, it can reach and touch the furthest parts of the body.

4-Ring: corresponds to sight. Many wipe their eyes with this finger.

5-Pinky: corresponds to the ear and hearing. This one is also well understood!

Bearing this in mind, we now have a key to understanding fingers.

The Pointer of God

When Hashem performed the miracles in Egypt, the Egyptians called them “Etzbah Elokim, the index finger of God.” What is the significance?

Four of the senses are all physical in their nature. We use taste, touch, sight and hearing to receive pleasure from this world. The sense of smell is the most spiritual from all of them. Chazal (Berachos 43b) state that a pleasure that only the soul benefits from is that of smell! It has spiritual connections. Hashem blew into Adam’s nostrils to give him life. This was how his Neshamah, soul, was installed into his body. Thus, smell represents pure spirituality.

Hence, when the Egyptians realized that the miracles were not mere Kishuf, earthly evil black-magic, but rather emanating from the True Spiritual Source, they acknowledged this. They called the plagues by the term of the index finger, the finger linked to the sense of smell, the most spiritual element! They recognized the spiritual element of Hashem’s actions in the world. When we remove wine from our cups on Pesach night upon mentioning the ten plagues, this is the reason that we do so utilizing our pointer!

The Marriage Finger

Now we understand why the wedding ring is placed on the pointer. When a man gets married he can do so for many reasons. His focus could be spiritual or physical. He may be marrying for his own personal lustful reasons, to satisfy his nerve endings and desires. Or he can approach matrimony with dignity, respect and holiness, recognizing the great spirituality involved. This is certainly the best outlook. Thus, our custom is that he begins the marriage by focusing on her pointer finger, the finger representing smell and spiritual growth, showing that he is marrying her in recognition of her spiritual qualities and will grow together with her in their pursuit of closeness to Hashem! He certainly cannot deny her beauty, indeed, that is a gift from Hashem meant to be appreciated, but his priorities are in order and his goals are properly balanced.

Those that get married utilizing the ring finger are expressing a different outlook. That finger corresponds to his eyes and sight. Following one’s eyes is the most dangerous method to utilize when choosing a life’s partner. That method begins with much lust and excitement but fizzles out disappointingly fast! Only one who focuses on qualities and growth can achieve marital happiness and success, with proper effort and sensitivity.

Grand Appearance

The first time that a name is expressed shows the person’s essence. Haman is called “Memuchan” when we meet him, a name that Chazal (Megillah 12b) translate as “awaiting punishment.” Throughout the Megillah, everything that Haman arranged in order to destroy Mordechai and the Jews, was ultimately one big contribution and lead up to his own destruction. This was his essence, clearly expressed by the name Memuchan.

The True Hadassah

Hadassah was Esther’s essence. She was a sweet smelling fragrant Hadassah, myrtle, connected to Hashem and dedicated to growth. This was who she proved herself to be throughout the entire story as she sacrificed herself to save her Jewish brethren. She was a truly spiritually focused person, hence her original name expressed fragrant aroma, to connote her spiritual beauty.

How apropos that she should be called this name specifically in the verse that discusses her marriage to Mordechai! The verse is testifying to the great spiritual focus which they built their relationship upon. This is the very plan and advice of the Torah for a meaningful relationship. Now we understand why she is called Hadassah.

Same as Bayis!

And now for the Bayis! Chazal (Kesubos 17a) tell us that Rebbe Yehuda bar Ila’ah would dance before the Kallah with branches of Hadas, myrtle! Also, Reb Achah would lift up the Kallah and carry her on his shoulders! His students asked him if they could copy his custom. He replied, “if she is like a wooden beam in your eyes, then it is permissible for you to do this as well!”

With all that we explained, it is delightfully clear as to why the myrtle branch was present at the weddings! This expresses the focus upon the sense of smell, holiness and spirituality that we imbue our marriage with!

Building Beam

What is the lesson of Reb Achah and his wooden beam parallel? The lesson based upon the Maharsha is that many see women as objects of desire and sexual lure. This is not the proper Torah view. A woman is a partner in building a home for Hashem. This was precisely what Reb Achah wished to express. Just as a wooden beam is the support of the entire house, so too “the wisdom of a woman builds her home” (Mishley 14). We strive to view our wife as a partner in building and growth!

“My House”

Finally, this is what Rebbe Yosi meant by referring to his wife as “my home”. He acknowledged her power of building and her spiritual insight that inspired him and their children to grow! A woman has tremendous power to inspire others and help permeate her home with the holy presence of Hashem. Together, man and woman can accomplish this. One who gears their focus on these elevated spiritual ideals will find much happiness and fulfillment. Indeed, even their everyday physical experiences will become more enjoyable as they are infused with true connection and service of Hashem!

ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר (אסתר ח:טז).

The Jews had light, happiness, fulfillment and preciousness (Esther 8:16).

The Gemara (Megillah 16b) tells of the greatness that the Jews achieved upon their victory from their enemies. Each word of this verse hints to one specific aspect of their lives:

“The Jews had light”, this is Torah,

“happiness”, these are the festivals (many explain this to refer to Shabbos and Yom Tov),

“fulfillment”, refers to circumcision,

“and preciousness”, refers to Tefillin.

Three Simple Questions

There are numerous questions that beg to be asked on all of this:

1-If the verse wished to express that the Nation achieved the ability to freely practice all of these Jewish rites, why does it not say them explicitly?! Why must Chazal perform detective work in order to properly decipher the hidden references of the verse, could it not have just read, “The Jews had Torah and festivals, etc?!

2-When the Megillah is read in Shul on Purim, there are four verses which the reader stops before reciting them and the entire congregation reads them out loud first (see Shulchan Aruch O”C 690:17. There is one additional verse read this way, but it is subject to a different discussion). This is done in order to stress the miraculous redemption which Hashem brought as expressed in these verses. The significance of each verse is clearly seen and it is apparent why they are given this special attention. They include the introduction of the great and heroic sage Mordechai and the recounting of the distinguished respect he received in the end. There is one verse whose presence on the VIP list is greatly perplexing… our verse! Why is it deemed so significant? Why should it be read out loud by the entire congregation?! What is so special about the four cryptic descriptions it contains?

3-During the recitation of the Havdalah, we have a custom that dictates that the one reciting stops and everyone declares one sentence. That sentence is our exact verse, ליהודים היתה אורה, the Jews had light etc., with an added phrase at the end, “Kain Ti’hyeh Lanu, so may we merit this as well!” What is the source for this custom? After searching through numerous texts and speaking to great Halachik authorities, it was established that, to the best of our knowledge, there is no known source for this custom! Perhaps through our understanding of this mysterious verse we will gain insight as to how the verse became a weekly ritual, emanating deep from the Jewish psyche.

Why Were They Decreed To Die?

The Gemara (Megillah 12a) tells us that the Jews were deemed deserving of death on account for their partaking in the feast of Achashveyrosh. The Gemara quotes Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who counters this understanding by stating that this cannot be so, for only the inhabitants of Shushan attended the party and thus how could this have affected the Jews elsewhere? A strong question indeed. The Gemara appears to reject that explanation and then states an alternative reason. R’ Akiva Eiger points out a blatant contradiction here. The Midrash (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:14) states the Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai himself explained that the reason why they were decreed destruction was on account for the party which they partook of?! How could he use an idea that he himself disproved?!

The answer lies in the very Midrash itself and this is precisely what R’ Akiva Eiger is drawing our attention to. Rabbi Shimon’s students asked him how the sin of the feast in Shushan could affect the Jews everywhere else? He answered them that this is understood through the concept of “Kol Yisrael Arayvim, all Jews are responsible for one another!” This needs to be understood better.

Unmotivated and Unexcited

Chazal tell us that at the time of Purim the Jews reaccepted the Torah willingly. At Mount Sinai they had accepted the Torah but it had not been whole-heartedly (see our full explanation in Introduction (Part 1 of 2)).  Hence, that commitment waned and faded over the years until in the time of Achashvayrosh it was nearly forgotten.

When we think of the story of Purim it is often not realized just how low the Jews had fallen. Chazal (Esther Rabbah 1:9) tell us that Hashem was outraged at the Jews because many of them were not keeping Shabbos! Additionally, Chazal tell us astonishing words that came out their mouth’s upon seeing the lavish feast of Achashveyrosh. They declared, “with  a feast this great and luxuriant, what more can Hashem offer us in Olam HaBah, the future world?! These blasphemous words are astounding!

They did not really mean or believe what they were saying, rather, the problem was one of feelings. The Jews had slowly forgotten about their passion in life. They had forgotten about their love and special bond with Hashem and the great mission which they had been given. Monotony, complacency and mediocrity had become their daily routine. They were going through life habitually and missing out on the true excitement in life called Avodas Hashem!

Good Morning Dear Jews!

It was time to wake them up! So Hashem sent one of the most evil men in all of history, Haman, to do the job. He was rich, powerful and he hated the Jews! A deadly combination. Suddenly, he got his plot off the ground and he was going to wipe out every single Jew from upon planet Earth. The Jews were jolted to an abrupt awakening. Suddenly, it didn’t matter if you kept Shabbos, learned Torah or didn’t, if you were a Jew, you were dead! Even the most secularized people of our Nation were forced to rethink their life’s course. The Jews gathered and repented and began to once again embrace their forgotten legacy. Day by day, more people returned; sincerity and passion returned. As the repentance increased, Hashem began to show His great hand more and more. One hidden miracle after another, and Esther was in the palace, Mordechai was a powerful governmental leader and the head enemy, Haman, was killed. The fear of the Jews fell upon the nations and the Jews regained their freedom!

Imagine how inspiring and emotionally charging the entire experience must have been. They regained their Jewish pride and most importantly they reaccepted the Torah, only this time out of complete love and total commitment.

Now we have the keys to answer everything.

The Solution

The sin of the Jews was that they had lacked passion and excitement in their Avodas Hashem. They veered away and stopped appreciating Hashem and His Torah. Thus, just as their service was dead, Hashem decreed death upon their bodies. When they rejuvenated and animated their daily service, this brought them back to life in a physical sense as well!

The Party

When they ate from the feast it represented the collective feelings of the whole Jewish public. They were stating, “Achashveyrosh has more fun and enjoyment to offer us than Hashem does!” This was the sin of the entire Nation! The Shushan incident was just one illustration of this!

They always knew that Torah was true, but they viewed it as bland and dead. It was only when they realized the greatness and excitement of Torah and Mitzvos that they were granted new life!

Light and Happiness

This is why the verse uses only adjectives to refer to the four Mitzvos that they rededicated themselves to. It was not enough just to bring back Torah and Mitzvos into their lives. It was a recognition of how exhilarating and invigorating Torah and Mitzvos are that was necessary. Their hearts were ignited to truly feel:

The only light is Torah!

The only happiness are the festivals!

The only fulfillment is through circumcision,

The only  preciousness is Tefillin.

A life of passion and dedication to Hashem!

A Powerful Illustrative Verse Indeed

Now we understand why this verse is so significant in recounting the great Jewish salvation. The recognition and appreciation expressed in this verse was the exact understanding that gave them life!

Recalibration

So too as we begin every new week, during the recitation of Havdalah, we concentrate upon this beautiful and fundamental verse for spiritual alignment. We pray that our hearts too should be opened to appreciate and truly feel just how meaningful and rich our relationship with Hashem is! We are blessed with the opportunity to live this every day!

אשר לא תבוא ושתי לפני המלך אחשורוש ומלכותה יתן המלך לרעותה הטובה ממנה (אסתר א:יט).

“Vashti cannot appear again before the king and she will be replaced…” (Esther 1:19).

If I were to ask you: what happened to queen Vashti? You would respond of course that she was executed! Everyone knows that! Now please allow me to ask you one more simple question: can you please prove it?! How do you know that she was killed?

The Question

You will quote me the Gemara in Megillah (11b), the Midrashim (Ester Rabbah 5:2 etc.) or all of the commentators like Rashi (Esther 1:19), but one source will not be quoted… the text of the Megillah itself! Nowhere in the entire narrative of Megillas Esther is there any direct reference to Vashti’s death sentence! This is very surprising, especially considering that it is one of the most vital points in the entire story as it allowed Esther to be installed in the palace in her stead! What is going on here; why was it left out?

My Search

I spent a large part of this past Purim discussing this question with any person willing to lend me their ears. Most agreed that it is truly a most intriguing and perplexing observation.

At first I came up with one simple answer, which my Rosh HaYeshiva, Reb Aharon Feldman shlit”a also answered to me, after which I showed him a proof for the concept which he approved of. However, I feel that the answer is not enough and after I explain this answer I will tell you what bothers me about it and then I hope to offer what I feel is a stronger resolution, while expressing a central theme of Purim.

Purely Anticlimactic

Achasveyrosh planned that his extravagant party was to show his power and grandeur. For six months straight he flaunted his wealth and honor. The people were awed and impressed. Everything was going smoothly as hoped until a bitter confrontation with his wife occurred. His honor and power were then laughed at! All that he had worked for, was lost! Vashti refused to join the party in the degrading manner  which he demanded of her and she sent strong insulting words expressing her refusal to come. Achasveyrosh was fuming, his honor had been crushed and his hard earned prestige had been challenged. He was determined to restore his power. And so in a moment of rage and foolishness, following of an out-of-line and lowly advisor, he had his wife killed! This would show the world! Now they would see who was in charge!

The response? The people were outraged by this terrible act of brazenness! So strongly did they oppose this impulsive and savage act that Midrash Tehillim (22:26) states that the entire world which he had controlled until then, rebelled against him, gaining their independence and cutting off all ties with him! They would not tolerate such a harsh and insensitive dictator.

What happened after that is that eventually the act was forgiven and then forgotten and when Achashveyrosh appointed Eshter as his new queen, half of his kingdom returned. When Mordechai was made second-in-command the entire kingdom willingly came back under his hand.

The Simple Answer

Why was the killing of Vashti omitted from the text? Very simply, so as not to bring back memories of a brazen, inappropriate act which caused the king so much embarrassment and trouble.

This is the simplest understanding of the entire manner. However, as we have seen time and again, there are many layers of depth that must be uncovered behind the events contained in the Megillah. Thus, I felt that there must be an even deeper and relevant message waiting to be uncovered from all of this. What is that?

Probing Deeper

When one reads the entire story, it is clear to see how every piece fits in the puzzle. Every dot connects and every “natural occurrence” plays a vital role in the Jewish people’s collective salvation. Achashveyrosh made a party, he killed his wife, Esther entered the palace, Haman rose to power and wanted to kill us, Esther and Mordechai devised a plan to intercede on the Jew’s behalf, Haman ended up hanging on the gallows which he made for Mordechai and the Jews won the war!

The danger is that one can read the story and think that many lucky natural coincidences made everything come together in the benefit of the Jews. However, our job is to contemplate each event and see Hashem’s phenomenal and precise guiding Hand orchestrating every single event, down to the finest detail! We must savor how each “natural occurrence” was brought about by Divine providence and kindness, for our sake.

Hashem’s Hand

This I believe is the complete explanation as to why the Megillah perplexingly omits such a vital fact of the story. The very first “natural happening” that began the salvation of the Jews is the killing of Vashti. This allowed for Esther  to replace her and gave her the power to help us in our time of need. Thus, the Megillah purposely omits this opening link in the chain of events, in order to stress to us, that indeed we should not think that Achshveyrosh coincidentally killed his wife, rather we should acknowledge that Hashem killed her and it was precisely for our benefit! It is important to establish starting from the beginning of the amazing storyline that Hashem is the only One behind all of the events transpiring here! When we see this missing fact, we question why it is left out of the story. The answer is that Megillas Esther is not a story! It is a recounting of Hashem’s exact planning  and caring for us!

Hence, the absence of Vashti’s execution from the actual text, begs for us to rethink our approach to life. As faithful Jews we do not look at events as happenstance, rather they are brought by Hashem and at His whim!

Funny Plot

In fact, Chazal (Esther Rabbah 1:1) describe how ludicrous Achashveyrosh’s actions were. “He killed his wife (Vashti) upon the urging of his advisor (Haman) and he killed his advisor (Haman) upon the urging of his wife (Esther)!” How odd indeed!

The Alter of Kelm explains that this demonstration of “Vinahapoch, reversal”, shows that humans were not dictating the show, rather it was Hashem who was calling the shots. Hashem showed just how much He was controlling everything in an almost comical manifestation of contradictory actions according to what He wanted done. It is clear that He was running the show.

This is the entire greatness of our Nation. We strive to see and appreciate how Hashem is acting for our benefit every day.

“ותאמר לו זרש אשתו וכל אהביו יעשו עץ גבוה חמשים אמה… וייטב הדבר לפני המן ויעש העץ” (אסתר ה:יד).

“Zeresh his wife and all of his loved ones told him, ‘let us build gallows (for hanging Mordechai)’, and the idea grabbed Haman and so he made the gallows” (Esther 5:14).

The simple reading of this verse reveals a fascinating observation worthy of our attention. At first, Haman’s family offered advice as to how to kill Mordechai and they stated that they would help him build (ya’asu, let us build) the hanging platform to carry it out. At the end, however, the verse states that Haman built it himself (va’yaas, he made)! What is the lesson here?!

One more question: Chazal (Gittin 57b) tell us, “descendants of Haman converted to Judaism and taught Torah in Bnei Brak”. What merit did Haman have to warrant this and what benefit could have been accrued from his traits?!

Let us sidetrack to a seemingly unrelated topic in order to fully develop the beauty contained here.

Where is the Leader?!

In the building of the Mishkan, one man was appointed to oversee and organize everything. His name was Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur. The perplexing point to note about this great arranger is that he was not called to the scene until everyone else had already arrived and committed themselves to doing all of the work?! Would it not have made more sense to have the master manager and architect stand there from the very beginning of the building project?! Why was he only summoned at the end?

Full Effort

R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l provides a beautiful answer which reveals perhaps his own personal modus operandi which made him the great leader of our nation. He says that human nature dictates that when one thinks that someone else is in charge of getting a job done, he does not exert himself too much. He justifies to himself that others will take care of what has to get done and does not contribute according to his full effort. However, if one sees that he is the only one that can do the task, then he will dedicate himself to the job and even exhibit super-human strength to accomplish his goal.

Hashem wanted the Jews to each offer their all in the construction of the Mishkan. Thus, when they arrived on the scene, each one thought that it was solely up to him. If Betzalel would have been there already, this would have automatically downgraded each person’s feeling of responsibly. Thus, Hashem allowed for each person to dedicate himself fully to the job and only then did He appoint Betzalel as the manager.

Bystander-Effect

Studies have shown, that the less people that are around when someone in their proximity needs emergency help, the faster the onlookers respond to provide aid. If many people are present, each one just ignores the trouble and often help is not given until it is too late. This is known as the bystander-effect. A diffusion of responsibility takes place in each person’s head.

True Responsibility

The proper way to live life is to always see oneself as “the man” in a place where there are no other men to act! This way one will challenge himself to be the best that he can be! Reb Moshe Feinstein embodied this trait, always pushing himself to do more for Hashem and for Klal Yisrael, and never being satisfied to use others as an excuse for inaction.

Frogs of Egypt!

Let us develop this idea from one more source. The Gemara in Pesachim (53b) tells us that Chananya, Misha’el and Azaryah in Bavel deduced logically that they should allow themselves to be thrown into the furnace to stand up for Hashem’s honor. They said that, “the frogs in Egypt were not commanded to die for Kiddush Hashem, Hashem’s sake, yet they chose to jump into the ovens of the Egyptians for the sake of Hashem, kal v’chomer, certainly, we who are commanded in Kiddush Hashem must do the same! With this, they fell into the furnace, only to be miraculously saved by Hashem.

Wait A Minute!

The Shages Aryeh posed a bomb question on this famous Gemarah. The verse (Shemos 7:28) discussing the plague of frogs states explicitly that the frogs were commanded to jump into the ovens, thus indeed they had an order to do so, and the logic of the three sages is not understood!? How could they learn from the frogs based on the fact that the frogs “chose to die without a commandment”, when in fact they were clearly commanded to enter the stoves and die?!

Enter Little Eliyahu

The Vilna Goan (Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer [1720-97]), was seven years old at the time when this question was posed. He modestly approached the Shages Aryeh to offer his answer. The verse states that Hashem commanded the frogs to invade Egypt, they were to go everywhere. The list of targets included: houses, beds, mixing bowls and ovens. This being the case, each frog had a choice as to whether he should sacrifice his life or not. Many frogs just allowed their friends to go into the ovens while they simply infested a house or bed. Hence, only certain frogs took the responsibly upon themselves to give up their lives to fulfill Hashem’s command regarding the ovens. It was with this in mind that the three sages made their perfectly logical extension to themselves! Upon hearing this, the Shages Aryeh bent down and gave little Eliyahu a kiss on his cheek while exclaiming, “you will be a great sage of Israel one day!”

Our Leaders

This is the perspective of our great men in Klal Yisrael. They see what has to be done and they do not look around to see if anyone else is responding. Rather, they immediately take the entire job upon themselves and make sure that it gets done. They are proactive and thus most productive. They know what “responsibility” means.

Tying It All Together

This is how Haman acted, in the negative. He saw what had to be done. He did not want to defer for one moment on account of waiting for others. They had offered to assist him, but he could not delay! His evil zealousness pushed him to begin and finish the job himself that very night! He acted according to the motto, “if you want something done right and fast, do it yourself!” This is the simplest explanation of our opening verse.

Power For Torah

This trait when used for the right matters is the power of productivity. The leaders of our nation all possess a passion for building and accomplishment despite all adversity. It was this power of Haman, to jump to action, that was converted and channeled by his descendants who used the trait for building and spreading Torah for us. This is what Torah is all about, action and responsibility, towards Hashem and our fellow people.

The Lesson of Life

Chazal teach us that the primary descendant of Haman who channeled Haman’s traits into the Torah-world was Rav Shmuel Bar Shilas. It is appropriate and relevant to note that he was the most famous teacher of students throughout the entire Talmudic literature. The significance is that one of the most important lessons to teach children is that each person has a special and individual role in this large universe. One must undertake to bring out his full potential; to give his all for Hashem and society. Who is more fit to teach the lesson of responsibility than a descendant of Haman the Evil, who embodied this trait for his negative undertakings.

Effect On Torah

This is the exact reason that the Jews reaccepted the Torah at the time of Haman. They accepted the yoke of commitment which they understood was their job to fulfill. This is the entire theme of Purim. Our commitment and fortitude overcame Haman’s evil determination.

One who develops and uses this trait for proper causes will find tremendous success every day of his life and will be an inspiration to all!

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.