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PURIM This coming Monday night and Tuesday, we will celebrate the happiest holiday in Judaism; Purim. One of the reasons for our joy, is that we killed Haman who was from the tribe of Amalek. The Talmud (Megillah 7b)tells us,
and so it is found in the Book of
Jewish law (Shulchan Aurach Aruch Chaim 695:2), that every Jew is
obligated to get so drunk on Purim, that he doesn't know the difference This is very difficult to understand! Firstly, how could we ever bless Haman, the very personification of evil and anti-Semitism, no matter how drunk we are? Secondly, How could we ever be so drunk as NOT to bless Mordechi? If it weren;t for him, there would be no Jewish people today! (A "Purim" answer might be that this is exactly what is happening in Israel today; cursing the righteous and justifying the terrorists seems to be a national pastime.) Thirdly, since when is it a Jewish thing (no less an obligation!) to get drunk? To understand this, let us ask another question. As a preparation for Purim, we read parshat "Zachor" which contains the strangest Commandment in the Torah; wiping out Amalek. How can G-d actually expect us to murder an entire nation of human beings including women and children just because of their nationality? Is this Judaism? It sounds exactly like the type of thing that Haman (and the Hamans of every generation) wanted to do! The answer is in the following story. You have probably heard of the Chevron massacre of 1929. The gruesome details have been reported again and again about how the Arabs lived in perfect harmony with their Jewish neighbors, until one day for no real reason they rose up and slaughtered as many of them as they could in cold blood. One of the few that remained alive told the following story:
When the massacre began, he was
sitting with his cronies in someone's Arabs poured in from the entire area to loot and kill. First they began with the Jews on the streets and the Synagogue. Then they began raiding the Jewish homes, and when they finished they broke up into smaller groups and began searching the Arab homes as well, with the hope of possibly finding a Jew or two hiding there. A mob of about ten reached the house where Menashe was sitting, opened the door and entered. "Any Jews here?" they asked. "No", Menashe's friends answered in unison. "What about him?" they said pointing at Menashe. "Nope!" they replied. "He's one of us!" The murderers nodded, turned on their heels, returned to the street, closed the door behind them and proceeded to the next house. But before they could get to the next door, suddenly from house they just left, the door opened and out came.. Menashe. A strange desperate look was in his eyes as he ran toward them shouting. "IT'S NOT TRUE, IT'S NOT TRUE! I'M A JEW! I'M A JEW!" The Arabs killed him on the spot. No one, not even a Jew, has any idea what it means to be a Jew. We are the "sons" and the "chosen" of G-d, and this is something that completely defies comprehension. Similarly, anti-Semitism is a phenomenon that is without reason. A perfect example is the popular classic of Jew-hatred called the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion." It explains that the Jews have a secret plan to take over the world, and therefore must be eliminated from pure self-defense. Almost every other religion (Islam and Xianity are outstanding examples) and nation (England, Italy, Rome, France, Russia even Holland to name a few) in history had or still has such a plan. Except for the Jews. But for some reason (or rather, for NO reason) the book forgets all the others and irrationally targets ONLY the Jews. Similarly with Haman, and thousands of years later, Hitler. The Jews posed no threat whatsoever to their evil plans of world conquest, nevertheless they hated the Jews more than any other enemy and tried to murder them all. Immediately after each of his conquests, Hitler ordered his soldiers to scour every inch and every corner including even the forests looking for Jews. It was as though that that was his real motive for trying to take over the world. Even near the end of the war when soldiers and equipment were desperately needed at the front, he sent them to Hungary to eliminate Jews instead. One of the old Chassidim in Kfar Chabad, Rabbi Mendel Futerfass, explained it very well: "A Cossack could kill Jews all day, but at night he would get drunk and cry. Never mind that the next day he would continue killing. But he did it because he was an animal and his murder was from fury. But when the Germans came it was completely different. A German could spend hours killing Jews, take a cigarette break, wipe off his boots and resume." This is Amalek; evil for the pure sake of evil. Just as a Jew loves G-d and is willing to sacrifice even his life for G-d (like Menashe in our story). So Amalek is willing to sacrifice everything to destroy the "sons" or the "chosen" of G-d. In fact, that is where Purim got its name; literally "Lottery Day". At first glance it isn't appropriate, the holiday should have been called "Esther's or Mordechi's Day." The Lots were seemingly a very minor feature of the story. But the reason that Haman threw Lots, was because he wanted to connect to a level that is above all measure and understanding. A level where there is no good or bad, right or wrong, curses or blessings. And from here he thought he could succeed, even against G-d's chosen people. In fact, the books of Kaballah explain
that this is the reason he built the gallows for hanging Mordechi FIFTY cubits (about seven stories!) But he was wrong. So wrong, that he himself was hung on those same gallows. Haman was from Amalek about whom it says "He recognizes G-d, and wants to rebel against Him." In other words, Haman knew and recognized the truth; that G-d creates all being including Haman himself. But nevertheless he wanted to rebel against Him, even if it means self-destruction. He hated the Jews because he hated G-d. What he didn't know was that G-d "chose" the Jews from a level that is also higher than good and bad or even blessing and curses. And that here the Jews are unexplainably higher than Amalek. That is why there are no names of G-d written in the Megillah; because the holiday of Purim reached to G-d's essence above all his names. So this is why we must drink. Alcohol can change a person drastically as the saying goes, "When wine goes in, the secrets come out". And the innermost "secret" of every Jew comes out on Purim; that our connection with G-d is above all logic, even the logic of the Torah. And even if a Jew is "evil" or "cursed" (as the Jews were in the time of the first Purim after eating at Achasverosh's meal, and bowing to the idol around Haman's neck) nevertheless by unquestioningly following "Mordechi" they can reach a level above all opposites and change both themselves and the entire world in an instant. So the commandment to destroy Amalek even the babies. really has no explanation. It makes no sense and ONLY the Moshiach will know who these destructive people are. Until then, the Lubavitcher Rebbes (who are the Moshiach or Mordechi of each generation) in their writings called Chassidut, have taught us how to identify and eliminate the spiritual "Amalek" within ourselves. Amalek is "coldness" to Torah and Mitzvot, "doubt" about the Goodness and Ability of G-d (the Hebrew word "Amalek" is the numerical value of "Safek" which means "doubt") and "hatred" toward others. And the way to eliminate it is by following the orders of "Mordechi"; Self-Sacrifice at learning Torah, prayer and loving others. But mainly through the Joy of knowing that we are G-d's people, and that every deed we do brings Moshiach one second nearer. May we all defeat the Amalek within us and merit to really dance in Joy THIS PURIM with.... Moshiach NOW! Rabbi Tuvia Bolton Torah Online Site: http://www.ohrtmimim.org/torah * * * On Purim 1953 the Lubavitch Rebbe was speaking to hundreds of his Chassidim in the large Chabad Synagogue in Brooklyn when he, for no apparent reason changed the subject and announced, “Let us all cheer Hurrah! Hurrah!” and the Rebbe began shouting over and over “Hurrah! Hurrah!”. His perplexed followers took up the chant until the entire room was rocking from the rhythm of “Hurrah! Hurrah!”. After several minutes of this, the Rebbe suddenly became silent again, and returned to his previous deep line of thought as though nothing had happened. The next day’s newspaper headlines read: ‘Stalin is Dead’. Later the details were revealed. The evil Communist dictator was planning a ‘purge ’ of all the Jews in the U.S.S.R but he suffered a sudden heart attack on Purim before just days before he could carry it out. The Rebbe’s ‘Hurrah’ (In Hebrew can be reduced to ‘Hoo Ra’ lit. ‘He is Evil’) did the job. A similar story is told about the
Tzemach Tzedek, the third Lubavitch Rebbe,
who, 150 years earlier, through his prayer and reading of the Magilla
on
Purim contributed greatly to the death of the evil, Anti-Semitic Czar This is because Purim is the highest of all the Jewish holidays! The Medrash tells us that the only holiday that will be really noticed in the in the days of the Moshiach (because of the great G-dly revelations then) will be…. Purim! [Yalkut Shimoni remez 944] Purim is even holier than Yom HaKippurim! (the day of atonement, usually considered to be the holist day). The Zohar explains that therefore the name ‘Kipurim’ can be interpreted ‘Ki-Purim’…‘almost like Purim’. Purim is also more potent than Yom Kippur. Before the first Purim (some 2500 years ago) the Jews had publicly bowed down to idols and partaken in the forbidden feast of King Achasverosh; sins that Yom HaKippurim cannot cleanse. But Purim not only erased these sins, it transformed them into a holiday of joy and festivity. We also find (Talmud Shabbos 88a) that the first time in history that the Torah was actually fulfilled (almost 1,000 years after it was given on Mount Siani) by the Jewish people was….on Purim. Therefore Purim is higher than Shavous (The holiday of the giving of the Torah). And the joy of Purim exceeds even that of Simchat Torah (considered the happiest holiday of the year); Purim is the only holiday that there is no limit on getting intoxicated and being happy (of course being careful not to transgress any commandment). To understand why Purim is so high, let us look at what really happened back then. The Jewish people just before the
first Purim (between the 1st and 2nd
Temples some 2,300 years ago) were probably in the best political situation
ever. The Queen of the world, Esther, (Achashverosh, her husband, ruled
the
world) was a Jewess! One of the King’s chief advisors (who had
recently even
saved the kings life!) was Mordechi the Jew. All the Jews got invited
to the
King’s personal party. There was Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality…PEACE, Suddenly arose to power a man called ‘Haman’ who, with no effort, convinced the King, “To kill, destroy and liquidate all the Jews in one day” for no clear reason! No Jew was to be spared; there would be nowhere, and not even any time to escape, and no one could possibly save them. In other words, the worst decree that befell the Jews, or any other nation for that matter, in the history of the world! What was the reaction of the Jews this sudden catastrophe? They didn’t utilize their connections, nor did they take to the streets in protest. The fun-loving Jews that only weeks ago were bowing to idols and enjoying the forbidden feast of King Achashverosh, suddenly realized that the whole business was G-d’s punishment to them for trying to be NORMAL (because every Jew is a representative of the Creator more than he is part of the creation). So they reacted accordingly. They all fasted and prayed for three days non-stop. What makes the whole thing even more remarkable is that they all could have escaped death by simply… denying their religion! Haman’s decree was to Kill, destroy etc. all the JEWS, and anyone who said, “I’m not Jewish” would have been saved! But amazingly in the twelve months that the sword of destruction hung over their heads (the decree was declared in the month of Nison and was to be implemented twelve months later in Adar) NOT EVEN ONE Jew even THOUGHT of denying Judaism! This is a tremendous soul sacrifice that is unparalleled in the history of man; that an entire nation would all risk death for one full year rather than say a word against their G-d! And this is what makes Purim so great, even higher than all the other Holidays. This explains two unusual factors of the Magilla (the scroll we read on Purim): 1) throughout the entire story, the Jews are called only by the name ‘Yehudim’ and not by their usual Biblical names; such as bnei Yisroel etc. And 2) no name of G-d appears even once in the entire book. The reason for these oddities is that the word ‘Yhudi’ is rooted in the Hebrew term for surrender, “Hoda’a”. On that first Purim, for the first time in history, all the Jews completely surrendered to G-d, and their surrender was so total and genuine, that it touched on a level of G-dliness above all names or titles; the essence of the Jews became one with the essence of G-d. What does this all mean for us today, how will this improve our Purim a few days from now? In retrospect we can see that the Miracle of Purim was more a spiritual than a historical one. It was the battle of the Jewish people against the archenemy of G-d, ‘Amalek ’. It sounds a bit surrealistic but it’s true. The Torah informs us that G-d created a force of ultimate evil and destruction in the world called Amalek. This force, as well as being embodied in a certain nation, (which is recognizable from their burning anti-Semitism i.e. the Nazis, Arafat etc.) is also an aspect of the personality of each and every person, (especially every Jew!). The reason that this Amalek hates the Jews is because he hates G-d (see Rashi on Numbers 10:35) and the Torah informs us that the battle against him will never end (Exodos 17:16) until the arrival of the Moshiach. The holiday of Purim gives each of us the power to defeat this Amalek within us (the Hebrew letters in the word ‘Amalek’ are the same numerical value as the word for ‘Doubt’, ‘Suffik’) namely to destroy all our doubts about the Goodness and Power of the G-d of Israel, the truth of His Torah, and especially that He will bring the Moshiach immediately. The way to do it today, to really tap into this power and enjoy Purim just as then, is through connection to the Mordechi of our generation, a Tzaddik like the Lubavitch Rebbe whose job it is to ‘Gather all the Jews’ and bring each and every one of them to realize that he is a ’Yhudi’ a special representative of G-d. From this connection comes the Happiness and power… and eventual victory over Amalek through our Rightous Moshiach. Moshiach Now! Purim S’ameach! Rabbi Tuvia Bolton |