YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Purim & The Month of Adar
- The Essence of Purim
The Torah study is dedicatedto the full recovery of
Asher Ishaayahu Ben Rivka
2. The Uniqueness of Purim
The Book of Ester will Never be Annulled
The Jerusalem Talmud records an interesting discrepancy regarding the Bible’s ultimate fate: "Rabbi Yochanan says that all the books of the Prophets together with the entire body of the Sacred Writings in the Bible will one day be annulled, while the Five Books of Moses will not...; Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish claims that in addition [to the Five Books of Moses,] the Book of Ester and the laws of the Oral Tradition will never be annulled" (Tractate Megillah 1:5).
Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon), in his comprehensive codex of Jewish law, "Mishneh Torah," sides with, and expands upon, the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish:
"All of the books of the Prophets and the entire body of the Sacred Writings in the Bible are destined to be annulled in the Messianic Age, with the exception of the Book of Ester. It, like the Five Books of Moses and the laws of the Oral Tradition, will never be annulled...and though all memory of past misfortune be erased...the festival of Purim will endure…" (Hilkhot Megillah 2:18).
Rambam, then, does two things:
a. He pinpoints the period of imminent nullification: the Messianic Age.
b. He explains that though with the advent of the Messiah all past misfortune will be forgotten, the Festival of Purim - a festival that on the face of it appears to have been born of misfortune - will not be annulled.
But why?
There is nothing wrong with recalling calamity. To the contrary, by remembering misfortune we recognize the fact that the hardship is behind us - that we were spared and continue to exist. Through remembrance, we come face to face with God’s Providence. And though Divine Providence is constantly at work in the universe, it becomes that much more perceivable when, after feigning absence, it makes a grand "reentry." Absolute darkness calls greater attention to the light. Hence, even with the passing of time, we must be careful not to forget the suffering of the past.
Yet, it is only natural that with the arrival of the complete and final redemption we ought to discard such recollections. Dwelling upon such all-too-real and painful experiences can only sadden one’s heart and prevent one from feeling the wholehearted joy of complete salvation. This being the case, why not forget what happened to us on Purim? What makes this particular festival so unique?
The Uniqueness of Purim
The Book of Ester tells us: "Therefore they called these days Purim, from the word ‘Pur’" (Ester 9:26). Pur, or lot, is the singular form of Purim - and this is exactly the point. On Purim, the Pur of the individual - i.e., the wicked Haman - became the Purim of the masses - Israel. "Pur equals fate" - by means of the Pur, Haman permits, as it were, the hand of God to intervene and to decide the course of history. In this manner, it becomes evident that rather than playing according to Haman’s game, God is in fact acting on behalf of the glory of Israel. Haman’s fiendish schemes were transformed by God into success for the Jews; the hardship itself turned out to be the passageway to salvation.
Let us, then, proceed to explain what happened in the story of Purim: Haman prepared a gallows fifty cubits high with the intention of hanging Mordecai thereupon. The Jews were no doubt petrified when they saw this scaffold in Haman’s private courtyard. To them, the gallows embodied suffering. Yet, in the end, the tree was not used for hanging Mordecai, but for hanging Haman himself. It was fear alone, and not actual suffering, that gripped the Jews. In retrospect, the "suffering" of the Jews turned out to be a genuine salvation from Haman.
The same principle holds true regarding the Haman’s deadly decree. "Something written in the king’s name and sealed with king’s ring cannot be retracted" (Ibid. 8:8). Only a decree to annihilate the Jews, and the fact that it was sealed with the king’s ring, could make it necessary for Achashverosh to allow the Jews to gather, fight for their lives, and merit deliverance. If the initial order to annihilate the Jews had been retracted, we would today be left with no Purim festival at all. Only when viewed upon the background of this woeful scheme does Purim become "a day of good fortune for Israel," and Haman’s decree, a death-sentence for himself and his people. The misfortune and suffering of the Jews is revealed as nothing more than a figment of the imagination. Indeed, it evolves into salvation itself. This is Purim: the Pur of Haman is transformed into the Purim of the Jews.
This sort of misfortune must be remembered even in the hour of ultimate salvation, for it contains not even a hint of pain. It does, though, convey an important lesson, particularly for the Messianic Age, concerning which it is written, "And from it, salvation will arise."
All of the difficulties are in fact the source of rectification toward the complete redemption!
May God grant us the wisdom to understand His ways, and the privilege to witness His return to Zion.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 2
The King of the Kazars, in his search for truth, starts by inviting the philosopher. This is a "crash-course" on Aristotelian philosophy and the reasons why the king is not convinced. Through this dialogue, R. Yehuda HaLevi already foreshadows some of his central ideas that will appear later.
Shavuot "Love of Torah = Love of Israel"- for Shavuot
People often identify Judaism as just a religion, but upon examination, we see, even halachically and explicitly in the siddur, that the Torah is dependent upon Am Yisrael, Jewish nationalism.
Ein Aya The Middle-Child & Anti-Tzni'ut Syndrome- Negative Attention
Although tzni'ut is for men just like women, Rav Kook deals here with the sources in Yishayahu and the Talmud which deals with the special problem of lack of tzni'ut in women's dress and actions, where it's not just a problem of midot and character traits, but also can include practical, social and national ramifications, as well, which caused the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and exile from Israel. The class continues the previous one (Ayn Aya Shabbat vi, 29), and is a must for all educators and parents of high-school aged and young adults.
P'ninat Mishpat P'NINAT MISHPAT: A Mess of Loans, Repayments and Grievances – part II
based on ruling 83033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
based on ruling 83033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
