YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Purim & The Month of Adar
- Purim in Our Time
translated by Hillel Fendel
The Sages teach that Israel's final Redemption will follow the path of the Purim redemption. King David's spirit of holiness (ruach hakodesh) inspired him to write Psalm 22 in connection with Purim. It begins with the words ayelet hashachar, referring to the rise of the morning star. Ayelet is like ayalah, a doe that jumps from place to place – and this is precisely how the Purim redemption developed: with jumps from one situation to another, from the danger of total destruction to a state of salvation and joy.
Just like the sun rises very gradually from within the darkness, so too Israel was redeemed with stops and starts from within the depths of the dark Exile to a great light of salvation and dawn. One might think that because there were no open miracles in the process, such as the Splitting of the Sea, perhaps Israel's salvation on Purim was simply a natural course of events, with no Divine providence. Therefore this Psalm comes to teach and remind us of the wondrous speed and purposeful direction – even though it did not appear that way at the time – in which the events of the Purim salvation took place, like a doe jumping from place to place.
When we read the Scroll of Esther, we see that everything happened fast: When Queen Esther requested to invite King Ahashverosh and Haman to a feast, the king ordered his servants to "rush Haman over here" (Esther 5,5). And then when Haman advised the king how to honor a favored servant – thinking it was himself – by having him ride on the royal horse and giving him other honors, the king said to him, "Quick, take the royal garb and horse as you said and do that honor for Mordechai the Jew" (5,10). Then, when Haman returned home, mourning over his humiliation, the king's servants came and "hurriedly brought Haman to the banquet prepared by Esther" (6,14). Everything happened hastily, showing that the G-d of Israel was the author of the events of redemption. From the depths of the darkness, with one big jump Israel went out to great light: "The Jews had light and happiness and joy and honor" (8,16).
The Jerusalem Talmud teaches:
R. Chiya Rabba and R. Shimon bar Chalafta were walking in the Arbel Valley before dawn, and they saw the first signs of the sun’s rays – the ayelet hashachar – beginning to appear on the horizon. R. Chiya turned to R. Shimon and said: “This depicts the Redemption of Israel: It begins little by little (kim'a kim'a), and then gets increasingly greater…"
And so it was in the beginning [of the Purim salvation]: "Mordechai was sitting in the king's gate" and then "Haman took the royal garb and the horse…" and then "Mordechai returned to the king's gate" and then "Mordechai returned to the king's gate" and then "Mordechai went out from the king with royal garb" and then "the Jews had light and joy…" (B’rachot 1,1)
The Maharal of Prague, in the introduction to his work on Purim on the Scroll of Esther entitled Ohr Chadash, explains that since the Redemption is from G-d, it does not happen all at once, but rather in stages – because it is impossible to rise up to the highest level of Redemption in one time. This is why the Sages likened it to a doe that advances by jumping quickly, one jump after another. The Redemption, too: Since it begins from Israel's lowest point in its Exile, and will ultimately reach the highest level, it must come gradually, and cannot happen all at once.
On the other hand, the jumps happen quickly, one after the other. This is how it was during the times of Mordechai and Esther: There were several stages, occurring consecutively and quickly. In fact, everything was reversed and the redemption was completed within one day! "It was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over their enemies" (9,1).
That is to say, based on these words of the Sages, and according with the Maharal's explanation, we learn that the future Redemption can also happen with dizzying speed, stage after stage.
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
The Sages teach that Israel's final Redemption will follow the path of the Purim redemption. King David's spirit of holiness (ruach hakodesh) inspired him to write Psalm 22 in connection with Purim. It begins with the words ayelet hashachar, referring to the rise of the morning star. Ayelet is like ayalah, a doe that jumps from place to place – and this is precisely how the Purim redemption developed: with jumps from one situation to another, from the danger of total destruction to a state of salvation and joy.
Just like the sun rises very gradually from within the darkness, so too Israel was redeemed with stops and starts from within the depths of the dark Exile to a great light of salvation and dawn. One might think that because there were no open miracles in the process, such as the Splitting of the Sea, perhaps Israel's salvation on Purim was simply a natural course of events, with no Divine providence. Therefore this Psalm comes to teach and remind us of the wondrous speed and purposeful direction – even though it did not appear that way at the time – in which the events of the Purim salvation took place, like a doe jumping from place to place.
When we read the Scroll of Esther, we see that everything happened fast: When Queen Esther requested to invite King Ahashverosh and Haman to a feast, the king ordered his servants to "rush Haman over here" (Esther 5,5). And then when Haman advised the king how to honor a favored servant – thinking it was himself – by having him ride on the royal horse and giving him other honors, the king said to him, "Quick, take the royal garb and horse as you said and do that honor for Mordechai the Jew" (5,10). Then, when Haman returned home, mourning over his humiliation, the king's servants came and "hurriedly brought Haman to the banquet prepared by Esther" (6,14). Everything happened hastily, showing that the G-d of Israel was the author of the events of redemption. From the depths of the darkness, with one big jump Israel went out to great light: "The Jews had light and happiness and joy and honor" (8,16).
The Jerusalem Talmud teaches:
R. Chiya Rabba and R. Shimon bar Chalafta were walking in the Arbel Valley before dawn, and they saw the first signs of the sun’s rays – the ayelet hashachar – beginning to appear on the horizon. R. Chiya turned to R. Shimon and said: “This depicts the Redemption of Israel: It begins little by little (kim'a kim'a), and then gets increasingly greater…"
And so it was in the beginning [of the Purim salvation]: "Mordechai was sitting in the king's gate" and then "Haman took the royal garb and the horse…" and then "Mordechai returned to the king's gate" and then "Mordechai returned to the king's gate" and then "Mordechai went out from the king with royal garb" and then "the Jews had light and joy…" (B’rachot 1,1)
The Maharal of Prague, in the introduction to his work on Purim on the Scroll of Esther entitled Ohr Chadash, explains that since the Redemption is from G-d, it does not happen all at once, but rather in stages – because it is impossible to rise up to the highest level of Redemption in one time. This is why the Sages likened it to a doe that advances by jumping quickly, one jump after another. The Redemption, too: Since it begins from Israel's lowest point in its Exile, and will ultimately reach the highest level, it must come gradually, and cannot happen all at once.
On the other hand, the jumps happen quickly, one after the other. This is how it was during the times of Mordechai and Esther: There were several stages, occurring consecutively and quickly. In fact, everything was reversed and the redemption was completed within one day! "It was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over their enemies" (9,1).
That is to say, based on these words of the Sages, and according with the Maharal's explanation, we learn that the future Redemption can also happen with dizzying speed, stage after stage.
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
