Beit Midrash
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  • Purim & The Month of Adar
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The 1,800 year old Midrashim on Esther, could actually have been written today! Our sages teach that King Achashverosh hated Israel more than Haman did (Yalkut Shimoni, 1054), but they had a difference of opinion: Achashverosh said to Haman that all the many who tried killing Israel never succeed, for the G-d of Israel is always on our side. Haman & Zeresh answered with 2 creative theories:
1. Theologically: G-d USED to choose the Jews, until we sinned, upon which He abandoned us. He thought to prove from Nevuchadnetzar's destroying the Temple in Jerusalam (ibid). [In reality, it was a threat that wasn't meant to be carried out. Only after hundreds of prophetic threats, we left Him no choice but He had to TEMPORARILY send us to Bavel. In Persia, G-d PRETENDed to ALMOST DESTROY US- one of the reasons for costumes on Purim, see 1053, & Megilla 12a). Similarly, the Christians claim that G-d changed His mind and left us to chose them.
2. Also, G-d saved Jews from furnaces, lion-dens, jails, deserts but nobody ever tried hanging us (ibid, 1057)! Similarly, Iran thought that nobody ever tried NUKING Israel!
Here's an unbelievable Midrash which is worthwhile to publicize to all of these & future anti-Semites: G-d said to Haman "You are the biggest FOOL! Even I TRIED and DIDN'T SUCCEED (as if it were!) to wipe out Israel after the Golden Calf sin! And YOU think that you will succeed in your "wish(ed) to obliterate, kill and do away with all the Jews"?!, ibid 1054). Our sages are teaching that the MOST IMPOSSIBLE thing in the world is to wipe out Israel! Also, "if there is no Israel, what use is Torah?!" (ibid, 1056)
How much more so TODAY when G-d is in the process of redeeming Israel forever, " 'He [Bil'am] gave a parable [=prophesizing about the end of days] and said: OY! Who can survive when He does this? (Bamidbar 24, 23), OY to the nation who tries hindering when the Holy One, Blessed be He, redeems His children (Israel). Who (What FOOL) dares place his garment to separate between a lion and his female lioness when they wish to mate? [Woe to him, for he who does so will certainly not "survive"]" (Sanhedrin 106a). Put in the names of the fools: Hamas, Hizballah, Syria, Iran…
Many don't note the exact "dotting" in Shoshanat Ya'akov, NOT "תשועתם היְתה לנצח" )=their victory was forever- which it wasn't!), but rather "תשועתם היִית לנצח", =YOU have been their eternal salvation. Our salvation is the salvation of the G-d of Israel, as we saw just yesterday once again in Persia!
After the Six Day War, the famed R. Menachem Kasher (intr. to his edition, Kol HaTor) suggested adopting the reading in Al HaNissim, adding the letter vav, that G-d miraculously saves Israel בימים ההם וּ- בזמן הזה= "in those days AND today, but from now on, on Purim we can have that in mind without needing to change any wording, for He saves us "בימים ההם בזמן הזה" "in those days at this time (Adar) AND in our time!"
Surprisingly, the Rambam allows teaching Torah to Christians (despite his considering the trinity as idolatry) for they accept the Bible, but writes it's a waste of time to try teaching Muslims (despite that they are monotheists like us), for they say that Israel "warped" the Bible! (Maimonides' Letters, Blau edition, 148)
Pres. Trump and many Christians know Megillat Esther, but the Islamic world doesn't, that's why the Persians keep uselessly trying and getting walloped. Many Christians have already learned not to FOOL with the G-d of Israel. That He obviously doesn't make "mistakes", will never abandon His Chosen People, and that they should even help us! But many Islamic religious leaders would be wise for their own sake, to objectively recheck and revise their clear and proven folly and immorality. Only then can there be world peace.
If Moslems aren't interested in learning Bible, at least we should teach them Pete Seeger's classic song against violence, "Where have all the flowers gone?... When will they ever learn?!" It's surely better for us and better for them and their people as well!
In the meantime we must all celebrate and thank Hashem, the IDF (especially our Intelligence & Air Force: taking out their ruthless leader+ 40 (=most) of their military heads within 1 minute in 3 simultaneous strikes, probably a world record!), and Trump! He may be flawed (as was Achashverosh), but they understand something that Haman and Iran do not! Purim Same'ach! Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)


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