Tzipiyah.com

The story of Purim is full of “coincidences”, actually small miracles which led to the complete survival of the Jewish people against all odds. The story of Purim actually took place over a few years, and had we not put it all together into one story we probably would see it merely as a random chain of events rather than Hashem’s hidden hand in saving us. And I believe Purim is a metaphor for life in general. Our life happens seemingly slowly, event after event, and only after we look back at 120 years can we see how actually these events were actually nothing more than from the hand of Hashem. Hashem is hidden in this world unless we attune ourselves in seeing everything from a spiritual perspective. And it couldn’t be any other way, or we would have no reason for existing. The whole challenge of our life is to recognise the G-dliness in everything, despite what appears contrary to it and despite what our yetzer hara tries to convince us as otherwise. Were Hashem to be revealed, we would have no true free choice, and we would be no different to animals who simply do what they were created to do and angels who have no choice to do anything else. So on Purim we not only recognise G-d being hidden, but we celebrate it, for that’s what gives us our challenge and our purpose as human beings, and we can rest assured that G-d is in our lives intervening whether we recognise it or not.  

  Last Shabbat I went on a shabbaton called Jewlicious and I came back from it with a feeling of optimism and excitement. The shabbaton was geared towards Jews from all different denominations of Judaism and I was curious how this shabbaton would cater to everyone. As the Shabbaton progressed I became more and more amazed at how well everyone got along and respectful everyone was of each other, despite their religious differences and world views. Even during the various learning sessions and activities there was a sense of acceptance of one another for the simple reason that we are all Jews . The highlight of the shabbaton where this achdut(unity) was felt, was during Havdalah, which lasted for 45 minutes and was accompanied by hundreds of voices singing Havdalah together. As I looked around I was inspired by this amazing experience I was experiencing with my fellow Jews and how proud I was to be part of such a wonderful nation. It was also powerful and moving as we sang “Am Yisrael Chai” because there was a mixture of people, those who were experiencing their first Shabbat and were those who have been keeping it all their lives. Despite this, there were no negative feelings felt by anyone from the group.

 The reason I left the Shabbaton with such a feeling of excitement, is because of the feeling of unity that surrounded me, unlike during the story of  Purim. The commentaries explain that the reason Haman confidently told Achashverosh that they would be able to destroy the Jews was because of their lack of unity. We see from Haman’s observation that we as a nation become vulnerable to attack by our enemies when we lack unity and caring for our fellow Jews. As we know, the way that the Jews were able to repeal the terrible decree against them was by gathering together in unity. It was only then that their fasting and prayers were answered by Hashem. I think that even though this shabbaton was only a fraction of the Jewish population, seeing this kind of unity is encouraging and exciting especially during these critical times in history when there is fear of the unknown. In addition to prayer and doing mitzvot we can’t forget our powerful special weapon that will ultimately bring the Geulah: Our achdut and love for our fellow Jews!

As I will be celebrating Shushan Purim this year, I thought I should re-post this incredible Dvar Torah.

Rav Kook had a sefer in which he would put a statement for each month of the year which would represent the meaning of the month. For the month of Adar, Rav Kook wrote:

“המזכירים כרכים ומוקפים מימות יהושע בן נון לא יוכלו להישאר עבדי אחשוורוש”
“They who mention towns and walled cities from the days of Yehoshu’a bin Nun are unable to remain servants of Ahashverosh” 

In order to understand this deep statement, we must understand the two parts of it and what their meaning is:
What is the meaning of the walled cities from the days of Yehoshua bin Nun?
What does it mean to remain a servant of Ahashverosh?

The concept of walled cities from the days of Yehoshua bin Nun should be familiar with most of you. The First Mishna in Massechet Meguila reads:

“Cities surrounded by a wall since the days of Yehoshu’a bin Nun read (the Megillah) on the fifteenth (of Adar); villages and large cities read it on the fourteenth.”

The gemara then goes on to ask why we go by the day of Yehoshua bin Nun and not the day of Purim, when the miracle happened. The Babylonian Talmud has a different answer than the Jerusalem Talmud.
For the Talmud Bavli, the answer comes from a gzera shava- an illogical, irrational way of analyzing the torah (the comparison of similar terminology of two different verses, utilizing each verse to explain and clarify the other). Thus, when the Torah speaks of unwalled cities when Joshua went to conquer Israel, it also defined the concept of unwalled cities for Shushan Purim.

The Talmud Yerushalmi has a much deeper, much more logical answer: The Yerushalmi says that the reason is that we want to preserve the honor of Jerusalem.

Maimonides write on that:

“Why was the matter (of the dates of Purim) made dependent on the days of Yehoshu’a bin Nun? In order to give honor to (the cities of) Erez Yisra’el which lay in ruin at that time (of the Purim miracle.) In order that they will read (the Megillah) on the fifteenth (of Adar) as the inhabitants of Shushan do, and they will be considered as cities surrounded by a wall – even though at present they lie in ruin, for they were surrounded (by a wall) in the days of Yehoshu’a. Thus this miracle (of Purim) will include a commemoration of Erez Yisra’el.”

It is interesting to note that Shushan itself was not walled from the days of Yehoshua bin Nun and therefore, Shushan, which is the reason why we first wanted this holiday, ends up being a second class exception while Jerusalem takes the center stage in that holiday. As the Rambam said, this holiday ends up being a commemoration of Erets Israel.
The basis for the two day holiday is “the honor of erets Israel”!

Let us pause on minute to answer the second question. What did Rav Kook mean when he spoke of “Servants of Achashverosh”?
It is actually a halachic concept. This is one of the 3 reasons recorded why we do not say Hallel on Purim. Unlike in our generation where we went out of our confrontation with amalek with Political independence, in the time of purim, the Jews were still subject to Achashverosh’s ruling. There was no political independance therefore it says “we were still the servants of Achashverosh”, and as such we cannot say Hallel.

The gemara in Hullin asks what is the source for Esther in the torah. The gemara answers:

“‘And I will surely conceal My face (“haster astir”) on that day,’ (Devarim 31:18.)”

Rav Nachman of Breslov explains that there are two types of concealments of God. Rebbi Nachman of Breslev is saying that sometimes, we feel God concealed his face from us and feel bad, striving to get closer and closer to him. However, there is an even worse type: When God’s face is so concealed, that we do not even realize it is concealed.

Meguilat Esther is the last book in the Tanach (chronologically). It is an amazing miracle, but it also holds hidden it in a great tragedy. I heard from Rav Aviner that the reason we drink is to forget this great tragedy.

Two generations before the story of the meguila, there was a declaration from Koresh, king of Persia, similar to the Balfour Declaration of our generation, letting all Jews go back to their ancestral homeland and build the Temple.
However the resulting events gave rise to two opposing political movements. An autonomous kingdom is established in Yehudah, as the books of Ezra and Nehemyah describe. Simultaneously the Jews are offered ‘emancipation’ – the opportunity to become one with the surrounding nations, as the books of Ester and Daniel depict.

Then, there was the great feast of Achashverosh. In the feast, he took out all the utensils from the Beit Hamikdash and used them in his feast in order to symbolize that the Jews would not return to build the Temple. Rather, they were now well integrated in Persia (or Montreal, New York, Washington, LA, Miami, England etc…) and were part of the upper echelon of this society.
It might seem like a great thing when Joe Lieberman lives in the Kings Palace, and in some ways it is. However, it is also a great danger if this makes us so comfortable that we ignore rising opportunities to go back to the land of Israel when they come up. It becomes a state of Haster Astir. We don’t even realize the concealment anymore!

Therefore, only a tiny minority of poor people went back to Israel while all the great sages and rich people integrated in the high ranks of chuts laarets society. This refusal to go back to Israel is explained tragically by the Kuzari, after the King of Khazar asks the Rabbi why he did not move to Israel (during a time of complete exile):

“Indeed you have found my point of great shame, King of Kuzar. It is the sin which kept the divine promise with regard to the second Temple, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion” (Zech. ii. 10), from being fulfilled. Divine Providence was ready to restore everything as it had been at first, if they had all willingly consented to return. But only a part was ready to do so, whilst the majority, including the important leaders, remained in Babylon, preferring dependence and slavery, and unwilling to leave their houses and their affairs…Divine Providence only gives man as much as he is prepared to receive; if his receptive capacity be small, he obtains little, and much if it be great. Were we prepared to meet the God of our forefathers with a pure mind, we should find the same salvation as our fathers did in Egypt.” (Kuzari 2:24)

Purim is a time in which the Jewish people participated in a feast which was a mockery of the nation, displaying all the vessels of the temple. However, religiously, it was all glat kosher. Purim is a time in which the great tragedy of haster astir came to the Jewish Nation.
The Gemara teaches

‘Just as when (the month of) Av enters we diminish simhah (happiness,) so too when (the month of) Adar enters we increase simhah.’” (Ta’anit 29a)

Rashi immediately explains as follows:

“‘When Adar enters’ – The miraculous days of Purim and Pesah (occurred then) for Yisra’el.” (Rashi, ibid.)

It seems that Rashi’s commentary makes no sense –Pesah is not in Adar, but in Nissan. Why then does Rashi say that when Adar enters we are to increase our happiness owing to the two festivals of Purim and Pesah?
Pesah is the first miracle that was brought for all of Am Yisra’el, while Purim is the final miracle, (which is recorded in the Tanakh.) These two miracles occurred in the Diaspora, on the way to Erez Yisra’el, both showing a hester panim.
This is closely related to the month of Av, as the Gemara states:

“Just as when Av enters we diminish simhah, so too when Adar enters we increase simhah.”

The devastation of the month of Av began with Am Yisra’el, when the meraglim incited the nation not to enter into Erez Yisra’el. The hope of its rectification appears with Purim, in the knowledge that even in the darkness of the exile and the Diaspora, we have the power, and God’s hand will never fail us. From Purim we can learn how to find God in a state of Haster Astir and never to loose sight of the fact that we should always be on our way to erets israel.
This is why Shushan Purim was created. This is why we go back to the days of Yehoshua Bin Nun, in order not to forget Erets Israel. In order to show us that even if in the time of Purim, the people in Erets Israel were all poor and the people in Shushan (and New York, and LA, and Miami, and Montreal) were all rich and integrated, in God’s eyes, the people of Jerusalem were the people who were the rich ones.

When one remembers that, then he will not be a slave to achashverosh anymore. He will never be a slave to his money, to his nice household etc… all things which make him be slave to Achashverosh rather than Gd, rather than being an independant nation in the service of Gd.

“המזכירים כרכים ומוקפים מימות יהושע בן נון לא יוכלו להישאר עבדי אחשוורוש”
“They who mention towns and walled cities from the days of Yehoshu’a bin Nun are unable to remain servants of Ahashverosh”

In order to fullfil this duty of remembering the walled cities of the days of Yehushua Bin Nun, remembering Jerusalem, and in order not to be servants of Ahashverosh, I made a video clip of Jerusalem. Its not Amazing, but it is worth watching in order to keep Jerusalem in our hearts and keep making each of our steps a step towards Yerushalaim and the rebuilding of our temple. I think everyone should look at it on this new month of Adar

As our boys defend our homeland, possibly with their lives, in the Gaza strip, we all must stop and take a few minutes to say Tehillim for them, or add a personal prayer for them into our daily routine. For the skeptics who don’t see how prayer can help such a situation, allow me to offer an example that might illustrate the power of prayer.

A friend related this short Dvar Torah to me today, and it struck a chord with me: Two of the most well known celebrations in the Jewish calendar are Purim and Chanukah. On Purim, we remember how Haman tried to wipe all the Jews in the Persian kingdom off the face of the map. He did not care if this Jew was assimilated or didn’t believe in Judaism, he wanted to physically kill out every single trace of Judaism he could. On Chanukah we remember how the Greeks tried to assimilate us. Our life was not their desire, just our culture. As long as we acted as Greek as we could, they were happy. They wanted to destroy Judaism not physically, but spiritually. On Purim, we combated Haman’s physical threat to our existence with prayer, fast and a slew of spiritual acts. On Chanukah, the Maccabim raised their weapons and waged war on the Greeks.

In both stories, the Jews were not destroyed. After all, here we are, reading Tzipiyah.com! Interesting to note that in both stories, the Jews successfully overcame their enemies with the force opposite that of the threat. When we were physically intimidated, we fought back with prayer, with spirituality. When we were spiritually intimidated, we fought back with war, the physical.

As a physical war wages on in the Middle East, as our boys put their lives on the line to protect those of the citizens of Israel, perhaps what we need to gain an edge is the force opposite that of the threat. Perhaps, to combat the physical attacks on our lives, we need some spirituality. Some prayer?

And, on another spiritual note, we are about to commemorate Asarah B’Tevet, the day that the Babylonian army laid siege to Jerusalem, eventually leading up to the destruction of the first Holy Temple. We commemorate this day spiritually, with fast and prayer. Over the course of the day, every time you get a pang of hunger, a desire to break the fast, if it really isn’t an emergency, think of our boys, risking their lives, and in their merit, overcome the hunger! Persevere as they are trying to do for us. A few hours without food is comparatively a small gesture for us to do for them.

May we soon see the end of this hardship, and may we merit seeing the light pierce this heavy, heavy darkness. May we witness the coming of Mashiach, Bimhera BiYamenu, Amen!

Written by Aliza of Torah Topics
http://torahtopics.blogspot.com

Purim is a holiday all about the hidden miracles in life – Hashem was hidden in the story of Purim, and His name is not mentioned once throughout Megillat Esther.

As the name alludes to, megilla comes from the Hebrew word “L’galot,” to reveal or uncover, and Esther comes from the word “Hester,” hidden or covered. Thus, Purim is viewed as a Holiday where Hashem’s guiding hand was hidden, but we look through to see that now and commemorate His presence in our lives, though seemingly hidden.

Pesach, on the other hand, was a time when Hashem’s miracles were ever-present, and so obvious to all. They were great in quantity and in quality, even more so than any other time in Jewish history. Pesach is thus a time for looking at the miracles which are obvious.

The time in between Purim and Pesach should then be a time where we go from not being able to see Hashem or His miracles to being able to see Him everywhere in everything. This time should a growth period where we work on seeing His hand in everything; such as the fact that we breathe and walk, that the snow melts and that the sun shines, that a baby is born and that an old man dies…

As Pesach then approaches we have prepared ourselves to commemorate His hand in the Pesach story more so than we would have been able to otherwise, and that is really what this time should be used for. We can’t just jump straight into Pesach and the remembering of the redemption from Egypt.

Remembrance days are often used as just that; days for remembrance. However there’s no internalizing these things we remember or growth from what we have learned. This is where Pesach differs from any American or Canadian remembrance holidays. This Yom Tov is for remembering the story through the reading of the Haggadah and constant reminders throughout the year during our prayers and such, but we don’t just remember. We also learn lessons and open our eyes to the miracles Hashem has given us.

My bracha to you all is that you be able to recognize the hand of Hashem in everything in your lives, in the good times and the ‘bad,’ and in the mundane and extraordinary. Hashem is always there to guide us, but it is up to us whether we open our eyes to His presence or not.