Description: Purim 02
Sichos Rav Shimshon Pincus
Purim 02
There’s another point about the nais of Purim which is made by the Arizal. Every Yom Tov was established due to an event that happened during that day in history. The miracle of Yetzias Mitzrayim happened during the time when Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim. That was the actual occurrence, that was when the miracle took place. When Klal Yisrael came to Har Sinai on the day of Shavuos, the heavens opened up and they witnessed the truth of Hashem’s oneness in the world, ‘atah har’aisah lodaas,’ and from then on, that day was established as the day of Kabalas Hatorah. The event happened only once, but the day has become part of the yearly cycle. When Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim they were surrounded by the Ananei Hakavod, and were protected in the Midbar, and this too became one of the miracles which created a Yom Tov.
Rosh Hashanah is a time which was originally the creation of the world, which happened once, and is commemorated every year. Yom Kippur was when Hashem forgave Klal Yisrael for the sin of the eigel, and was established as a holy day of forgiveness throughout the generations. Even the Yom Tov mi’derabanan of Chanukah, was established because of the miracle that took place at that time, as we say, bayamim ha’haim, bizeman hazeh, in those days, during this time of year.
Just as the physical year has seasons and times which change, but come around every year, the spiritual year is the same. The event that happened during a certain time of year, imbues that time of year with its spiritual energy. Pesach, when the miracle happened created freedom, and the time became ‘zman cheirusainu.’ Every year when Pesach comes, we have the spiritual power of ‘cheirus’, freedom. The Torah infused that power within the year, and likewise, the Chachamim did the same with Chanukah.
However, Purim, says the Arizal, is different. Chazal say in Medrash that Mordechai Hatzaddik met Eliyahu Hanavi and asked him if the decree made by Haman had been sealed in Shamayim. Eliyahu confirmed that the decree originated in Shamayim and had been sealed, but not permanently sealed. This was the true danger Klal Yisrael was in at that time. Haman and Achashveirosh were mere pawns in the hand of Hashem. They couldn’t affect Klal Yisrael as hard as they tried. The real tzarah was the decree which had been sealed in heaven. Imagine, if Achashveirosh tells Mordechai and Esther, that a decree signed by the hand of the king and stamped with the king’s seal can’t be revoked, ‘ksav asher nichtav b’sheim hamelech vi’nichtam b’tabaas hamelech ain li’hashiv,’ then certainly the decree of Hashem, Melech Malchei Hamelachim, whose seal is truth, chosamo shel Hakadosh Baruch Hu emes, can’t be revoked. This was a calamity facing Klal Yisrael which had been unequalled in all the previous generations.
But within this tremendous time of danger, Hashem opened up a doorway of redemption, a miracle of Rachamim, that the day itself destined for destruction, decreed for our devastation, turned into our greatest redemption. ‘Vi’nahapoch hu!’ The true nature of this nais wasn’t the fact that we were saved, but the fact that the relationship between Hashem and Klal Yisrael underwent a change at that point. There was an outpouring of mercy and love from Hashem, which brought us back to the level of love that existed when Hashem gave us the first luchos – ‘hadar kibluhah,’ Klal Yisrael once again accepted the Torah on Purim.
A mashal for this is, when a child asks his father for an expensive toy, his father will probably refuse saying, ‘Do you think money grows on trees?!’ But if that night, the child starts screaming in pain, the father will rush him to the hospital and pay out whatever money he has to try and save his child! Where did that money come from? But when it’s a situation of danger – money is not an object, everything is opened up, and all that the father has will pour forth, in love and mercy.
The Arizal says, that the power of the nais of Purim wasn’t merely that that generation was redeemed. Rather, as the Megillah says, ‘vi’zichram lo yasuf mi’zarum,’ the power of this nais, this change of relationship, remains in every generation. The nais is still active today. That outpouring of love and mercy from Hashem, revives itself every year during Purim. Despite the fact that we are not currently in danger from Haman, it is in full force. It’s not a historical neis, it’s currently active – we are not commemorating a miracle, we are celebrating a miracle. The Arizal says, Purim is different than all the Yamim Tovim in this way as well.
Sichos Rav Shimshon Pincus
Purim 02
There’s another point about the nais of Purim which is made by the Arizal. Every Yom Tov was established due to an event that happened during that day in history. The miracle of Yetzias Mitzrayim happened during the time when Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim. That was the actual occurrence, that was when the miracle took place. When Klal Yisrael came to Har Sinai on the day of Shavuos, the heavens opened up and they witnessed the truth of Hashem’s oneness in the world, ‘atah har’aisah lodaas,’ and from then on, that day was established as the day of Kabalas Hatorah. The event happened only once, but the day has become part of the yearly cycle. When Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim they were surrounded by the Ananei Hakavod, and were protected in the Midbar, and this too became one of the miracles which created a Yom Tov.
Rosh Hashanah is a time which was originally the creation of the world, which happened once, and is commemorated every year. Yom Kippur was when Hashem forgave Klal Yisrael for the sin of the eigel, and was established as a holy day of forgiveness throughout the generations. Even the Yom Tov mi’derabanan of Chanukah, was established because of the miracle that took place at that time, as we say, bayamim ha’haim, bizeman hazeh, in those days, during this time of year.
Just as the physical year has seasons and times which change, but come around every year, the spiritual year is the same. The event that happened during a certain time of year, imbues that time of year with its spiritual energy. Pesach, when the miracle happened created freedom, and the time became ‘zman cheirusainu.’ Every year when Pesach comes, we have the spiritual power of ‘cheirus’, freedom. The Torah infused that power within the year, and likewise, the Chachamim did the same with Chanukah.
However, Purim, says the Arizal, is different. Chazal say in Medrash that Mordechai Hatzaddik met Eliyahu Hanavi and asked him if the decree made by Haman had been sealed in Shamayim. Eliyahu confirmed that the decree originated in Shamayim and had been sealed, but not permanently sealed. This was the true danger Klal Yisrael was in at that time. Haman and Achashveirosh were mere pawns in the hand of Hashem. They couldn’t affect Klal Yisrael as hard as they tried. The real tzarah was the decree which had been sealed in heaven. Imagine, if Achashveirosh tells Mordechai and Esther, that a decree signed by the hand of the king and stamped with the king’s seal can’t be revoked, ‘ksav asher nichtav b’sheim hamelech vi’nichtam b’tabaas hamelech ain li’hashiv,’ then certainly the decree of Hashem, Melech Malchei Hamelachim, whose seal is truth, chosamo shel Hakadosh Baruch Hu emes, can’t be revoked. This was a calamity facing Klal Yisrael which had been unequalled in all the previous generations.
But within this tremendous time of danger, Hashem opened up a doorway of redemption, a miracle of Rachamim, that the day itself destined for destruction, decreed for our devastation, turned into our greatest redemption. ‘Vi’nahapoch hu!’ The true nature of this nais wasn’t the fact that we were saved, but the fact that the relationship between Hashem and Klal Yisrael underwent a change at that point. There was an outpouring of mercy and love from Hashem, which brought us back to the level of love that existed when Hashem gave us the first luchos – ‘hadar kibluhah,’ Klal Yisrael once again accepted the Torah on Purim.
A mashal for this is, when a child asks his father for an expensive toy, his father will probably refuse saying, ‘Do you think money grows on trees?!’ But if that night, the child starts screaming in pain, the father will rush him to the hospital and pay out whatever money he has to try and save his child! Where did that money come from? But when it’s a situation of danger – money is not an object, everything is opened up, and all that the father has will pour forth, in love and mercy.
The Arizal says, that the power of the nais of Purim wasn’t merely that that generation was redeemed. Rather, as the Megillah says, ‘vi’zichram lo yasuf mi’zarum,’ the power of this nais, this change of relationship, remains in every generation. The nais is still active today. That outpouring of love and mercy from Hashem, revives itself every year during Purim. Despite the fact that we are not currently in danger from Haman, it is in full force. It’s not a historical neis, it’s currently active – we are not commemorating a miracle, we are celebrating a miracle. The Arizal says, Purim is different than all the Yamim Tovim in this way as well.