Purim — Then and Now
Insights from the miracle of Purim for practical life
Before Purim arrives, and certainly on Purim itself, a Jew must ask a fundamental question: what is the inner avodah, the spiritual task, of this awesome and exalted day?
Everyone fulfills the practical mitzvot of the day as set out in Halachah. In many places, thank God, people increase Torah study on the night and day of Purim, and this is certainly great and important. Yet Torah study is obligatory every day; what is unique about Torah study specifically on Purim?
Likewise, eating meat and drinking wine certainly gladden a person, but at first glance these seem external. How, then, do we fulfill the mitzvah of Purim joy in our inner work as Jews?
To clarify the matter, we first raise several questions. Purim is so lofty that it is said: “Yom Purim is like Yom Kippurim.” Some explain that Purim is comparable to Yom Kippur; others, in the name of the Arizal, explain that Yom Kippur is “like Purim,” implying that Purim is even higher. But how can they be compared? Yom Kippur is filled with holy awe, when we resemble angels; Purim is a day of eating, drinking, and becoming merry.
The Gemara (Megillah 12a) says that the students asked Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai why the Jews of that generation were sentenced to destruction. They answered: because they enjoyed the feast of that wicked man. The Gemara implies that their main fault was not necessarily forbidden food, but the enjoyment itself. Why was this so severe?
When Esther heard of the decree, she told Mordechai: “Go, gather all the Jews found in Shushan, and fast for me; do not eat and do not drink for three days, night and day” (Esther 4:16 — “Fast for me, and do not eat or drink”). Why the double wording? If they fast, they obviously do not eat or drink.
Our Sages also teach that in the future all festivals will be nullified except Purim. What is unique about Purim that it will never cease?
And we must understand the obligation to drink wine and become “besumei” on Purim, something not found in the same way on other festivals.
Purim compared with the other festivals
On all other festivals there is an open miracle: in Pesach, the Ten Plagues, the splitting of the Sea, and the war with Amalek; in Sukkot, the Clouds of Glory; in Shavuot, the Revelation at Sinai; in Chanukah, the few defeating the many and the miracle of the oil. But in Purim, all the events of the Megillat Esther can appear natural, explainable, even coincidental.
The king holds a feast and kills Vashti while drunk — apparently a coincidence. He chooses a new queen and “happens” to choose Esther. Mordechai “happens” to hear Bigtan and Teresh plotting against the king. Later the king cannot sleep and rewards Mordechai. Haman is executed after seeking to destroy the queen and her people — all seemingly natural.
The chain of coincidences that became a miracle
Yet precisely these natural events created the miracle of Purim. Each link alone could be dismissed as chance, but when all the links are joined, one sees clearly that it was not chance but the hand of Hashem. Only by viewing the whole Megillah from beginning to end does one see Divine Providence guiding history.
“The judgments of Hashem are true, righteous together”
Therefore, the miracle of Purim appears in full only when the story is seen as one whole. This is why one who reads the Megillah out of order has not fulfilled the mitzvah: he may have read every word, but he has not seen the thread of Providence weaving the miracle together.
Purim is the day on which we praise Hashem not for open miracles alone, but for His Providence within daily life, within the events that seem “accidental.” This is the special light of Purim, drawn from the Providence revealed in the generation of Mordechai and Esther.
Da’at Torah — how far?
The sin of that generation, according to their level, lay in their superficial view. Achashverosh invited them to his feast; Mordechai warned that this was not fitting for the Jewish people. Even if there was no clear Torah prohibition, the spirit of the Sages was not pleased with such participation. Some argued that Mordechai was too strict and did not understand politics: if they angered the king by not coming, the danger might be greater. They accepted his greatness in Torah and Halachah, but claimed that in matters of state they understood better.
Calculations about tomorrow — the beginning of the fall
This was the beginning of their downfall. They should not have calculated what the king would do tomorrow; they should have asked what Hashem wants today. If His will is not to attend the feast, that must be done without calculations, and tomorrow Hashem will help.
Do not enter the governance of the world; leave that to Hashem. Hashem wants you as a Jew today, not as tomorrow’s Jew. If today it is not proper to be in a place of desecration of Hashem’s Name, all calculations must be set aside. No evil can result from fulfilling Hashem’s will.
“Because they enjoyed” — the revelation of the inner self
Some argued that going to the feast itself was necessary, perhaps even “a time to act for Hashem,” because Achashverosh was volatile and dangerous. Midrashim relate that some hid and were brought by force. Why, then, were they culpable?
The answer is in the precise words of the Sages: not “because they ate,” but “because they enjoyed.” Even if eating was forced, why did they enjoy it? No one compelled their inner pleasure. They should have eaten like people coerced, not as participants who enjoyed the feast. That enjoyment revealed their inner state.
“Fast for me; do not eat and do not drink”
Esther therefore said: “Fast for me; do not eat and do not drink.” She meant that mere fasting was not enough; they had to repair the very area in which they had damaged themselves — eating, drinking, and enjoyment at that feast.
The essential avodah of Purim
Purim is a taste of the World to Come and of the resurrection of the dead. On this day the avodah is to rejoice in what one has merited. During the rest of the year a person focuses on repairing his flaws, and through breaking materiality he attains joy — a joy resembling Yom Kippur.
On Purim, however, one rejoices in the spiritual achievements already granted to him. He reflects: what was my state last year, and what is it now? I have learned more, understood more, gained a healthier outlook. Though much is still lacking, those calculations belong to the rest of the year. On Purim the work is: “Who is wealthy? One who rejoices in his portion” — and some explain: his spiritual portion.
Hashem wants the Jew of “today”
This is the deep correction for the failing of that generation: they did not see the present properly; they lived with Hashem through calculations about tomorrow. In Purim we thank and rejoice that we are Jews — today.
If a person appreciated the value of even one spiritual ascent, he would be filled with joy. Saving one Jewish soul is like saving an entire world; even one Shabbat, one mitzvah, one broken desire, one avoided word of lashon hara is an entire world.
The dance over “Who has not made me a gentile”
It is known that the great Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Baruch Ber zatzal, would say that if a person understood the blessing “Who has not made me a gentile,” he would begin to dance: “Master of the Universe, whatever I am — I am; but a gentile, I am not!” Every level is worthy of special joy and gratitude.
Yom Kippurim — like Purim
This is why Yom Kippur is “like Purim.” Purim is higher in the sense that on it we rejoice in what we have attained in the present. Every spiritual level, even small, every act of Divine service or correction of a trait, is reason for immense joy. This is a lofty avodah, even beyond Yom Kippur, whose focus is regret for the past and prayer for the future.
“Hashem reigns”
It is easier for a Jew to cry about the past, thank for the past, or pray for the future, than to truly live with Hashem in the present — within the current trial, darkness, and story. Seeing the hand of Hashem in every detail requires contemplation; otherwise everything appears as chance.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts”
Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim zatzal, the Ben Ish Chai, illustrated this with a story. Two Jews traveled in the desert; one had three loaves and the other two. They met a hungry Jew and shared their bread. At the end he gave them five gold coins. The one with three loaves wanted three coins; the other wanted half. The Ibn Ezra ruled: four coins to the first and one to the second. Why? Five loaves equal fifteen thirds. Three people ate five thirds each. The first owned nine thirds, ate five, and gave four. The second owned six thirds, ate five, and gave one. The Ben Ish Chai concluded: if people cannot understand this simple calculation, how can we expect to understand Hashem’s ways? As the verse says: “כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם ולא דרכיכם דרכי... כי גבהו השמים מארץ כן גבהו דרכיי מדרכיכם ומחשבותי ממחשבותיכם” — “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways... as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
A mistake directed from Above
A story is told of an elderly woman in a nursing home. Because of a confusion between two similar names, another woman was buried by mistake as if she were the first woman, and her son sat shivah. When the error was discovered, it turned out that the actual deceased woman had long begged her son to give her a Jewish burial, while he had refused and planned to donate her body to science. Through this “mistake,” she received taharah, Jewish burial, Kaddish, and shivah. Her son admitted: “She was right and I was wrong. The Creator of the world truly took care of her.”
Living the present
The word “mikreh,” chance, is homiletically read as “rak mah” — “only what?” This explains why we say: “Hashem reigns, Hashem reigned, Hashem will reign.” Past faith is easier, and prayer for the future is common. But living with Hashem in the present, moment by moment, even amid darkness and trial — that is avodah.
The avodah of Purim is to live the present, my present spiritual reality, and to rejoice in it. Everything I have received, I received through His abundant kindness.
Purim will never be nullified
The Maharal explains in Or Chadash that the other festivals are connected to the Exodus and open miracles, whereas Purim reveals God within nature. Therefore, even when the light of open miracles is hidden, Purim remains: its message is recognition of God within the natural order. That will never cease.
The essence of Purim is to plant in every Jewish heart the lesson running through the Megillah: there is no coincidence. The “events” of life reveal Divine Providence. A person must rejoice and thank Hashem for everything he has today.
The custom of costumes
One reason given for wearing costumes on Purim is that the miracle was clothed in nature; therefore we too cover our faces. More deeply, the Jew declares: what you see externally is not my true self. My true self is inner, and within I rejoice in what Hashem has granted me spiritually.
“A person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim”
In the name of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter zatzal it is said that “ad delo yada” is not the measure of fulfilling the mitzvah, as if one has not fulfilled it unless completely drunk. Rather, the mitzvah is to drink wine and rejoice, and it continues throughout the day until one reaches a state in which he is exempt, like a drunk or a shoteh. Rashi and the Tur, however, indicate that the mitzvah itself is to become intoxicated with wine.
Revealing ourselves as we truly are
The day’s avodah is to live our inner self and reveal to ourselves who we are. Wine removes the mask worn during the year; “when wine enters, the secret emerges.” The hidden true self is revealed, and this brings deep joy.
Increasing joy in Adar and decreasing it in Av
Our Sages said (Ta’anit 29a): “Just as when Av enters we decrease joy, so when Adar enters we increase joy.” Joy is not external. In Av we live the absence — the lack of the Beit HaMikdash and the Shechinah’s full revelation. In Adar we live what exists: what we have received, what we have merited with Heavenly assistance, the Jew within me today.
Whoever stretches out his hand
Rabbi Shalom Schwadron would cry out: was Purim created for foolishness? True, one must become merry, but not to disgrace oneself. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter once said on Purim: today, whoever stretches out his hand is given. He asked Rabbi Naftali Amsterdam what he requested. Rabbi Naftali answered: the mind of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, the depth of the Netivot, the clarity of the Ketzot, and the heart of the Rebbe. Rabbi Yisrael replied: No. With your mind, your understanding, your depth, and your heart — that is how you must serve.
Rabbi Zusha once said: what would Hashem gain if I were Avraham Avinu? There would be another Avraham Avinu. Rather: be Zusha. Do not seek to be someone else; be what you are.
This is Purim: recognize what you are and rejoice in it, for through this you will become what you truly are meant to be.
Living the present as a path to the future
Of course, this does not mean settling for little. One must always strive for higher levels in serving Hashem. But to serve properly, with all inner powers, a person must recognize his own value and rejoice in what he has merited; from there he will continue with greater strength.
Be what you are
A person must live who he truly is, bring his inner self from potential to actuality, and rejoice in it. A wise man said: “You are not what you think you are, nor what others think you are. You are what you think others think you are.” This prevents a person from flourishing in avodat Hashem. When one implants true joy in his heart and soul over who he really is, over what he has merited and received from Hashem, even in the smallest spiritual attainment, it gives birth to genuine inner joy.
