Torah Teasers

The Nes of Purim Paves the Way For A New Aleph Bais The gemara (Sanhedrin 21b) says that originally the Torah was written in Ksav Ivri and only later in the time of Ezra HaSofer was the Torah given in Ksav Ashuris (our Ksav today). What is the significance of this change and why did it happen in the time of Ezra?
Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev in Kedushas Levi says that the prelude to Ezra and the building of the second Bais HaMikdash was the Nes of Purim. Krias Megilas Esther was accepted by all of Klal Yisroel two years after the Nes, and in the next year the Bais HaMikdash was built. The reason for this, explains the Berdichever, is as follows.
The gemara says that after the Nes of Purim Bnei Yisroel accepted the Torah in a way that they hadn’t accepted it at Har Sinai. At Har Sinai they recognized the power of Hashem to override Teva and do with it as He pleases breaking every and any rule. They did not recognize however Hashem also has the ability to work within Teva. Only after seeing Hashem manipulate politics and clearly orchestrating a series of happenstances in favor of Bnei Yisroel during the dark times of Haman, did they finally understand that all of what happens and all that we see, is not merely natural world order but rather Hashem’s will and choreography, albeit in a hidden manner.
The Seforim say that Hashem created the world with the 22 letters of the Aleph Bais. This might seem beyond our comprehension initially, however we must understand that the Aleph Bais are not shapes but rather different manifestations of the power of Hashem. In Shamayim there are no shapes for the letters as no shape can hold the unlimited power of each letter. The shapes of the letters of Ksav Ashuris are depictions of these powers as they appear in this world of natural limitation.
After Purim with the acknowledgement of Hashem’s power within every mundane substance and event, we were zocheh to receive the Aleph Bais, itself a worldly exterior to infinite power. The concept of the materialization of Hashem’s presence in the world paved the way to the materialization of power of Hashem within the Aleph Bais.
*****************************************

How To Get Drunk on Purim The gemara says (Megila 7b) that on Purim we need to get drunk until we don’t know the difference between Arur Haman and Boruch Mordechai. What does this mean?
He explains as follows. The Meforshim ask why was Paroh punished for enslaving the Jews if that was Hashem’s decree? They answer that Paroh in his cruelty went far beyond what Hashem decreed, and for that he was punished. If so asks the Chasam Sofer, Haman only tried to carry out Hashem’s decree of wiping out Bnei Yisroel r”l, why was he punished? The Chasam Sofer answers that had he done it to fulfill the mitzva of Hashem he would not have been punished. However he did it for his own pleasure and for that he was killed.
If so, says the Chasam Sofer, the only difference between Haman and Mordechai was the intent. Each one carried out their mission but Haman’s error was that he did it for his pleasure. Therefore, says the Chasam Sofer, on Purim we become intoxicated in a way that would have left no difference between Haman and Mordechai, L’Shem Shamayim. Just like Haman would have done Tzivui Hashem by killing the Jews had he done it Lishma, so too we must get drunk on Purim for the sake of fulfilling our obligation and not for our own pleasure. Or else there is an obviously vast difference between Haman and Mordechai, and we haven’t become shikorim K’halacha.
*************************************

The Sweet Smell Of Adar The Arizal says that each month represents a part of a person’s head. The month of Adar represents the “nose”. Sweet smell, says the gemara Brachos (44b), gives pleasure not to the body but rather the Neshama. The Bnei Yisaschar explains that when Adam and Chava ate from the Eitz HaDaas they used all their sense for the aveira except their sense of smell. The pasuk says, she saw, she listened, she touched, and she tasted. But nowhere does it say that anyone smelled. Therefore the sense of smell has a certain purity that is unmatched by the other senses.
It is therefore appropriate that for the great Nes that took place in the month of Adar, the month of smell, that both of the heroes of Purim, Mordechai and Ester had names referring to smell. Mordechai’s name says the gemara Chulin (139b) is hinted in the name of the fragrance used in the Ketores called Mor Dror or Mira-Dachya as translated by Unkelos. Ester’s real name, the Megila tells us (2:7), was Hadasa the sweet smelling myrtle tree. Since a person’s name represents their true inner self Mordechai and Ester with their lofty purity were able to avoid the pitfalls of Achashveirosh and his materialism during his party and even while living in his palace. During the special month of Adar where these qualities reign supreme, these two pure tzaddikim saved Klal Yisroel from destruction.
**********************************************

With Haman Gone All Is Clear Everything that happens in the world is an open miracle. The whole bria is obviously the hand of Hashem. It is we who are blind to this. All we need to do is open our eyes to see it. We need to stop looking at the world in term of nature, and events as happenstance or “Mikreh”. Rav Gedalia Schorr in Ohr Gedalyahu explains that the worst propagator of happenstance in the world is our deadly enemy, Amaleik. Amaleik is the koach of cooling off every feeling and clear sighting of Hashem, by rationalizing it away.
Purim was a victory over Haman who was the Koach of Amaleik. When we defeat Amaleik, the truth behind the world becomes crystal clear. Without Amaleik, even a series of logical political events, one following the other, can be seen in its true light. Without Amaleik, everything is clearly the hand of Hashem no matter how rational it seems. Rebbi Yochanan tells us that this pasuk refers to the defeat of Amaleik. When that happens, even the simplest people in the world can also see Hashem.

Created By Avrohom Sherman
786-565-9945
[email protected]