Rabbi Piny Hackenbroch

The Purim story surround the epic battle between the Jewish people and Haman who attempts to exterminate them. This battle is in fact one chapter in an epic eternal conflict between the Jewish people on the one hand and Haman’s antecedents Amalek on the other.

By understanding the underlying rationale in the original battle and encounter we can arrive at a deeper appreciation as to the celebration of Purim and the relevance and lessons for our own lives.

Amalek’s ability to carry out an initial attack on the Jewish People was borne out of our nation’s spiritual vulnerability. This was manifest in their questioning “is G-d really with us or not?”

The Talmud interestingly in describing this state of uncertainty records that “their hands became weak in their connection to the Torah. The hands symbolise man’s connection to the world, his ability to function within the world. Their hands, their ability to function became disconnected from the Torah and as a result from G-d. (They didn’t see the connection between the development of the physical world and the Divine will.) Thus their recognition of the Divine providence was weakened, enabling Amalek the deniers of Divine providence –to attack.

For this reason when Amalek attacked the Jewish people Moshe lifted his hands pointing heaven wards as a result they were victorious in the battle. The Mishnah explains that it was not Moshe’s raised hands that saved them, but rather when the Jewish people directed their eyes heavenward and subjugated their hearts to Hashem, they overpowered Amalek. The hands of Moshe were a test. Would the people attribute their success to the secondary cause to Moshe hands or would they look beyond the hands to see the Divine providence orchestrating history. 

At the time of the Purim story this mistaken perception was perpetuated by the people’s  refusal to recognise the Divine providence choosing to pin their hopes for salvation on placating Achashverus. For this reason they went against Mordechai’s wishes choosing to attend the Royal banquet which they felt would ensure their position was secure.  In fact this act endangered the Jewish people as it ran contrary to the wishes of Hashem.

In reading the Megillah, we express the fact that history itself testifies to Hashem’s guidance of world events. Behind the mask of the plethora of causes and effects in the world, one can discern the Divine hand orchestrating events toward His goals. One of the requirements of the Megillah is that of sirtut, the Megillah must be scored with lines before the letters are written similar to a Sefer Torah.  Rav Leff suggests that the letters and words of the Torah represent the unfolding of events over the course of history. The almost invisible lines on the parchment upon which these letters are written represent the divine plan, the path that is already extant before those events actually occur.

Reading the Megillah on Purim is a timely reminder of the timeless lesson of the Almighty shaping the contours not just of history but guiding a protecting our every step.

Purim is perhaps one of the most enigmatic yet misconstrued days in the Jewish calendar. A festival of celebration of our nations salvation, as we stood on the brink  of extermination at   the hands of Haman and king achashvereush. Yet it is often misunderstood  as a day of mere merriment and revelry when many lose control of themselves.

Remarkably one of the most fascinating insights concerning Purim is that its “twin” is Yom Kippur.  

This seems baffling at first glance Yom Kippur is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar when we abstain from physical pleasures spending the day in fasting and in repentance. Purim on the other hand is a day of tremendous joy where there is a greater emphasis on physical enjoyment and pleasure reflected in the mitzvoth of the day which are centred around eating and drinking. Never could there be a greater contrast in the mode of  the experience of the two days.

The Vilna Gaon writes that the two are mirror images of each other. Each of our festivals follow a divided format. Half of the festival consists of obligations to G-d (ie prayer etc and the other half is for our  personal enjoyment.)

The Vilna Gaon writes “ Yom Kippur lacks this arrangement in that there is no half set aside for our personal enjoyment. On Yom Kippur we stand before G-d simulating angels, totally putting aside the fulfilment of our bodily pleasures. The activities of Purim are the opposite: Most of the day is devoted in some fashion to physical pleasure.

Rav Hutner develops this idea further Purim and Yom Kippur are mirror images of the other. Each provides the missing half that the other lacks. This is even indicated by their names: Yom Hakippurim is a Day “Ki- Purim similar to Purim”. Together, they constitute one complete festival reflecting the dual aspects of “ half that is for G-d and half that is for man”. In effect they are two halves of one whole. This whole, this unity represents a deep cry, a scream that rises from the Jewish soul-our inner most desire to carry out His will. But we find ourselves being prevented from doing so. Both reasons that prevent the Jewish people from serving G-d fully-the evil inclination and the subjugation of the Jewish people by foreign empires descending from Esau must be rectified. This is the point where Purim and Yom Kippur converge. The combination of these two festivals brings about the elimination of the two barriers.

Yom Kippur has the ability to remedy through abstinence to remedy the first cause of our transgressions: the power of evil as we stand before G-d shunning our physical needs indicating our focus on our spiritual dimension. On Purim the second force from preventing us serving Hashem, enslavement by foreign kingdoms is eliminated through our desire to demonstrate our steadfast will to serve Hashem through the physical world.

Through our enjoyment of the physical world Purim  reveals the hidden potential desire of our people to carry out G-d’s Will.