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CLOUDS ARE HIGH BUT MOUNTAINS ARE HIGHER

Pictured: Venezuela’s Mount Roraima Rising High Above the Clouds

The Malbim (Tehillim 34:4) notes that while many nations recognize Ha-Shem as the Creator, nevertheless He is ‘rum’; He is high up and out of reach of Man. The nations see HaShem as being detached from this world. For this reason they see no purpose in serving Him or obeying Him. He is so high up and removed that His Presence is not felt in this world.

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GOVERNORS DICTATE – FATHERS LOVE

The Arizal taught that Yom Kippur is a day like Purim. He indicated that on some level the Kedusha of Purim exceeds that of Yom Kippur. This certainly needs to be understood. Furthermore, this comparison implies that the two holidays are somewhat similar and in that similarity Purim is the greater of the two. What is the similarity of these two Holidays?

Both holidays celebrate HaShem’s forgiveness to His people for a grave sin that was perpetrated earlier. The sin our people perpetrated before Yom Kippur was our rejection of HaShem by making the Golden Calf. The sin our people perpetrated before the Purim miracle was our participation in King Achashveirosh’s banquet made in honor of his final conquest of the Jewish people.

King Achashveirosh had calculated that 70 years had passed since the Babylonian exile began. It was known that the Babylonian exile would last only 70 years after which Ha-Shem would bring His people back to Israel and rebuild the Bais HaMikdosh. When the King saw that the people were still subjected to him after this deadline he assumed that HaShem had abandoned His people and was not going to take them back. He also assumed that the Bais HaMikdosh, too, would not be rebuilt. This was a great joy for him. In recognition of HaShem’s abandonment of His people and of His Temple, he made a great banquet to which he invited the Jews of the capital to participate. Naturally, he wanted them to participate since their attendance would be testimony to HaShem’s abandonment. It was for this very reason that their attendance was considered a terrible rejection of Ha-Shem. As HaShem’s people we must know that He will never abandon us and we will never abandon Him. The participation in the King’s festival was tantamount to the absolute rejection of HaShem.

Just as in the sin of the Golden Calf we repented and HaShem took us back into his Graces, so too at the Purim story when we repented HaShem redeemed us. This is similarity between the two holidays. There is, however, a distinction. It is this distinction that makes Purim so much greater.

There are two models of authority which have the right to punish when disobeyed; the governor and the parent. Both positions command authority which the subject/child must accept. If they reject the authority, punishment is due. In both models when the subject/child repents and asks forgiveness, granting forgiveness is appropriate. The distinction between these two models lies in how this forgiveness is granted. The governor will grant forgiveness only if and when the subject begs forgiveness, not a moment earlier. The father, on the other hand, hopes that his child will request forgiveness so that he won’t have to punish him. Even before the punishment is implemented the father will already set up his son’s forgiveness.

Only after we repented by the Golden Calf did HaShem demonstrate his forgiveness not a moment earlier. At the story of Purim, however, even before we repented and even before we recognized the gravity of our sin, HaShem had already set up the mechanism by which we would be saved. At the very banquet at which we showed our rejection of HaShem, there and then was when HaShem planted the seeds by which Esther would rise to her position of influence. At that banquet the King killed his wife and the wheels of redemption were already set in motion.

After we were saved in the Purim story, we looked back and realized how even before we repented, even at the time of our rejection, HaShem was already setting up our redemption. He was hoping that we would request forgiveness. How happy He was when He was able to save us.

That clarity of understanding that HaShem is not only our Master Authority but He is also our Loving Father, brought our people to higher levels of teshuvah. Therefore the Kedusha of Purim is much higher in our recognition that our relationship with HaShem transcends that of a subject to his governor; we recognized our relationship is that of a child to a loving father. Teshuvah from love transcends teshuva from fear.

May we merit to see many yeshuos this Purim.

Have a joyful Purim and a wonderful Shabbos.

Paysach Diskind

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FROM RAGS TO RICHES

This Saturday night immediately after Shabbos Jews across the world will be sitting down with their family and friends at the Seder table. One of the mitzvos we will perform is the mitzvah of Magid in which we will discuss our exodus from Egypt.

There are many mitzvos that require speaking and reciting such as prayer, reading of Hallel, reading the Megillah and others. One can fulfill their obligation when reciting the necessary reading in Hebrew even if they do not understand the translation of what they heard or read. The mitzvah of Magid, however, is distinct from these other recitations. Magid must be done in the common language. If one does not understand Hebrew, they must read the translation.

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REPLACING BAD FOR GOOD, FOR GOOD!

There is a running theme throughout the Megillah; everything is turned around from very bad to very good. The cursed Haman is replaced by the blessed Mordechai. The wicked Vashti is replaced by the blessed Esther When we think of being saved from a tragedy through a miracle we thank HaShem for neutralizing the bad situation and resolving it without any consequences. The notion that the evil itself turns to good is noteworthy. It is also noteworthy how much significance our Sages ascribe to Purim. They teach us that once the Geula will come, the other holidays will become less significant but Purim will lose none of her significance. What is it about Purim that stands out?

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THE NEXT DIMENSION

As we approach the most beautiful holiday of Pesach I would like to focus my attention to its preparation and will therefore pass over the weekly Parsha of Tzav. On the night of the Seder our Sages instruct us that every person must vie w himself as if he himself left Egypt on that night. A strange mitzvah! Did I leave Egypt tonight? It occurred 3,300 years ago and I have no way to even think what it meant to leave Egypt.