My dear friends, we have witnessed the hand of G-d.
On Shabbos morning, at perhaps the exact moment we were reading Parshas Zachor in the shuls of Israel, the chief enemy of G-d in the world -- the fountain of hatred and cruelty, the man whose entire life consisted of trying to destroy the Children of Israel G-d forbid – that man was killed by the army of Israel. In doing so, the state of Israel fulfilled a Biblical mitzvah in front of the eyes of the world!
Not only that, but the Prime Minister of Israel had publicly stated, before Shabbos, “on the eve of Chag Purim, we will stand together, and – with G-d’s help – we will ensure the eternity of Israel.” This appears to me to be an act of monumental significance. I call your attention to the fact that the Prime Minister publicly invoked the name of G-d.
I am writing on Sunday morning, Adar 12, having spent much of Shabbos in a bomb shelter. The sirens continue this morning, which shows the amazing hatred of Amalek, who, despite the loss of their chief and many high officials, persist in their desire to destroy us, G-d forbid.
But we are Bnai Yisroel, who say, “al tira … do not fear sudden terror or the holocaust of the wicked when it comes. Plan a conspiracy and it shall be annulled …. For G-d is with us. Even until your old age I shall endure. I created you and I shall bear you. I shall endure and rescue.” (Tefilla)
“Rabbi Yitzchak taught: In the year in which Moshiach will be revealed, all the nations of the world will be in conflict. The King of Persia will quarrel with the King of Arabia and … the King of Persia will destroy the entire world. The nations will be confused and agitated and will be seized with fear and pains like the pangs of birth. Israel too will be agitated, saying ‘What shall we do?’ [at which time, Hashem will say to them,] ‘My Children! Do not fear … for the time of your redemption has come!” (Yalkut Shimoni as seen in The Book of Our Heritage)
Why actually do they hate us? If you would ask them, they could not answer you! They would call you “The Great Satan,” but they could not explain why they want to obliterate us or even what “The Great Satan” means!
I am reminded of the incident, some fifty years ago, when I was confronted in a deserted subway car by two brutes who were chanting, “Why didn’t Hitler kill all the Jews?” But when I walked up to them and stood two inches from their faces, it became clear that they had no idea what a Jew is! They literally started shaking! It turned out that they were cowards who lost their tongues when confronted by a Yid who was one-half their size.
Our enemies have no idea why they hate us.
The answer is that they hate us because it is decreed in Shomayim.
The entire world situation is a message from Heaven.
For years, I have tried to understand exactly what Hashem expects of us on Purim. Recently, I saw a fascinating booklet by Rabbi Yaakov Hillel Shlita”h, which clarified the inyanim of Purim, inyanim upon which our lives depend!
Chazal tell us that Hashem held Har Sinai over our heads, saying, in effect, “If you accept the Torah, fine. But if not”you will be buried under the mountain. (Sanhedrin 88a) But Am Yisroel had just said, “na’ase v’nishma,” accepting upon themselves the Torah! (Shemos 24:7) Why did Hashem have to threaten us?
The Ohr Hachaim explains: Bnai Yisroel at Har Sinai had comparatively little difficulty accepting the Written Torah. But the Oral Torah was different. For in effect they said, “who … can uphold a Torah such as this [oral Torah] that has no maximum measure? …. For in every generation, the Sages may pass new … enactments….” (Ohr Hachaim on Shemos 19:5).
Rabbi Hillel continues: in the days from Har Sinai until the destruction of Bayis Rishon, “the people were living in their own land; they had the Temple and they had the prophets.” But, after the destruction, in the terrible darkness of Golus, “we are in exile and all these spiritual assets are gone. All we have left is the beauty and sanctity of a page of Gemara.” It was at this time that we found that, without the Oral Torah in its endless depth, we could not survive. As Chazal teach us, “Since the day that the Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed, Hakadosh Baruch Hu has nothing in His world but the four amos of halachah.” (Berachos 8b)
Rabbi Hillel explains further: All we have to guide us now are the words of our Sages as they apply to each new situation. The transition to this new reality occurred in the time of Purim. “Mordechai was uniquely positioned to recognize the need for the transition to intensive, in-depth study of the Oral Tradition and to implement it. He was one of the last prophets … and, at the same time, one of the early Anshe Knesses Hagdolah, the Torah authorities of the new era, who would lead the nation in the years ahead. Under his leadership, the Jews willingly accepted the yoke of the Oral Torah….”
My friends, as we stand at this monumental moment in history, we must thank the Al-mighty G-d, King of the Universe, for saving His precious children. Despite the ridicule of our enemies and even our own brethren, we have clung to this Torah of Truth with all our strength, “b’chol levavcha … with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our resources!” On Purim we say, “kimu v’kiblu,” taking upon ourselves again what we had already accepted in the days of Moshe. (Shabbos 88a) It is this acceptance which will enable us to survive until the Great Redemption. This is a Purim for the ages!
“Mishenichnas adar marbim b’simcha … with the coming of Adar -- and the destruction of evil -- joy has increased.” Through our dvaykus with Hashem’s infinite Torah, may we soon witness the Dawn of the day of complete salvation, the day on which all our enemies will be defeated forever and we will have endless “light and gladness, joy and honor.”
GLOSSARY
Bayis Rishon: the First Temple
Bnai Yisroel: the Children of Israel
Chazal: the rabbis of the Mishna and the Gemara
Dvaykus: unity, oneness
Golus: exile
Hakadosh Baruch Hu: Hashem, G-d
Har Sinai: Mount Sinai
Inyanim: topics in the Torah
Shomayim: the next world, the World of Truth
Shushan ha Bira: the capital of Persia, where the Purim story occurred
Tefilla: prayer
