English translation — פורים

1.

It is known¹

the interpretation of the Baal Shem Tov on "one who reads the Megillah backwards has not fulfilled [the obligation]"²

: when someone reads the Megillah and he thinks that the story that is told there happened

(only)

<b>once</b>,

"backwards",

and not now is the miracle,

is — "has not fulfilled [the obligation]".

The purpose of reading the Megillah is to learn from it how a Jew must conduct himself <b>now</b>.

This is so regarding <b>all</b> matters

(and verses³)

of the Megillah,

that one must read them not in a manner of "backwards".

all the more so regarding the <b>totality</b> of the story of the Megillah,

and all the more so in connection with the verse that explains the name "Purim"

— because since the name of a thing indicates its essence⁴,

it means then,

that <b>the</b> verse explains the essence of "Purim",

which is the main point of the Megillah —

so in this there is an eternal lesson in every time and in every place,

both for the entire Jewish people and for every individual Jew.

2.

The verse⁵

says "Therefore they called these days Purim — after the pur."

In this it is not understood:

The word "Pur" is not a Hebrew word,

but a Persian word⁶.

And when the verse⁷

says "he cast Pur" it adds "that is the lot",

with which he translates the word "Pur" into Hebrew,

in which the Megillah is written.

It is not understood: Why is the holiday⁸ called

"Purim"

("on account of the Pur")

in Persian and not "Goralot"

("on account of the Goral")

in Hebrew,

like all festivals

(also Chanukah — a rabbinic holiday)

which are called in the Holy Language?

Also it is not understandable: the name of the holiday should have expressed

(as in all other holidays)

the miracle and salvation

(from the decree of Haman).

But the name "Purim" "on account of the lot" points precisely to the opposite of this,

to the "lot" that Haman the wicked cast with the intention "to destroy them and to annihilate them" — G-d forbid, may it not be?

3.

Another matter exists in the Scroll of Esther that is connected with the &lt;b&gt;totality&lt;/b&gt; of the scroll,

and that is — that in the &lt;b&gt;entire&lt;/b&gt; scroll the name of the Most High is not mentioned,

unlike &lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt; other holy scriptures where in each book the name of the Most High is mentioned &lt;b&gt;many many&lt;/b&gt; times.

Which indicates a very great concealment and hiding⁹

In general,

every Jew,

even when he speaks¹⁰

about mundane matters,

is "the name of Heaven is fluent¹¹

in his mouth¹².

And who speaks when it comes to writing

("a great deed"),

is indeed customary in all Jewish communities

(for "the custom of Israel is Torah"¹³),

that even when one writes a letter about mundane matters,

one begins it with "B"H"

(or the like)

and "there is no place empty of Him"*&lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;,

therefore it is established for a Jew &lt;b&gt;simply&lt;/b&gt;,

that whatever it may be about,

it is connected with the Most High&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;],

— and here is the entire Megillah,

one of the twenty-four books of the &lt;b&gt;Holy&lt;/b&gt; Scriptures,

in which the "Name of Heaven" is not mentioned even once&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;

4.

as mentioned earlier

(section 1),

the content of each thing is indicated in its name.

and also the concealment and hiding of the megillah,

is indicated in its name:

the name of the megillah is "Megillat <b>Esther</b>"¹⁷

(or "Esther"¹⁸),

and Esther indeed indicates the matter of concealment¹⁹,

and even more — a double concealment,

as the Gemara²⁰

says: "Esther from the Torah, from where? 'And I, ²¹

<b>hiding I will hide</b>",

<b>two</b> times concealment²².

But on the other hand,

the name "&lt;b&gt;Megillat&lt;/b&gt; Esther" shows

(and especially as it is also called&lt;sup&gt;23&lt;/sup&gt;

"Megillah" simply)

to &lt;b&gt;revelation&lt;/b&gt; — "Megillah" from the language of revelation&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;.

And just as in the Megillah one sees two opposite matters — concealment and revelation,

so too one sees it in the holiday of Purim: on one side the holiday is called by the name Purim — which is a Persian term and which is called after a matter that is connected with the decree — it shows that the holiday is connected with a matter of concealment and hiding; and on the other hand,

the days of Purim are days of feasting and joy,

much more than other holidays,

up to a very great joy beyond all measure and limit,

in a manner of "until one does not know etc."&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;.

5.

To understand this,

one must first preface a teaching

(from many others)

from the generalities of the reading of the Megillah and of Purim

(a teaching that is understood very simply)²⁶

In the time of Haman's decree,

the Jews had very important representatives in the kingdom: Mordechai was a "sitter in the king's gate"²⁷,

and in addition he saved the king's life²⁸

; and Esther was a queen,

and especially that "she found grace and favor before him"²⁹.

It is seemingly,

When one became aware of the decree,

one should have first and foremost used these representatives to intercede with King Achashverosh to nullify the decree.

The Megillah relates, however,

that the first action that Mordechai did was — "וילבש שק ואפר ויצא בתוך העיר": he took himself to repentance and called all the Jews to repent³⁰.

And only after this did he send Esther "לבא אל המלך להתחנן לו ולבקש מלפניו על עמה"³¹

And also Esther conducted herself in the same order: at the time she had to go to the king,

she first of all gave over to Mordechai ³²

— "Go, gather all the Jews etc. and fast for me and do not eat and do not drink for three days, night and day",

and with this she was not yet satisfied,

but she added "I also etc. will fast thus".

And seemingly: she had then needed to arrive at finding favor in the eyes of Achashverosh — and especially since her coming to the inner court of the king was "not according to the law" ³²

and connected with actual mortal danger — "one law is to put to death"³³

— and it required a finding of grace in particular

(because "And I have not been called..

for thirty days"³²)

— then how was it right for her³⁴

to fast three full days consecutively³⁵,

a thing that brings

(according to nature³⁶)

to losing grace?

6.

But the explanation is simply this: Mordechai and Esther knew clearly,

that the decree against the Jews was not "according to the way of the world it happened to us and this trouble chanced to occur",

but "because of their evil deeds it was evil for them" ³⁷,

and since it is a simple thing,

that one cannot truly nullify the "Cause"

(the decree)

as long as one does not remove the "cause"

(the evil deeds)

— their first action was — calling the Jews to repentance and decreeing a fast

but clearly specifying the sin for which one must repent,

as it says in the Midrash³⁸

on the verse "Fast for me and do not eat and do not drink": "You fast because you ate and drank from the feast of Achashverosh"].

And after, through teshuvah, one removed the cause of the decree,

and the Almighty indeed desires the "in all that you do"²⁹,

that one should do something also in natural ways,

then they went to Achashverosh to annul the decree.

And because the going to Achashverosh was no more than a garment

(so that the salvation <b>from Above</b> should have a hold in nature),

but the <b>cause</b> of the salvation is teshuvah and fasting,

it is already understandable,

that the main emphasis was placed not on the garment but on the cause⁴⁰.

7.

The lesson from this is understood simply:

When a time of trouble comes, G-d forbid,

there are those who think that the first and primary work must be to seek natural means — the Megillah tells us,

that this is a later matter: the first action must be to strengthen the connection with the Above through learning His Torah and fulfilling His commandments,

and only then,

seek for the salvation a garment in nature.

And if one will do thus,

then whatever natural garment one will make,

the miraculous salvation above nature will clothe itself in it.

And just as this is regarding the entire Jewish people,

it is so also regarding every individual Jew: a Jew must know⁴¹

that he is connected with the Supreme One,

Who is not limited, G‑d forbid, by the laws of nature⁴².

There must indeed also be the "in all that you do" in which the "and Hashem your G‑d will bless you"²⁹ should be clothed,

but since the "do" that the person does is no more than a garment,

therefore it is understood simply,

that the main effort must be not in the garment⁴³,

but in receiving the blessing from the Supreme One,

which one does through the study of Torah and the fulfillment of the commandments.

But if one "bypasses" the main thing in order to strengthen the garment,

this is similar to one who goes to the bank to withdraw money when he has no check with which to receive the money, or the check is from one who has no account in the bank.

— The first thing he needs to protect himself with a "check",

and that the "check" should be not from "broken cisterns that cannot hold water"⁴⁴,

but,

in contradistinction,

from that which "Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold"⁴⁵,

and after he already has the "check",

the Almighty tells him that he should "exchange" it for a natural garment through "in all that you do".

8.

One might think,

that all the above is only in a time when Divinity shines in revelation; but in the time of exile,

and especially in the footsteps of Mashiach,

when there is a "darkness double and redoubled",

since the Almighty Himself made the "darkness",

it is a true concealment, G-d forbid,

that the influence from above

(of material matters)

was given over

(by His will, may He be blessed)

to the laws of nature⁴⁶,

Upon this comes the answer,

that also in the time of Purim Jews were in exile,

"scattered and divided among the nations"⁴⁷,

and the situation was also after the miracle,

as the Gemara⁴⁸

says "We are still servants of Achashverosh"; and nevertheless also then came the salvation

(not through natural means,

but)

through "gather to me etc. three days",

through returning to the Almighty.

9.

And this is the lesson from that the holiday is called by the name "Purim"

(in the Persian language,

and which indicates the decree,

as above sec. 2),

and also from that in the Megillah is not mentioned

(openly ⁴⁹)

the name of Heaven — because in this consists the function of "Purim" and "Megillat Esther":

So that which Jews are not subject to the laws of nature,

is it not only regarding matters of heaven,

their spiritual matters

(like success in the study of Torah according to truth,

which needs to have heavenly assistance that comes through fear of heaven),

or even in business dealings when the commerce is conducted between Jews — because among themselves it is indeed "they did not⁵⁰

change their language etc." —

But also in matters of commerce that a Jew conducts with a non-Jew,

to differentiate,

when he must speak to him in the Persian language,

and since "it is a known law that Esau hates Jacob"⁵¹,

it is indeed possible that the gentile should seek against him various counsels and schemes — "he cast a pur"; and even when he stands in such a situation when there is a concern⁵²

that instead of mentioning the name of heaven the gentile will mention,

to differentiate,

the name of idolatry⁵³.

He can then mean: since the gentile is indeed subjugated to the laws of nature; and the influence to the Jews ostensibly goes together with the influence to the gentile

(because they interact together),

then consequently the Jew is also subjugated to nature⁵⁴

Upon this is the teaching of "Purim" and "Megillat Esther",

that even when a Jew has to do with "Purim" in the Persian language and "Esther" from the language of "Hiding I will hide",

he must know that in this there is the above nature: the "Pur" is "the lot",

which lot is its essence above the chain of descent⁵⁵

and in this "Hiding I will hide" there is the "Anochi"⁵⁶,

which is higher than all the names⁵⁷,

even than the name Havayah⁵⁸.

10.

And when a Jew reads the "Megillas Esther" — then also the matters of "Esther"

(the double concealment,

"I will surely hide [My face]")

he reads

(and takes upon himself)

as a "megillah" from the language of revelation,

because he knows that also the "pur"

(up to the "pur" that Haman cast)

is "the lot" — and

(all this is)

not "retroactively" but it is with him now,

Then he comes to the ultimate revelation — a megillah plain,

which brings about a very great joy even to an extent of "until one does not know etc.",

an unlimited joy,

And through this,

one joins redemption to redemption⁵⁹,

that from the redemption of Purim one comes to the future redemption

(which is analogous⁶⁰

to the redemption from the Exodus from Egypt),

that then will be "and night like day shall shine"⁶¹,

that also the darkness of "night" will shine

(as above regarding "Megillat Esther",

that also the concealment becomes revelation),

With the coming of our righteous Mashiach,

he will come and redeem us very soon.

(From a sicha of Purim 5726)