English translation — שיחת יום ה׳, י״א אדר, תענית אסתר מוקדם - ה׳תש״ג

- In the synagogue after Minchah prayer -

On the 11th of Adar begins the time of reading the Megillah

(during the days of Purim)

— as the Mishnah says: "The Megillah is read on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th,"

And although the time for reading the Megillah is on the 14th and 15th of the month — the Mishnah continues and explains: "Cities that are walled from the days of Joshua bin Nun read on the 15th,

villages and large towns read on the 14th,"

But "villages advance to the day of assembly,"

"For the Sages granted the villages² permission to advance its reading to the day of assembly, Monday of the week before the 14th or Thursday of the week, which is a day of assembly,

for the villagers gather in the towns for judgment on Monday and Thursday, etc. And the villagers are not expert in reading and need one of the townspeople to read it for them

[And to note that then it was in the manner of reading the Megillah "with a multitude," with "the majesty of the king"⁴]

And the Sages did not trouble them to delay and come on the 14th,

and sometimes the day of entry is on the 13th and sometimes on the 12th,

on the 11th"

(as the Mishnah explains in detail)

The emphasis on the day of the 11th

(Adar)

is further: even though the main time for the commandment and obligation of reading the Megillah is on the 14th and 15th of Adar — the Mishnah begins with the 11th

("The Megillah is read on the 11th, etc.")

The simple reason for this is,

Because the Mishnah speaks about the order of times in the days of the month,

"It follows the order of the month"⁵.

But since in Torah everything is with utmost precision,

We must say that in this order is hinted the content of the matter of the Megillah

(Purim)

And that one reads on the High Days.

The explanation of this

(In the inner dimension of the matters)

It stands in the Shlah⁶

(In the explanation of this Mishnah: "Megillah is read on the 11th.

on the 15th")

Then it is said, "like the number of letters of Vav-Heh from the Name

(Havayah⁷)

And the count is greater: 15 like the shield of Yud-Heh."

Then there is no time for reading the Megillah.

"Biy"a.

Bt"u")

is hinted the name Havayah■ — Vav"Hei

and Yud"Hei

And although in the Megillah the name Havayah is not explicitly mentioned

(as in other holy books)

⁸ — however, in the Megillah it is hinted

(in concealment)

the name Havayah⁹

(with all its letters)

in acronyms,

Acronyms,

Gematrias and the like.

Thursday,

11 Adar,

Early Fast of Esther

In accordance with the above hint

(from the Shelah)

that "the Megillah is read on the 11th."

Nutf alludes to the nation of the name Havayah.

And it can be said further: It is known⁸ that that which in the Megillah is not mentioned explicitly the name Havayah

(and holy names in general)

— is the people

(in the inner dimensions of the matters)

Because of the greatness of the Megillah: because in the Megillah

(and Purim)

illuminates a revelation of a level that is higher than all names,

a level until His Essence.

And this is the reason why "all the books of the prophets and all the writings will be nullified in the days of the Messiah except for the Megillah of Esther,

and it is established like the five books of the Torah and like the halachos etc. which are never nullified,"

even though in the Megillah of Esther "there is no mention of God's name, while in the prophets there are many names."

And this sublime revelation came through the self-sacrifice of Jews in the days of Purim — that not looking at the concealment and hiding,

"servants of Achashverosh we are,"

stood Jews with full strength in fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos — and through this they reached His Essence,

that is above the level of the name,

the air of the name Havayah.

And together with this — this includes all the advantages and completeness in the name Havayah,

and therefore in the Megillah the name Havayah is hinted

(including the hint "Megillah is called

on the 11th.

on the 15th",

as above)

but not in a revealed manner

(being above the level of the name)

And it can be said that this is also hinted in the order "Biya".

"BT",

First, Vav-Hei

and then one comes to Yud-Hei

— which alludes⁴ to a level above the name Havayah

(in its proper order)

and also: the order of service from below to above

(From vav-hey one comes to yud-hey)

Which occurred during the days of Purim,

As follows.

And the explanation of this:

On the verse in Megillah "Kiyemu vekiblu hayehudim" the Gemara says⁶,

That on the days of Purim "they fulfilled what they had already accepted" from the Giving of the Torah,

Then was the fulfillment of the acceptance of the Torah — because at the Giving of the Torah it was "and they stood at the bottom of the mountain."

It teaches that He overturned the mountain upon them like a cask and said to them, "If you accept the Torah, it is well, etc.",

From here, a great protest against the Torah,

(that they received it under duress, against their will)

But in the days of Achashverosh, "they received it again,"

The Jews accepted the Torah of their own free will and with their good will.

That is to say: "At the Giving of the Torah it was"

(Only)

The beginning

("they began to do"¹¹)

because then the mesiras nefesh of Jews for receiving the Torah

(preface of Na'aseh v'Nishma)

came from above

("He coerced them with a mountain like a vat",

Revelation of love

Sefer HaSichos - 5750

the supernal from above²⁰)

But not from their own will; unlike in the days of Purim — there is no state of concealment and hiding like "servants of Achashverosh" — Jews stood on their own strength with mesirus nefesh and accepted Torah and mitzvos with their own will.

And therefore this was the fulfillment,

the conclusion and completion of the acceptance of the Torah.

And one may add and explain the words of the Gemara — according to the precise wording "they fulfilled what they had already accepted" — that is, the acceptance in the days of the Persians,

Not only was the "great declaration regarding the Torah" nullified from now on,

But moreover: this uprooted,

retroactively established — a permanence and validity in "what they already received,"

that at that time there was a retrospective revelation that

(There is absolutely no place from the outset for a kashe (difficulty) and claim,

regarding a "great declaration,"

Because)

the receiving of the Torah was in completeness.

And the explanation is:

The question regarding the "great protest against the Torah" is because the receiving

(at Mount Sinai)

came through that "He overturned the mountain upon them like a cask."

And it can be said that each word points to a particu-

(particular in this)

The reason that they should be able to be a "great protest": "coerced": this came about by way of coercion,

and not of their own will.

"Upon them": the revelation

(from above)

is in a surrounding manner upon them

(and does not penetrate them internally)

"Mount": like "it seemed to them"

the evil inclination

like the Rebbe²¹,

If the opponent and the sitra achra does not allow to receive Torah with good will and in its fullness.

And further — the sitra achra is in reality and

a reality of the Rebbe.

"like a gigis": gigis means — a large barrel

(a barrel in which they put beer.

Rashi

And in our discussion: that the coercion of the mountain upon them was not only

(in a manner that the coercion of the mountain is visible)

upon their head

(but not on the rest of the body parts,

the heart and other limbs,

and so forth, not the heel of the foot)

Only this surrounded and encompassed their entire existence,

For example, like a "tub" that surrounds²² everything within it,

the entire person,

from his head to his foot

(which includes all his affairs and assets,

even his portion in the world)

Then the coercion was regarding all details of a person's possessions and his portion in the world

(not only regarding his intellect in his head)

And because of all these details, there is seemingly a place for "a great protest against the Torah,"

since at the giving of the Torah there was not acceptance willingly.

In the days of Purim

(when "they accepted it again" willingly)

However, it was "they fulfilled what they had already accepted" — then it was revealed

(retroactively)

in all souls of Israel

(except for those who were souls in bodies at the time of the Giving of the Torah)

the true intention

(ab initio)

in "He coerced them like a mountain like a cask,"

that the acceptance of the Torah

(comes from the Giving of the Torah)

was indeed in the good will of Jews,

but the will

(then)

consisted in the fact that the acceptance should then be in a manner of "He coerced them with the mountain like a tub"

(as a superiority — which comes from the side of the revelation of love from above)

because of the advantage and perfection that this brings to the acceptance of the Torah:

Thursday,

11 Adar,

Early Fast of Esther

"Kafah" — the advantage of itkafya²: "aleihem" — the acceptance and fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos not from the side of intellect that becomes limited and enclothed in innerness,

but the feeling that it is "aleihem"

(above them)

from the command of the Holy One, blessed be He,

As is known, the word of the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Rebbe,

that the ultimate purpose and completeness of the intention of fulfilling the commandments is — that one fulfills all the commandments,

including the rational commandments

(Mishpatim)

[including those that would have been fulfilled had the Torah not been given,

as our sages said²⁵ "Had the Torah not been given

(heaven forbid²¹)

we would have learned modesty from the cat, and [the prohibition of] theft from the ant, etc."]

One should fulfill them by virtue of the command of G‑d¹⁸

(just as one fulfills chukim,

“in My statutes you shall walk”)

“Har” — in the aspect of supernal love, which is called har,

Thus, the bittul and atzmiut is to something that is incomparable to them.

(Like the mountain that was held over them, relative to the people at the foot of the mountain.)

"K'gigit" — the bittul encompasses them entirely.

And the anav — the fulfillment of kabbalat HaTorah

(And the revelation of the advantage in "He held the mountain over them like a barrel")

At Matan Torah — it opened up in the days of Purim,

When previously it was "they joyfully accepted it" with their good will:

By Mattan Torah,

Because of the revelation of love that was from above,

At the time of

the event, there could be a doubt whether this came from the good will of the Jews

(and therefore there is a place for a "great protest against the Torah")

; but on the days of Purim,

when there was no revelation from above,

And on the contrary — there was darkness and concealment and hiding,

Jews were "servants of Achashverosh",

And nevertheless, Jews stood with self-sacrifice and accepted Torah and mitzvos with great force — through this it became "and it was turned around"²⁷,

It was turned, darkness to light,

And therefore it was then also revealed

(in retrospect)

that also when Jews were at the giving of the Torah,

And one could have

(seemingly)

said that their connection to Torah and mitzvos is because "He coerced them like a mountain over a pit"

(and not of their own accord)

is truly 'Venahafoch Hu' — this was of their own good will,

and instead of explaining that "He coerced them like a mountain over a pit" leads to "a great protest against the Torah",

Purim reverses and reveals the true explanation in this,

As above.

And this is also the reason why "a person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until he does not know between 'Cursed be Haman' and 'Blessed be Mordechai'"⁷,

because on Purim we transform the "Cursed be Haman" through the service of itkafya,

until a state of ithapcha; and through this we reveal and draw down also into "Blessed be Mordechai" the level of ithapcha and also

(and even more — the level of)

itkafya — "to bring the righteous to repentance"²,

in the manner mentioned above.

Sefer HaSichos - 5703

Thus Purim reveals in Matan Torah

(Avodas HaTzaddikim)

The advantage of Itkafya

(Kafah aleihem etc.)

And therefore brings on Purim a joy "Ad d'lo yada",

a joy without limit,

Including also above the limitation of "he did not know between etc.,"

Know that there are two things but does not know the difference between them

(Regarding actual deed etc.)

Based on this, it is also understood the concept of "Megillah is read on the 11th."

on the 15th,

which alludes to the Name Havayah — because together with it what in the days of Purim

(through the self-sacrifice of Jews in fulfilling the acceptance of the Torah with their good will)

one achieved higher than the Name Havayah

(which therefore the Name Havayah etc. is not revealed in the Megillah)

higher than the Name Havayah at Mattan Torah³⁰

("I am Havayah your G‑d"³)

is that in itself includes all the virtues of the name Havayah

(Only they are in initials and in hint

("11.

15")

etc.,

as above p.62)

And therefore this reveals

(retroactively)

How the acceptance of the Torah at m״ת was in completeness,

with their good will,

and also with the advantage of itkafya

(He coerced them etc.)

This is also the reason why the order in the Mishnah is from bottom to top — ״Megillah is read on the 11th.

on the 15th,

Because the service during the days of Purim was from below upward

(not like the revelation of love from above downward at the giving of the Torah)

And from this one comes to the completeness of the name Havayah — 11

(vav-hei)

together with 15

(Yud-Heh)

The lesson from this in the service of G-d for each and every one of us within Chabad:

Purim reveals in each Jew — both those who were in the days of Achashverosh,

and also Jews in all generations,

including the Jews in this generation — his ability to accept Torah and mitzvos with his good will,

even standing in a time of concealment and hiding and darkness of exile,

And on the contrary — the will of Jews was revealed specifically in a time of concealment and hiding,

And through the mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) of Jews, it became "and it was turned around".

Actually, the service begins already at the beginning of the month of Adar,

as it is written³² "the month which was turned for them",

and therefore "the entire month is fit for reading the Megillah"³³.

How much more so, standing on the day of the 11th of Adar — when the time of reading the Megillah begins, "the Megillah is read on the 11th, etc."

[Even before the 14th and 15th,

the moon is at its full?³⁴]

And in particular, in this year's determination, the Fast of Esther is also early.

[as the law is³⁵,

That "if Purim falls on Sunday, the fast is advanced to Thursday,"

"which is the 11th"³⁶,

not like other fasts,

that when they fall on Shabbat,

"they postpone³⁶ it until after Shabbat"]

Together with reading the Torah

(of a fast day)

Yitro 20,

Thursday,

11 Adar,

Early Fast of Esther

And before this — they gave the 3 half-shekels

[as the Rema says,

that "it is proper to give

(for charity)

before Purim half

(and one should give three)

From the fixed coin in that place and at that time, a remembrance of the half-shekel that they would give in Adar",

And if the giving of the shekels had annulled the decree of Haman,

"They preceded their shekels to His shekels”]

And may it be His will that after standing on 11 Adar,

And in particular after the Mincha prayer and the reading of the Haftarah — may the conclusion of the Haftarah be fulfilled: "Yet I will gather still more to him, to his gathered ones",

And if the completeness thereof will be in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Mashiach.

And in particular that this comes after that which says, "Seek Hashem when He is found, call Him when He is near"

(Beginning of the Haftarah)

And especially in a gathering of a multitude of people,

A crowd more than several tens of thousands of Israel,

As in a public gathering, the Most High is "found" and "close" throughout the entire year⁴,

And all the more so in the month of Adar,

And in the year 5750 — an acronym for "It shall be a year of miracles,"

And together with this G-d

(thousands)

— it will be a year of miracles,

in a manner of its being to be⁴¹,

in an eternal manner.

Beginning with the main miracles — the miracle of the true and complete redemption,

together with the miracles before this and after this.

And simply — that immediately and at once,

in proximity to the saying "yet I will gather upon him his gathered ones",

And "But the righteous will give thanks to Your Name; the upright will dwell in Your presence"⁴³

(At the conclusion of the Minchah prayer)

— comes the true and complete Redemption,

and it is [written] "I will gather upon him his gathered ones,"

not in the future tense,

but immediately and at once in the present tense — the ingathering of the exiles of Israel,

all the Jews who are here and all the members of their households,

within the entirety of the Jewish people in every place,

with our youngsters and our elders, with our sons and our daughters⁴⁴.

And those who dwell in the dust will awaken and sing⁴⁵,

and the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the leader of our generation, at their head,

and we go all together — "I will gather to him his gatherings•" — to our holy land,

to Jerusalem, the holy city,

to the holy mountain,

to the Holy Temple,

the sanctuary of Hashem, Your hands established.

And moreover, and this is the main point — immediately and instantly.

And particularly when one concludes,

as usual in such a case,

by making each one of those who find themselves here as an emissary to give charity,

with an addition from himself.

And from this discourse of all this, may there be immediately and actually the actual deed — the act of the true and complete redemption,

by David, the King Moshiach.

[His Holy Eminence, our Rebbe, shlita, gave each one a dollar bill,

in order to give it

(or its replacement)

to charity]

ן4)

Psalms 109,

Sefer HaSichos - 5750