Today we will discuss Purim-related bitachon thoughts. Many people may be familiar with what we mentioned yesterday, about how great of a day Purim is, that Yom Kippur is referred to as Yom K’Purim - a day like Purim.
When someone says that a person is, “As rich as Rothchild,” that tells you that Rothchild is the example of ultimate wealth. So, if Yom Kippur is referred to as a day “like Purim,” that means Purim is the real day.
How can it be that Purim has such power like Yom Kippur?
Furthermore, I saw in the Chida, that there is a Mishnah in Masechet Rosh Hashana, that says that if someone heard the Shofar or Megillah while passing by a shul, if he had kavana/ intention, he has fulfilled his obligation. But if he did not have kavana, it doesn’t count. You can’t just hear or listen without having the proper intention. The Chida asks why Rabbenu HaKadosh, the author of the Mishnah, chose Shofar and Megillah as examples for this question. He answers that it’s because when one listens to the Megillah, it’s like he’s listening to the shofar. That is a powerful statement. The shofar has the power to take G-d from the seat of judgment to the seat of mercy. And listening to the Megillah has the same power as the shofar.
How can that be? The Sefer Netivot Shalom says a beautiful thought: That we should understand the discussion that took place between Mordechai and Esther. Esther told Mordechai that she could not enter the king’s chamber, because everybody knew that if you go in to the king uninvited, you could get killed. Therefore, she thought that that plan wouldn’t work.
Furthermore, she didn’t think that the Jewish people merited a miracle, because they had sinned by going to the party. She didn’t know what to do: There was no natural way to make it happen, and the Jewish people were not deserving of a miracle. But Mordechai explained that Esther was looking at it all wrong. He told her, “the salvation and saving would come from another place.” What did he mean by “another place”?
The Netivot Shalom says, from various sefarim, that “another place” means another track- not the regular track that works with nature, or the track that works with merits. It’s the bitachon track. It’s another way that things work. When it comes to Bitachon. “Even a wicked man, if he relies on G-d, is surrounded by kindness.”
That’s the connection between Purim and the high holidays. The Avudarham tells us something beautiful: Where do we get the words that we use on the high holidays?
ובכן and with this
There are four introductions in our high holiday prayers that start with these words U’bechen...
And with this ...
Why those words? The Avudarham says that we got them from Esther. She said, “And with this, I come to the king, even though I don’t deserve it.”
Esther put on a new head. She wasn’t going with nature, and she wasn’t going with merits. She was just relying on G-d. That is what we do on Rosh Hashanah. It says that on Rosh Hashanah, we put on fine clothing and we eat and drink, and we rely on G-d‘s miracles, because we know that Hashem will save us.
We learned that from Esther and Mordechai. We learned that from Purim.
Purim is the ultimate- Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are learned from Purim! We learn the technique of bitachon, and reliance on Hashem, and about that מקום אחר- “another place,” from Purim.
That’s the power of Purim.
There is an added aspect to this. Esther said, “I am going in, but I don’t know what is going to happen. I am putting myself in the hands of G-d. I am totally relying on Him. I don’t know what will be, but I am relying on Hashem.”
She totally gave herself over to Hashem, and that is what made the miracle happen.
That is what we have to work on. We have to work on this concept, that regardless of what is going on, regardless of nature, we have to walk in with the attitude of Esther.
There is a chapter in Tehilim (perek 22) where Esther HaMalka describes her feelings as she walked into the king’s chamber. Taanit Esther is an opportune time to say this perek of tehilim, as is Purim day, so look it up. She says that the success of the Jewish people is that
בך בטחו אבותינו בטחו ותפלטמו
Our forefathers always relied on You,
they relied on You and were saved
אֵלֶ֣יךָ זָעֲק֣וּ וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ בְּךָ֖ בָטְח֣וּ וְלֹא בֽוֹשׁו
We cried out to You and were saved,
We relied on you and we will not be embarrassed.
One who relies on Hashem will not be embarrassed because Hashem comes through.
Our job on Purim is to strengthen our Bitachon, regardless of what’s going on, for an individual or for the world.
That is power of Purim, and that is what brings Yeshuot/ salvation.
Have a wonderful day.