Today we will discuss some Purim-related topics from the sefer Netivot Shalom. I want to thank Rabbi Eddie Kassin for sending it to me.
The Sefer starts off with a very interesting thought. Today is the 11th of Adar. We know that the 14th of Adar is Purim, and the 15th of Adar is Shushan Purim. What is the significance of the 11th of Adar?
He says that if you open a Masechet Megillah in Mishnayot, the first Mishnah tells us that the Megillah is read on either the 11th,12th,13th, 14th or 15th of Adar. How is it read on the 11th? In those days, in small hick towns, the people would only gather on Mondays and Thursdays, when they would travel to go to the main city, and therefore, those were the only days that they had an opportunity for a minyan. Therefore, it was instituted that if Purim fell out on a Sunday, then the reading of the Megillah would be backed up to the Thursday before hand. That is the largest amount of space between Purim and the reading of the Megillah, from a Sunday to the previous Thursday. Therefore, the 11th of Adar is a great day because it has the potential to have the Megillah read on that day.
We know that Yom Kippur is called K’Purim- like Purim, which means that Purim is great. And just like there are ten days before Yom Kippur, there are also ten days before the beginning of Purim. He says that these days already start on the 10th. That’s when the kedusha/ holiness comes down, and it starts on the 11th. Thus- Mishenichnas Adar Marbim B’Simcha- who ever enters Adar will increase his joy, is due to the Avodah of Purim, which starts on the 11th of Adar ( which is today). Purim is all about simcha, but we can’t just dive right into the simcha. We have to start with the 10 days of preparation of Mishenichnas Adar Marbim B’Simcha.
And, he says, the source of our simcha of Purim is our Bitachon, our reliance on G-d.
He says that if you look at the Megillah, it all starts with the power of Bitachon. It doesn’t say that Mordechai didn’t bow down in the past, it says that he wouldn’t ever bow down. He made a commitment not to bow to Haman, and come what may, he would not. Where did he get the power to do that, to make that commitment? It came from his strong Bitachon. He relied on Hashem that this Rasha/ wicked man, would never succeed with a decree to destroy the Jewish people.
Esther too, had powerful Bitachon. The Chatam Sofer says that the reason she made the party (for Haman and Ahashverosh) was in order to celebrate the miracle, even before it happened! So with both of these heroes of the story of Purim- it all came from their tremendous Emunah and Bitachon.
Hanukah and Purim are both holidays that were instituted by the rabbis - and both are there to give us the power to survive Galut/exile, and the power to survive our low levels. We can never forget the rule of
עמו אנכי בצרה G-d is with Jewish people in their suffering
And with strong Emunah, we say everyday, that we are G-d’s people; we are the nation of G-d.
We are the children of Hashem. He is our Father. That is an important part of Bitachon. Anochi Hashem Elokecha, I am Hashem your G-d, I took you out of Egypt, is one of the Ten Commandments, and that is the source of our Bitachon. Hashem took us out of Egypt not when we were Sadikim. Rather, He took us out when we were on the 49th level of tumah/impurity. And even then when we were on the 49th level of tumah, Hashem said,
בני בכורי ישראל
Israel is My son, My first born...
These are three very powerful words. Rabbi Hillel Haber spoke at an Azkara for Rachel Bat Shulamit Haber, on ז אדר-
He explained these words with a Mashal- A man was walking down the street and he saw a fellow beating a child. So the man screamed at the fellow, “What are you doing? Why are you beating up that child?” This man didn’t know who the child was but he saw an injustice. Then as he got closer, he realized that the child had a kipah on the floor. Realizing that the man was beating a Jewish child, he started to scream even louder, and he became more incensed. Then he got very close and he realized that this child was his very own son! Then it was all over. He rolled up his sleeves, dived in and that man was history. How could somebody start up with his very own son? That is the way Hashem looks at the Jewish people.
בני בכורי ישראל we are G-d’s children.
We are His sons and daughters. That has to be with us at all times. The Gemarah says that regardless of what we do, we are always called בנים- G-d’s children. A child is something that you cannot undo.
And we aren’t just children. We made G-d into a father בני בכרי ישראל
Those are the fundamentals of Bitachon that are supposed to bring us simcha- knowing that my Father is all powerful, that my Father is a multi billionaire, that my Father can do anything. Just the way little kids say, “My Father can ....., that’s how we are supposed to walk around.
Those are the feelings of bitachon, and that is what we are supposed to be thinking about all Adar, but especially as we get closer. The 11th of Adar is an even more powerful day.
B’ezrat Hashem, our simcha will only escalate. Have a wonderful day.