Page 45 - HaMizrachi Purim Australia 5781

PURIM READING

Esther, Chapter Nine

— ט קרפ ,רתסא תליגמ — Rabbi Dov Lipman

The Joy of Jewish Unity

very Jew is obligated to perform successful in convincing Achashverosh food to one another and a special con-
four mitzvot on Purim, and all are to spare the lives of the Jews was if they cern to make sure everyone has money
Elearned from the ninth perek of unite and rectify the flaw which led to for a Purim feast. We want to replicate
Megillat Esther: “They were to observe the decree in the first place. the lesson the Jews learned during the
them as days of feasting and gladness, Sure enough, the Jewish people Purim story.
and for sending delicacies to one respond. According to the Gemara in Based on this, the ideal would not
another, and gifts to the poor” (9:22).
Shabbat (87a), the Jews reaccepted the be to fulfill the mitzvah of mishloach
1. Feasting and gladness – seudat Torah when they experienced G-d’s manot by sending food to a good
Purim. salvation – ּול ְּ ב ִ ק ְ ו ּומְּי ִ ק. But the word friend or familiar neighbor but to seek

2. Sending delicacies to one another which we read as ּול ְּ ב ִ ק, which means out someone with whom you do not
– mishloach manot. “they accepted,” is written in the have a connection or perhaps, even
Megillah as לבקו, “he accepted,” in the better, to someone with whom you
3. Gifts to the poor – matanot singular. The Sfat Emet explains that have a negative history. Purim is the
la’evyonim. this בי ִ ת ְ כּו י ִ ר ְ ק, the written word in the time to break down barriers and bring
The fourth mitzvah, reading the Megil- singular as opposed to how we read it more Jewish unity into our lives and
lah, is learned from the words, “These in the plural, comes to teach us that communities.
days should be remembered” (9:28). just like the Jews were unified at Sinai This also explains a word in the song
and camped together “as one people
The obligation to hear the reading of with one heart” (see Rashi to Shemot בֹק ֲ עַי תַנ ׁ ַ שֹו ׁש, which we sing after read-
the Megillah makes sense, since this 19:2 on the singular language used ing the Megillah. When describing
teaches us the Purim story. The spe- there), the Jews in the Purim story the joy of the Jews upon seeing Mor-
cial feast is also logical since we express unified as one to reaccept the Torah. dechai in royal clothing, the song adds
our thanks to G-d for saving us from the word ד ַ חַי – “together.” The joy was
Haman’s decree by celebrating with a That same singular language is used magnified because the Jews experi-
meal of thanks and gratitude. But why when the Megillah describes the Jews enced it with unity.
are we obligated to send food to others accepting to observe the obligations As we look to Heaven for help in
and to give charity over and above the of Purim. Right after these mitzvot
daily obligation to help the poor? What are mentioned, the Megillah says these challenging times, let us learn
this lesson from the mitzvot taught in
does this have to do with Purim? םי ִ דּוהְּי ַ ה ל ֵּ ב ִ ק ְ ו, “And the Jews accepted”
these laws upon themselves, using the the ninth chapter of Megillat Esther.
Let us first ask another question: why singular – ל ֵּ ב ִ ק ְ ו. The Vilna Gaon says Most of our struggles come because we
were the Jewish people deserving of the singular language teaches that the are polarized. Unity is the key to our
Haman’s decree to annihilate them? salvation.
Jews were unified in accepting the
Haman himself answers this question. holiday of Purim and these mitzvot.
When he speaks to Achashverosh to The Sfat Emet explains that a clear
present his case for the decree to exter- underlying theme of Purim has
minate the Jewish people, he tells the
king the Jews are “scattered and dis- emerged. The decree to annihilate
the Jews came because the Jews were
persed” (3:8). He says outright that the
Jewish people are not unified. That polarized. They learned the lesson and
rectified that flaw, coming together to
was our flaw at the time. We were a Rabbi Dov Lipman is the author of seven
books about Judaism and Israel. He also
polarized and divided nation. This is become one people again, thereby mer- writes for various news outlets.
why Esther instructs Mordechai, “Go iting salvation.
bring all the Jews together” (4:16). She This is why we have two mitzvot on A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
understood the only way she could be Purim that relate to unity – sending mizrachi.org/speakers

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