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GENERAL INTEREST

Rabbi Hanoch Teller Rabbi Azarya Berzon
The Hidden Message

of Ta’anit Esther

.י ִּ ת ְ ד ָ ב ָ א י ִּ ת ְ ד ַ ב ָ א ר ׁ ֶ ש ֲ א ַ כ ְ ו brought him down the first time, he is chamber and risk losing not only her
)זט:ד רתסא( considered a genuine ba’al teshuva. own life but the opportunity to save
her people as well. She would pray for
sther and her attendants fast The story of Megillat Esther is the story Divine assistance and recite Psalm 22,
before she enters the inner cham- of the Jewish nation facing its greatest יִנ ָּ ת ְ ב ַז ֲ ע ה ָ מ ָ ל י ִ ל־ ֵ א י ִ לֵ־א. In doing so, this
Eber to present herself to the king. ever threat, the terror of Amalek. On a great woman becomes the expediter
What feelings should we have today spiritual level, what is Amalek’s agenda? of the redemption of Israel.
when we commemorate her fast? And Amalek seeks to find our ת ֹוד ֵ ב ֲ א, and
what lesson are we to learn from the to prevent us from re-acquiring them On Ta’anit Esther, we are called upon
salvation channeled through Esther? and becoming ba’alei teshuva; to seize to experience the emotions and the
these תֹוד ֵ ב ֲ א and prevent us forever from prayers of ה ָּ כ ְ ל ַּ מ ַ ה ר ֵּ ת ְ ס ֶ א as she entered
Let us try to answer these questions reclaiming them. If Amalek succeeds, the chamber of the king. We must
based on a study of one mitzvah in the Heaven forbid, we are lost. As Haman rededicate ourselves to search for
ְ
Torah, the mitzvah of returning a lost proclaims: ם ָ ד ְּ ב ַ א ְ ל ב ֵ ת ָּ כִי בֹוט ך ֶ ל ֶּ מ ַ ה ל ַ ע ם ִ א, “If our own ת ֹוד ֵ ב ֲ א and recognize that
object, ה ָ ד ֵ ב ֲ א ת ַ ב ָ ׁש ֲ ה. Our analysis of this it please the king, let it be written that if we do so, we will surely merit our
mitzvah is based upon a metaphoric they be destroyed (ם ָ ד ְּ ב ַ א ְ ל, which shares own salvation and advance the final
rather than a literal understanding of a root with the word ה ָ ד ֵ ב ֲ א).” redemption, may it come speedily in
ה ָ ד ֵ ב ֲ א. We will apply the methodology of Divine Providence chose a modest our days!
ה ָ רֹו ּ ת ַ ל םיִנ ָּ פ םי ִ ע ְ ב ִ ׁש and suggest that this young woman to face the greatest
1
mitzvah – at the level of remez (lit. hint) challenge of Amalek in all of Jewish
– is more than a particular obligation history. Why was such a pure soul 1 Literally, 70 facets to Torah, meaning there is a
engendered by a lost object, but rather selected to enter the palace of the king, broad variety of ways and approaches through
a symbolic representation of all of our a place of vulgarity and contamination, which to interpret the Torah.
service to G-d. of immorality and idolatry? Why does

Every experience, every moment, every Esther declare: י ִּ ת ְ ד ָ ב ָ א י ִּ ת ְ ד ַ ב ָ א ר ׁ ֶ ש ֲ א ַ כ ְ ו, “and
encounter in our lives generates both if I am to perish, I shall perish (י ִּ ת ְ ד ָ ב ָ א,
an opportunity and a challenge to fulfill literally, “I shall be lost”)”?
G-d’s Will. Whether obligations – תֹוו ְ צ ִ מ Esther recognizes that so much spiritual
ה ֵ ׂש ֲ ע – or prohibitions – ה ֶ ׂש ֲ ע ַּ ת אלֹ תֹוו ְ צ ִ מ, energy was lost when the Jewish people
we must find within ourselves the were dazzled by the magic of the King’s
spiritual energy necessary to overcome banquet. The spiritual forces of our
the formidable barriers created by the adversaries seized these תֹוד ֵ ב ֲ א and now
yetzer hara. No one can succeed all the it was her challenge to free them and
time; even the tzaddik fails sometimes. return them to their rightful owners.
The ה ָ ד ֵ ב ֲ א, conceptually, represents the In His infinite wisdom, the Almighty
wasted energy, the opportunity lost, knew that Esther and no one else could
and we are obligated to retrace our prevent Amalek from stealing the ה ָ ד ֵ ב ֲ א.
steps, seek and find our ת ֹוד ֵ ב ֲ א, and With the support of Mordechai, she Rabbi Azarya Berzon has over 4,800
transform them into a positive force. would demand that Klal Yisrael fast shiurim online and has served as a Schol-
The Rambam (Hilchot Teshuva, 2:1) and repent and retrieve their lost תֹוד ֵ ב ֲ א. ar-in-Residence in many communities
describes the situation of one who failed She recognized the unique opportunity worldwide.
a test but now finds himself in the same that Providence had offered her, to stop
situation, facing the same challenge. Amalek dead in his tracks. She accepted A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
If he overcomes those passions that her responsibility to enter the king’s mizrachi.org/speakers

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