A Purim Message

Our Sages teach us that when we stood before Hashem at Mount Sinai, Hashem ‘lifted’ the mountain over our heads and said, “Accept the Torah now, or this will forever be your burial place.” The Maharal explains this to mean that the miracles that led up to our acceptance of the Torah – the ten plagues, the splitting of the sea, the drowning of the Egyptians – were so powerful and overwhelming that we had no choice. We achieved such clarity in our belief in Hashem and His control of the world that we simply had no choice but to accept. We were ‘intellectually compelled’.

However, an acceptance at this level has its limitations; what happens when time goes on and we lose that clarity? What do we do when we feel uninspired? What will motivate us then? Indeed, the Talmud teaches us that to a certain extent this was a disclaimer—it wasn’t a sustainable acceptance.

However, as a result of the Purim salvation, we re-accepted the Torah out of love. This was a true commitment, in some ways stronger than our acceptance at Mount Sinai.

What inspired us to accept the Torah out of love? Explains Rashi, “Through the love of the miracle, we accepted the Torah with love.”

Why did we love this miracle more than the great supernatural miracles of the Exodus?

Rav Dessler explains that love is actually developed through giving; as we give or invest in something, we see that person or that project as our own. We see ourselves invested, and it becomes part of us. 

The miracles in Mitzrayim were so clear and decisive that we did nothing but witness them. The miracle of Purim, however, was hidden; some might miss the miracle entirely, attributing the sequence of events to mere coincidence. We needed to ‘choose’ to see the Hand of Hashem. When we choose to do something, we see ourselves in it and take ownership. This is what triggered the ‘love’ enabling us to reaccept the Torah with love.

Purim is truly a special time—a time to daven, a time to learn, and perform the special mitzvos of the day. But Purim is also a day to renew our relationship with Hashem and to choose to want to serve Him. This will generate the love and inspire us to grow to even greater heights!

A Freilechen Purim and a Wonderful Shabbos!