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How Pinchas learned to say “GOOD PURIM ! ! !”

Once a poor shlepper, Pinchas, came to the Kozhnitzer Maggid on Purim, and said in a weak voice, “Good Purim”.  So the Kozhnitzer said to him, “Pinchasl, you are my best friend in the whole city; how can you come to say Good Purim to me without bringing me a gift?” Pinchasel didn’t have a single cent; he didn’t have money for his feast at home. so he said, “Rebbe, I’d love more than anything else in the whole world to give you a gift, but how can I possibly do it?” So the first thing the Rebbe did was to teach him how to say Good Purim. The Rebbe says (loud and strong), “GOOD PURIM!” and Pinchasl answers weakly, ggood purim”.

Again. “GOOD PURIM!” “good purim.” No. I’ll try again.  GOOD PURIM!” “Good Purim.” Finally he is roaring out like a lion, “Good Purim, Good PURIM, GOOD PURIM!” Then the Rebbe said, “Okay now, Pinhasel. Now I’d like you to get me a gift for Purim. Okay. So Pinchasel goes out on the street, and he is yelling at the top of his lungs, “GOOD PURIM, GOOD PURIM, GOOD PURIM!” He went in to a grocery and he yells out, “GOOD PURIM” Then he said, “Listen, I know I owe you money from ten years back already, but this time I want you to give me a special bottle of wine and some fruit, because I want to bring a gift to the Rebbe.”

There was something about the way he said it that the man had to give it to him. So he brought it to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe said it was the greatest gift he ever had for Purim.

Meanwhile, Pinchasle was walking home, and he thought, “I brought nice  to the Rebbe, and my own wife and children are starving, I better bring them something too.” So he walked back into the grocery store and yelled,”GOOD PURIM!  Listen, I need gifts for my family too.   I can’t Just walk home. It’s Purim.” Pinchasle was shining, and the grocery man forgot; he forgot the bill, he forgot about the money. The grocer gave him fruits and wine, and all kinds of things for Purim. So Pinchasl went home.

The way things used to be when he was a real shlepper, Pinchasl would walk around the house and his wife would yell at him his children would yell at him, and his house was really a bad scene.  But this time Pinchasl walked in like a lion, and yelled, “GOOD PURIM!!” His wife looked at her husband, and he seemed like a different man.  Pinchas said, “It’s Purim,we have to celebrate!” So they had a great feast and told his children the story of Purim. His house was completely different. His wife and children were looking him in a completely different way. He was teaching his children how to say “GODD PURIM!!!” the way he learned.

In the middle of the Kozhnitzer Maggid’s feast the Rebbe said,”Shhh… be quiet, because everybody in Heaven is quiet, they are listening to Pinchasl teach his children how to say, “GOOD PURIM!”

The next morning Pinchasl walked into the rich man’s house and told him, “listen, last night I decided I want to be a rich man too. I want you to give me a loan of ten thousand Rubles.” Pinchasl said it so strongly that the rich man trusted him. That’s how Pinchasl became the top holy rich man, the top holy beggar of Kozhnitz. Purim mamish gave him the strength.

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The Greatest Miracle Of Purim:

I accept upon myself the positive mitzvah of “V’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha”, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” [the holy Ari z"l said that we should say this every day before beginning our prayers.

The greatest miracle of Purim, the Talmud tells us, is that on the 13th of Adar, the day on which Haman's decree was to be executed, all the Jewish people got together, to defend one another. Nobody went hiding! Everyone stood up for each other, and fought for each other's lives!

Reb Shlomo zt"l taught:
The Ishbitzer Rebbe zt"l, points out that on Purim, among the four mitzvot of Purim, we have two unusual mitzvot . These are the mitzvot of "mishlo'ach manot", sending a gift of two foods to a friend and "matanot lo'ev'yonim", gifts [of money] to at least two poor people. The rule is “kol ha’posheit yad notnim lo”, everyone who stretches out his hand (for a gift of charity on Purim), you are to give him (i.e. without verifying if they are really needy or worthy of support).

We do not have any similar mitzvot on any of the other holidays. To be sure we always have to give gifts to the poor, but this is not a mitzvah which is specific to any holiday. But it is specifically commanded that we do so on Purim. And surely we have no mitzvah that is comparable to “mishlo’ach manot” at any other time.

These two mitzvot are essentially active fulfillments of the mitzvah: “v’ahavtah l’rei’acha kamocha”. And so the Ishbitzer Rebbe asks, why did the Rabbis [at the request of Mordechai and Ester] instruct us to specifically fulfill these two mitzvot on Purim?

The Ishbitzer explains that the “People of the Great Assembly” realized that Haman’s evil decree came about because we were afflicted with the illness of “tzarut ayin”, a narrow eye. This is the [spiritual] illness of looking at others with a narrow eye i.e. begrudgingly, it bothers you that someone else has something, be it material or spiritual. You want to be the only rich person, or you simply want to have more than the other.

To bring about the annulment of Haman’s evil decree, the Rabbis of the Great Assembly instituted these two mitzvot, these two acts of loving kindness: “mishlo’ach manot” and “matanot l’ev’yonim”. To fulfill “matanot l’ev’yonim” we have to give gifts to at least two poor people. To fulfill “mishlo’ach manot” we have to give at least two different readily edible foods to at least one friend.

Why two different foods? So that you should give with both hands!

Now Reb Shlomo zt”l further explained that Mordechai and Ester, through their “ruach hakodesh” [spirit of holiness; an ability to perceive almost prophetically] perceived that the second Beit Hamikdash which was soon to be rebuilt, would eventually be destroyed because of “sinat chinam”, baseless hatred. That is why they asked that these two mitzvot should be instituted for all further generations, to let us know that we must be very careful to fulfill these practices of “ahavat Yisrael”, for they are the foundation of Hashem’s dwelling place and the strength of our survival.

PURIM TEACHINGS FROM REB SHLOMO ZT”L

According to sefer Yetzirah, the letter for the month of Adar is “kof”. Amaleik, the arc-enemy of the Jewish people, attacks both on the physical and spiritual levels. Haman, as is well known, was a descendant of Amaleik. What is Amaleik saying? He says that all our praying and our service of Hashem is worthless, because we’re not for real. All we are doing is merely mimicking and imitating our ancestors. Maybe they were holy, but we are not, we are a “kof” which means a monkey…. we are merely monkeys. Bring a monkey into the room and the monkey will imitate us. So too, claims Amaleik, we are nothing more than monkeys. Seems like Amaleik has a good point. And what is the answer to Amaleik?

Reb Shlomo said: The answer to Amaleik is “ad d’lo yadah”… it’s beyond ‘knowing’. My yiddishkeit is deeper than my conscious self. On Purim we have the mitzvah: “one must get so drunk on Purim… to the point of not knowing the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai”. Amaleik is saying: you’re just a fake or you’re only mimicking. Then invite him to your Purim Feast. When you are drunk you can’t mimic anyone else. “You Amaleik, think that i’m a fake, and often you even have me convinced of the same…. but wait! We have a holiday… it’s called Purim… and on this holiday we realize how real and how holy we really are. Come and see how real we Yidden are, come and see us on Purim.”

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New York, Purim 5753 Reprinted from Cong Kehilath Jacob News
Rabbeinu speaking:

When you drink wine you forget everything. The world drinks wine to forget the good and remember the bad. When we got drunk on Purim, we forget the bad. We even forget how bad Haman is. We only remember the good in the world… and in heaven they do the same. On Yom Kippur I am asking forgiveness for all the bad things I did. But on Purim, I don’t have to ask forgiveness because Heaven only remembers the good.

An unholy drunkard sees one and thinks it’s a hundred. He sees a hundred and thinks it’s a million. On Purim, I see a million and I say I see only one … I see the whole world but I say to the Master of the
World, “I’m sorry, I see only One.”

On Yom Kippur, we don’t give gifts to each other because we are separate from each other. On Purim we can’t stop giving gifts because we are one.

Hopefully, one day there will be peace in the world but every year it begins on Purim.

Love

Shlomo

Purim Secrets

On Thursday nights we have a Reb Shlomo Beis Midrash devoted to the study of Reb Shlomo’s teachings. Last night we learned an awesome Purim Torah teaching from Reb Shlomo zt”l, that we would like to share with you. Whenever you are in Yerushalayim, please come and learn our Rebbe’s teachings with us, on Thursday nights 8:30 – 10:15 pm.

“And Mordechai wrote all these things, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Achashveirosh, both near and far, to enjoin upon them to keep the 14th day of the month of Adar, and the 15th day of the same, year by year. As the days on which the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was transformed for them from sadness to joy, from mourning to yom tov – good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and mishloach manot ‘sending portions’ to one another, and matanot l’evyonim – gifts to the poor. (MEGILLAS Esther 9:20-23)

“Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Avichayil, and Mordechai the Jew, wrote with all emphasis to confirm this second letter of Purim. And he send letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Achashveirosh, words of SHALOM V’EMMES – peace and truth, to confirm these days of Purim, in their appointed times, as Mordechai the Jew and Esther the Queen, had enjoined on them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, with regard to their fasts and their crying out [to Hashem]. And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordechai had written to them.” (MEGILLAS Esther 9:30-31)

In Halacha – Jewish Law and Customs, the fast of Esther is probably the least stringent of all fast days. We have six fast days each year. Yom Kippur is the most familiar of all of these and is clearly associated with Tshuvah – repenting and returning to Hashem. Then there are four fast days that are associated with the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash – the Holy Temple. On these days we are enjoined to do tshuvah both as individuals and as communities, so that we may merit seeing the Beit Hamikdash rebuilt quickly in our days… Amen.

Ta’anit Esther – the fast of Esther however, is different from all of these, in that it does not pertain to the destruction of the Temple, nor does it particularly pertain to doing tshuvah for our transgressions. Though it is true that on all fast days we are taught that it is not the fasting that is the essence of the day, rather it is the returning to Hashem, nevertheless, the fast of Esther is different. In fact the original fast of Esther, took place in the month of Nissan in preparation for her uninvited meeting with king Achashveirosh. That fast was a three-day tshuvah fast. The fast of the 13th of Adar is called the fast of Esther, in remembrance of that fast. The 13th of Adar was actually the day that the Jews went out to do battle with their enemies.

In the Shulchan Aruch it is explained that whenever we went to war, we would fast on the first day of battle, and so presumably we also fasted on the 13th of Adar. Thus our fasting on the 13th is in remembrance of that fast, but we call it the fast of Esther, in remembrance of Esther’s fast.

Yet we still have to understand why this fast was instituted altogether; after all this was not the only time that we went to war and it was not the only time that we fasted, yet no other such communal fast day was enacted for any of the other holidays. In Halacha this fast is one of the most lenient fast days, precisely because it is not a fast over a tragedy. So then, what is the fast of Esther really about? What is the service that is required of us to fulfill “with regard to their fasts and their crying out [to Hashem]?”

Purim is also distinguished by the mitzvot of mishloah manot and matanot l’evyonim. On no other holiday are we commanded to send gifts of food and to give extra gifts to the poor. What are the secrets of Purim that make it so different?

Reb Shlomo zt”l taught as follows. Why is it that we aren’t overly aroused or ecstatic over all that Hashem does for us? Why is it that only when we are completely broken that we truly begin to appreciate all that Hashem does for us? It is because we like to think of ourselves as self-sufficient and independent. Though, if we were asked to tell the truth – do we really believe that we are independent, do we really not recognize that all that we have is a gift from Hashem? – We would readily admit the truth. Yet we seldom live this truth, basically because we are a yesh – we think and act as if we are independent beings.

Reb Shlomo says that the more something is evil, the more subtle and refined its appearance. The more we absolutely need something, the more Amalek tries to convince us that we can live without it. The Torah and its mitzvot are “our life and length of days.” But Amalek says, “you can live without it.” Shabbos is essential to our Jewish life. But Amalek says, “you can live without it.” Hashem is our very existence, our source of life, and we all know this and we all would admit to this, yet Amalek says “you don’t really need to connect yourself to Hashem, Hollywood and the media will manage to keep you entertained just fine.” Amalek says, “you don’t really need to be connected to all your fellow Jews, or to all your friends; you don’t need to feel the pain of another, just take care of yourself.” “Folks – that’s Amalek!”

Purim is the most awesome holy-day divine gift from G-d. Purim is fasting and crying out to Hashem – “Hashem, how could I be so unconscious of You, Hashem I want every fiber of my being to aware of You, that there is only You and nothing else; Hashem, I don’t want to be comatose anymore!” Purim is reading the Megillah – hearing Hashem’s story and telling Hashem our stories. Purim is mishloach manot – sending gifts of food to our friends saying “I mammash can’t live without you.” Purim is matanot l’evyonim, “Gevalt, how I wish that my heart would be open and sensitive to the poor, instead of begrudgingly giving them a few pennies, instead of looking down on them. How I wish I would have the heart and the courage to restore their self-confidence.” Purim is seudat Purim – the feast of Purim, eating together and getting drunk enough to be drunk on “Purim” – on the great miracle of this awesome holy day, not to ‘know’ the difference between ‘cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai’. To know that there is only one truth, there is only One, and that we are never forsaken.

Reb Shlomo said that on Yom Kippur I’m saying to G-d “I’m sorry for all the things I did wrong, I’m sorry over all my transgressions.” But I’m only apologizing because it is forbidden to do what I did. We apologize to our friends “I’m sorry I insulted you – I learned that it is forbidden and I am sorry.” But if it wasn’t forbidden I’d probably do it again, right?

Purim is beyond that. We don’t apologize on Purim. On Purim we realize “Hashem, I can’t live without you; I can’t live without Your Torah, I can’t live without Shabbos. I can’t live without my friends. Hashem, I want to be close to You – I would like to tell You my story.”