Parshas Zachor
Purim — The Joy of Life: Megillas Esther
“The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.” — Esther 8:16
“Rav Yehudah said: Light refers to Torah, gladness refers to holiday, joy refers to circumcision, and honor refers to tefillin.” — Megillah 16b
In the eighth year of Achashverosh’s rule, on the thirteenth of Adar, every Jewish man, woman and child was to be slaughtered. Young or old, wealthy or poor, they were counted as one, and on that fateful day, the Jewish people would cease to be. According to the ways of the world and according to the natural course of events, that is what should have happened.
But it didn’t. In the greatest reversal of fortune, the tables were turned and the Jews were saved. In a heartbeat, they went from death to life, from despondency to hope, from being sheep led to the slaughter to having Mordechai HaTzaddik paraded through the streets of Shushan. The people had lived through an astonishing miracle, and they experienced great joy. “And the Jews of Shushan were jubilant and celebrated.”
“The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.” — Esther 8:16
“Rav Yehudah said: Light refers to Torah, gladness refers to holiday, joy refers to circumcision, and honor refers to tefillin.” — Megillah 16b
In the eighth year of Achashverosh’s rule, on the thirteenth of Adar, every Jewish man, woman and child was to be slaughtered. Young or old, wealthy or poor, they were counted as one, and on that fateful day, the Jewish people would cease to be. According to the ways of the world and according to the natural course of events, that is what should have happened.
But it didn’t. In the greatest reversal of fortune, the tables were turned and the Jews were saved. In a heartbeat, they went from death to life, from despondency to hope, from being sheep led to the slaughter to having Mordechai HaTzaddik paraded through the streets of Shushan. The people had lived through an astonishing miracle, and they experienced great joy. “And the Jews of Shushan were jubilant and celebrated.”
The Third System of Tefillah
Parshas Ki Sisa
“HASHEM said, ‘I shall make all My goodness pass before you, and I shall call out with the Name HASHEM before you; I shall show favor when I choose to show favor, and I shall show mercy when I choose to show mercy.” – Shemos 33:19
The Jewish people had worshiped the golden calf, and Moshe Rabbeinu petitioned HASHEM to save them in the merit of the Avos. Rashi explains that not only was he successful in his mission, he also found great favor in HASHEM’s eyes.
HASHEM then said to him that He was going to reveal one of the great secrets of Creation: “You prayed to Me in the merit of the Avos because you assumed that is the most powerful merit in existence. You should know that if the Jews ever sin and the merit of their fathers isn’t sufficient to save them, there is another method that can carry the day. Teach them to call out the Thirteen Attributes of HASHEM’s mercy. By their mentioning My compassion, I will answer them.”
This Rashi is very difficult to understand. HASHEM is teaching Moshe a system for the Jews to save themselves when things are very bleak. Clearly, we are dealing with a serious moment in history, a time when the Klal Yisrael has fallen so low that even their prayers and the merit of the Avos aren’t sufficient to save them. If the prayers of the Jewish nation aren’t enough, and even the merit of the Avos have been used up, how could simply saying thirteen words change the judgment?
Parshas Ki Sisa
“HASHEM said, ‘I shall make all My goodness pass before you, and I shall call out with the Name HASHEM before you; I shall show favor when I choose to show favor, and I shall show mercy when I choose to show mercy.” – Shemos 33:19
The Jewish people had worshiped the golden calf, and Moshe Rabbeinu petitioned HASHEM to save them in the merit of the Avos. Rashi explains that not only was he successful in his mission, he also found great favor in HASHEM’s eyes.
HASHEM then said to him that He was going to reveal one of the great secrets of Creation: “You prayed to Me in the merit of the Avos because you assumed that is the most powerful merit in existence. You should know that if the Jews ever sin and the merit of their fathers isn’t sufficient to save them, there is another method that can carry the day. Teach them to call out the Thirteen Attributes of HASHEM’s mercy. By their mentioning My compassion, I will answer them.”
This Rashi is very difficult to understand. HASHEM is teaching Moshe a system for the Jews to save themselves when things are very bleak. Clearly, we are dealing with a serious moment in history, a time when the Klal Yisrael has fallen so low that even their prayers and the merit of the Avos aren’t sufficient to save them. If the prayers of the Jewish nation aren’t enough, and even the merit of the Avos have been used up, how could simply saying thirteen words change the judgment?
Where are the Gedolim today? Parshas Pikudei(Shemos 38:21) These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe’s request.
Parshas Pikudei begins with a detailed accounting of all of the gold and silver that was collected for the Mishkan. A cursory reading would lead us to assume that while, of course, a man as great as Moshe was above question, he must have asked for this calculation because public leaders must remove any suspicion no matter how far-fetched.
However, the Baalei Tosfos explain things a bit differently. It seems that Moshe was in fact suspected of stealing money from the Mishkan. There were 16 Shekalim which were unaccounted for, and Moshe was suspect to have taken them. Therefore, Moshe asked for a formal accounting, to remove the suspicion. At which point they discovered that those 16 Shekalim were actually used in the construction of the hooks of the Mishkan.
Parshas Pikudei begins with a detailed accounting of all of the gold and silver that was collected for the Mishkan. A cursory reading would lead us to assume that while, of course, a man as great as Moshe was above question, he must have asked for this calculation because public leaders must remove any suspicion no matter how far-fetched.
However, the Baalei Tosfos explain things a bit differently. It seems that Moshe was in fact suspected of stealing money from the Mishkan. There were 16 Shekalim which were unaccounted for, and Moshe was suspect to have taken them. Therefore, Moshe asked for a formal accounting, to remove the suspicion. At which point they discovered that those 16 Shekalim were actually used in the construction of the hooks of the Mishkan.
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