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HaRav Chaim Kluft shlita: What to Learn from Purim Today
by Rabbi A. HaKohen
When the amoroim used to study Megillas Esther, each one would begin with an introduction to the megilla to explain its fundamental premise.
The first explanation in the gemora of Megilla says HaRav Chaim Kluft revolves upon the posuk, "In place of the natzutz shall a cypress grow, and instead of the nettle shall the myrtle emerge." He said that natzutz refers to Haman, who claimed himself as worthy of worship. He will be exchanged for a cypress, referring to Mordechai who represented the prime of all fragrances. And instead of the nettle thorn, a myrtle, hadas, will flourish, which refers to Esther, also known as Hadas. In place of the wicked Vashti, daughter of the son of Nevuchadnetzar who laid flame to the Beis Hamikdash, shell reign Esther who is also called Hadassah."
What do these references represent? These are not random comparisons but titles for Mordechai and Haman. What do Chazal seek to teach us from them?
HaRav Saadia Gaon's commentary on the Megilla explains the development of the flow of the Megilla to the decree of "destroying, killing."
Let us surmise that if a person is told that he will die within the year, he is not unduly anxious, but here, when Mordechai tells Esther to go immediately to Achashverosh and to fast on Pesach, she is not fazed. "What's the rush? Let us wait until his wrath dissipates itself. It would mean my going to the king uncostumarily."
But he persists and says that "if you remain silent at this time..." In other words, it demands haste.
And Mordechai himself goes forth to the city streets, shouting a great and bitter cry. Why the great hullabaloo? A whole year!
Everyone is aware of Achashverosh's nature. He is fickle.
But Mordechai perseveres, and gathers all the youngsters, denying them food and drink. They cried and wept while studying Torah. It was Yom Tov Sheini of Pesach and the children were taught the laws of the Omer sacrifice.
At this time, Haman found Mordechai sitting before the children, all of whom were wearing sackcloth, mourning and crying. He counted them and found that there were twenty-two thousand. He shackled them with chains and ropes and declared: "I will kill these first before I hang Mordechai."
The children's mothers came, bearing bread and water, urging them to eat and drink before they died. They refused, placing their hands on their holy books and swearing that they wanted to die while fasting.
And what about the rest of the Jews? "In every land where the king's decree reached, there was great mourning, fasting, weeping..."
This proves to us, says Rav Saadia Gaon, "that one must not bear a calamity with equanimity." Not to become confused and despaired but to "pound upon the gates of Heaven in every way possible, the main thing is not to be in despair, and to be patient, with orderly prayer because this is the way the miracle came about."
Mordechai says to Esther that "if you remain silent at such a time, respite and salvation will stand by the Jews from a different source."
I am not concerned, he says. If Mordechai has such faith, if he is so convinced about the succor, why does he gather all the children, insisting that they fast and weep, if he is so sure about the eventual salvation?
The answer is simple, and this is the lesson of the Megilloh: "Who is unto Hashem our G-d [at our aid] whenever we cry out?" He is the only address.
We have no problem with Haman or Achashverosh, who are merely the rod. But we do have a 'problem' with Hashem, Who sent the rod and expects something from us. In our misfortune, Hashem is the only address. He wants something: our repentance, our prayers, our self-sacrifice.
Mordechai knows that every harsh decree has a reason which demands immediate action. Why wait a whole year when we should do something right now?
Together with our prayer, the Jews can surely expect deliverance and salvation from another source. It is sure to come, in the merit of "our outcry and devotion to Torah." Yes, Mordechai is certain of the deliverance.
If this is the case, why is it necessary for Esther to go to the king and endanger her life?
HaRav Saadia Gaon explains: "The protection of Mordechai and Esther to save the people is so that they not believe that their prayer and fasting are sufficient and that is what will annul the decree, but to realize that sometimes the deliverance can come through a person and his supreme efforts, for the well-being of the whole nation will come through the individual support of each one.
"In place of the natzutz will grow a cypress — referring to Mordechai and Esther.
The commentaries say: the cypress grows straight up and does not have branches that split into smaller twigs. But on the other hand, it grows alongside the natzutz, a thorny plant. A quick look will show this thorny plant growing quickly and proliferating, while next to it, a young cypress gains height very slowly. What happens in the end? The thorny plant eventually dries up while the cypress grows tall and stately.
This is the situation of the wicked alongside the tzadikim. At first it seems that the wicked are flourishing, "The reshoim seem to flourish like grass and the evildoers spout buds." But in the and they will be destroyed for evermore. However, the tzaddik continues to grow stalwart like a palm tree and flourishes.
What are we supposed to learn from this, now before Purim 5785?
Says HaRav Kluft: What was the sin of the Jews? That they partook joyfully from the feast of Achashverosh. So what was the problem with this celebration? No one was forced to eat or drink. Because it was at the highest level of kashrus. What did they say? We had no choice? It was a royal edict! The king made a party and invited the Jews! We have to go.
Haman told the King: Don't say they must come. If you force them, they will say that they have no choice and must go. There is no punishment for that.
Mordechai declared: Do not go to the meal of Achashverosh. He just invited you to later accuse you.
What kind of feast was it? "Many kinds of keilim."
Achashverosh figured that seventy years had passed so there would be no further Beis Hamikdash. He took out all of the clothing of the Kohen Godol. All eight of them including the holy Tzitz. It was a feast to celebrate that the Beis Hamikdash will not be rebuilt. And he invited Klal Yisrael to celebrate that,
So why did they go? Probably they wanted to see the special clothing of the Kohen Godol.
But the bitter truth is that under all the holy clothing and kashrus, it was all Olam Hazeh. As the Chovos Halevovos says: They made their bellies into a god.
It is very upsetting. Sometimes one sees it at current weddings. Boruch Hashem at the weddings of bnei Torah we do not see it, but sometimes we see how the food is worshiped. If we are not vigilant the spirit of the street finds its way into our midst.
We see things happening in front of our eyes, like the events of the Megilloh. We have to remember to see things in the eyes of the Torah. In the Megilloh it looked like Mordechai's provocation of Haman caused the harsh decrees. But Chazal tell is that it was enjoying the feast of Achashverosh that was the cause.
Everything that happens is subjected to analysis of the causes and the effects. Whatever happens the pundits try to determine who is the cause and what the effects will be.
This is just the ancient skill of Amolek to cool down our perception of the Hashgocho that shepherds us all the time.
That is what we should learn from the Megilloh. What and who are the real causes of things. "Whoever trusts in you will never we shamed."
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