Shoshanas Yaakov: Purim’s Achdus, Jewish Identity, and Seeing Hashem as Melech

Transcript

This Torah class is brought to you by TorahAnytime.com. We talk about the Yontif, Purim. Purim is coming up. What is the avodah of Purim? The truth is, it's very hard to put it all together, all the different nekudos, different chalakim of the avodah that's necessary on Purim in such a short period of time. So we'll try to give maybe a yesod, something which is chut hashidra, something which encompasses somewhat all the other yesodos of what the avodah is on Purim. And of course, we begin with the Shoshanas Yaakov. The Shoshanas Yaakov was written by the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah. The Machatzis HaShekel brings down it's not a later-day piyut. It was nisaken from the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah. So obviously it entails the entire Yontif, the entire essence of the Yontif, in the few paragraphs of the pizmon of Shoshanas Yaakov. U'medafes upleh v'hagemara. If it was written by Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, so it has to be up to lount. You have to read into it each word, each nekudah. So let's begin with the first stanza, so to speak: Shoshanas Yaakov. Tzahala v'sameicha b'reisam yachad techeles Mordechai. A lot has been asked already on this stanza of the piyut. There's even a Brisker Rav about it. And the she'eilos, of course, are pretty obvious. Sheishanah, a flower. Why is Klal Yisrael in the story of Purim referred to as a sheishanah? Why the sheishanah? Why here? Why now? Why Purim is sheishanah the way we express Klal Yisrael, the title that is given to Klal Yisrael? Yaakov. Now we all know there's two names to Yaakov Avinu and there's two names to Klal Yisrael. We're the Bnei Yaakov, it's true; we're also the Bnei Yisrael. And each time that we find Klal Yisrael mentioned, sometimes we are called Bnei Yaakov, and sometimes we are called Bnei Yisrael. And there's a reason each time why sometimes it's Bnei Yaakov, the reference, and sometimes Bnei Yisrael. And the question is why Purim, after we had the nes and we celebrate the nes, is it sheishanas Yaakov? It should be called sheishanas Yisrael. Klal Yisrael, mostly, especially in times of elevation, especially in times where we celebrate Yom Tovim, we are not referred to as Bnei Yaakov; we're referred to Bnei Yisrael. Why here are we referred to as Yaakov? Sheshanas Yaakov, tzahalah v'sameicha. These ha'aros already not mine; all the mefarshim, all the sefarim that talk about Purim already mentioned these two ha'aros. And of course the third haarah is pshatah: Bereisam yachad, techilas Mordechai. That's the whole happiness, the joy of Purim, tzahalah v'sameicha. I'm l'chairah the joy of Purim, the happiness, we were saved. And if you want to talk about the ruchniyus, good, so we were able to be Klal Yisrael and continue and to learn and to daven. ... liktin the techilas Mordechai. Bereisam yachad ... techilas Mordechai. Brisker Rav says already a pshat: the techilas Mordechai showed them that the nes was really here to stay. This was the shtempel, so to speak, on the nes. And the Brisker Rav has a whole mahalach; you'll hear it, be'ezras Hashem, over Yontif many times, so we don't have to elaborate on that Brisker Rav. But the haarah is hagutah: what's the techilas Mordechai? Obviously the techilas Mordechai symbolizes a lot more.

Than just the techeles Mordechai. And it symbolizes, mistama, a lot more than just vas'nahafoch, Hashteis from sakim turned into techeles Mordechai. Obviously it's got to be more than that. The Brisker Rav wasn't gefregt the shayla if it's not more than that, right? It's got to be more than just that it represents happiness over sakim, over sackcloth. So there's something in the techeles Mordechai that symbolizes the whole Yom Tov, when the tekef hanes, what is in the techeles Mordechai. And like I said, all the meforshim discuss these shailos. We're going to take a mahalach, which we've spoken about more or less over the years, somewhat pieces and parts. We'll put it together and we'll add the chiddush, the hosafah of this year. I want to begin with the Goyen. The Goyen, on the pasuk in Megillah in Esther, perek tes, pasuk tezayin, says the Goyen, Nikhalu v'amod al nafsham. Klal Yisrael was nikhalu. They joined together, v'amod, and they stood up for their nefesh. They stood up to defend themselves. Says the Heilige Goyen, Nikhalu haYehudim v'amod al nafsham, b'achdus gamu. It wasn't just they came together. Many times people congregate, yet they're separate. It doesn't mean they have a connection one with the other. Says the Heilige Goyen, Nikhalu means it connotes more than just— An assembly. Nikhalu b'achdus gamur. The Gaon continues with this yesod throughout the Megillah. Just one more example of it. On the pasuk, chaf gimmel, in the continuation there, V'kiblu haYehudim, says the Gaon, Kiblu k'echad. Az evi b'Kabbalas HaTorah we have a concept, an inyan of that they were mekabel, naaseh v'nishma, amru k'echad. Zogt der heilige Gaon that we have the same yesod here too, V'kiblu, they were mekabel k'echad, V'kiblu haYehudim. The pashut pshat is, maybe Kabbalas HaTorah, Kabbalas HaTorah dafka b'achdus. Stam it has a lot to do with it, and I'm sure many sefarim speak that way, that Purim, being that it's a Kabbalas HaTorah, requires all the conditions, all the tena'im of Kabbalas HaTorah. Interesting. So what's Nikhalu haYehudim? I guess the achdus already started then, right? If you're going to learn the Nikhalu haYehudim, achdus k'echad, because we needed for Kabbalas HaTorah k'echad, that's later. That's not by the Nikhalu haYehudim. Choires by the kiblu. V'kiblu, v'mekabel, kimu ma shekiblu kvar, anu Kabbalas HaTorah, ados daf zayin, b'achdus. But the Nikhalu, that they got together to fight. That also needed to be bachdus for Kabolas HaTorah. Stam the reid is famous that obviously there's more to the nikra lua Yehudim. There's more to the kehillah, the achdus that we find so emphasized on Purim, more than just the Kabolas HaTorah the keduah, the Kabolas HaTorah chelek of Purim. So what is it? What is this inyan of achdus on Purim? And we find the sefarim are full with this, that the hilches Purim puts such emphasis on achdus, shloach manos ish l're'eihu. Achdus. According to many, that's the ikar. Good, there's bris ketaira that the mishloach manos is to make sure he has for the seudah. Right, good, that's good. Trust me, I know all the taamim. Not that I know because I learned, but it's famous over the years. Anyone who ever spent time in the yeshivas knows the halachah, mishloach manos, good. Av eize achdus klal, that the zechar nekudah of achdus in the mishloach manos, ish l're'eihu, and the machatzis shekel.

Meforshim speak also, why is matzah shekel before Purim? It's avadah, because the shekalim of Klal Yisrael save them, because hikdim shekleihem lishkalav. Haman gave shekalim to destroy Klal Yisrael, zogt the Gemara. Hikdim, the Ribbono Shel Olam made sure that Klal Yisrael already had shekalim before, and he could tell Haman, ... the gezeirah, that's an expression in Yiddish. ... That's a pshat in them. Zeh pashut, loit אונזער, the way we're explaining this, very nice. Haman, as we're soon going to learn, had a very stark taina on Klal Yisrael, and that is, Yeshna am echad mefuzar umeforad bein ha'amim, pirud. Good. Everybody says this, the manas halev, ... they all speak pirud, right? Thanks. Shekalim. He gave shekalim for this, right? He was giving money because yeshna am echad. So how did we fix it? With the shekalim. Why? The shekalim was also an inyan of achdus. The inyan of shekalim, the meforshim, the Alshich speaks, the two halves, me and you together. So hikdim, the shekalim was the anecdote to Haman's whole premise. Haman's premise was, ... a few dollars. Rasha. Rasha, you. And what's the pshat? We're soon going to learn, it's what you do with the money. Kuk rasha, vos tutst mit dayn gelt? What do you do with your money? You give it to kill, to destroy. Kuk vos Yidden gebn. Look how Yidden, what they give money for. And that lends itself into the whole yesod of mishloach manos u'matanos la'evyonim. It's all about the achdus of Klal Yisrael. All is part of the same theme. Der rasha vetaynen, as we're soon going to learn, it's not maiver, matanos la'evyonim. Talk about it. Yesh lamechad, mefuzar u'meforad bein ha'amim. So the tikkun is the shekalim. And what are we misaken with the shekalim? It's takke geben shekalim, we'll soon see, to the Beis HaMikdash. We'll discuss that in a few moments. But also to give to aniyim, because that becomes the tikkun, the chiluk, and pay attention, rabosai, Tzavishen der Yid mit der goy, vos er tut mit gelt. Now listen carefully, rabosai, because what we're going to say is emes, l'amito, emes, what is Purim all about. Okay, we're going to discuss vas is Purim, rabosai, vas iz der heilige tog Purim. There's an interesting gaon in Mishlei. The gaon in Mishlei speaks about hashra'as haShechinah, and he quotes a pasuk, V'hu b'echad u'mi yeshivenu. Sagt der heilige gaon in Mishlei, perek vav. Pasuk yud tes. V'hu b'echad, when Klal Yisrael is echad. U'mi yeshivenu? Kasha Yisrael b'aftus oz hashchina shoyreh b'Yisrael. Ooh, interessant, ha? Hashraas haShechina needs that Klal Yisrael has achdus, ha? Der Mishkan, nu, yeder lach was hashraas haShechina. The shekalim were given to the Beis HaMikdash to build the Mishkan, to have the avodah in the Mishkan, hashraas haShechina. What was our chashveirishes, gantze avodah, what's this whole party, the essence, the theme? Put so much money and effort, nu, of nisbo in the Beis HaMikdash. Dos is doch der gantze Mishteh. The entire Mishteh was to where the bigdei kohen, to show with the bigdei and the klei haMikdash that the Beis HaMikdash is not being rebuilt with the nevuah, with the ... something, the gantze maaseh, ... And therefore he invites Klal Yisrael. Yeshnoi am echad mefuzar u'meforad bein ha'amim...

Where was the pizur habeisai? Nowhere does it say that the pizur, the lack of achdus, was amongst themselves one to the other. And I've challenged you on this many times. Bring me a mekor. Yes, yesh am echad, lack of achdus. Show me a Medrash, a Chazal, something. Bishleima bchurban Beis Hamikdash, okay, I hear. Shteit doch in the Gemara. The Gemara says because they had sinas chinam. Gut. Find me. Someone shows it to me. I searched it a lot. Found almost close. And the yesod is vet gebracht in all the sefarim. And the taich, rabosai, is there's two inyanim in achdus. Achdus means avada one to another, 100%. But there's also achdus means not to be mefuzar umeforad bein ha'amim. That it says in the pasuk. The pasuk alein zogt, mefuzar umeforad bein ha'amim. What's the pshat? They went to the party. The party was trying to undo the Klal Yisrael's am hanivchar, am echad, that they're special, that they stick together. They were invited to a party among the goyim like one other. A Yid mit a goy is, we're all Persians. And that was the taineh, yeshno am echad, mefuzar umeforad bein ha'amim, meilevos. Mil ken zayn kein ashuras haShechinah, ken itz zayn kein Beis Hamikdash. If you look at all the sefarim, Haman's biggest fear was the Beis Hamikdash. Mordechai's biggest goal was binyan haMikdash. U'Mordechai yoshev b'shaar hamelech. What was he doing b'shaar hamelech? What's he doing there? So I saw, b'ma'aseh levi, others, they speak. Tsu chapen tsu melech. He stood there the entire time, maybe he could catch the melech and convince him, mizol bauen the Beis Hamikdash. You notice that the first thing he tells Esther, ad chatzi hamalchus v'esein. Everything till the Beis Hamikdash. The Beis Hamikdash became a core issue in the maaseh of Purim. Are we Persians or are we Yehudim? If we're Yehudim, we have a different melech. If we're a Yid, we have a different beis hamalchus, and that is what? The Beis Hamikdash. A Yid, kein in galus, arbaatanandre melech, Rabbeinu shel olam. He has a different beis hamalchus. Mordechai sitzt b'shaar hamelech, a levush sack. Say, neged the beis hamalchus? Vi kumt er tsu beis hamalchus bichlal? It's not neged to him. His ikar nekudah is Yidden mit a boyn a Beis Hamikdash, hashraas haShechinah in Klal Yisroel. And this hashraas haShechinah needed that Klal Yisroel should be meyuchad, am echad. And when that happens, then we could look about building a Beis Hamikdash, and if not, a Chashverosh thinks he won. Achashverosh feels that there's no hope for Klal Yisroel to build a Beis Hamikdash. Bais, it's poshut pshat. Just have to read it from the Chazalim, from the Sefarim. You see the Beis Hamikdash was a core issue in the story of Purim. And the pshat, davka, we spoke many times, we don't need a Beis Hamikdash. We could be without a Beis Hamikdash. Reb Chaim Volozhin speaks about it. U'v'mitafhabin v'shachanti b'socham, and the b'soch kol echad v'echad needs all the tnaiim of the Beis Hamikdash, like we spoke last week. And one of the tnaiim of the Beis Hamikdash is that Klal Yisroel should be meyuchad. And where do I know this from? It's also a gaon in Rabbeinu.

The goyen brings, Vayehi bishurun melech, b'hisasef rashei am, yachad shivtei Yisrael. Zogt the Sifri, the goyen speaks about it in many places, he says, Vayehi bishurun melech, the pasuk in V'Zos HaBrachah, Melech eimasai? When is he the melech? B'hisasef rashei am, yachad shivtei Yisrael, k'sheim osin agudah achas, v'lo k'sheim agudos, agudos. Ah, habeisai, in the Megillah, every time it says the word hamelech, we read it as if it's hamelech Achashverosh. Chazal tell us it's not going on hamelech Achashverosh. Hamelech is Melech malchei hamelachim, the Melech, the Rabbeinu Shel Olam. This is what's going on in the story of Purim, nes and teva. And this you probably heard so many times, that Purim is nes of teva, that's what it is, but it's teva. Chanukah is l'maalah min hateva, l'maalah min hateva. Chanukah, okay, we don't have to go back into all the Chanukah beis medrash, Chanukah is l'maalah min hateva, and Purim is teva. This is the challenge that we live in, in a world of teva. We see the melech, we see his koiches, his malchus. We see his glamour, we see... So we look at it, we say he's the melech, he's the koach. And the truth is, we have to see and understand as Yidden that the melech is just a puppet, and it's really Melech Malchei HaMelachim, it's the Ribono Shel Olam. You know when that happens? V'asafef rashei am, yachad shivtei Yisrael. When Klal Yisrael comes together, then the melech, the melech becomes the king. He becomes the melech. He's knighted as the king only, v'yasafef rashei am, yachad shivtei Yisrael. Chabeis, you're starting to get a feel of what the underlying issues, so to speak, of the Megillah and the nes of Purim is. See, say a pashut. Achashverosh wants to be mehodu v'ad Kush, sheva v'esrim u'me'ah medinah. He's the melech. And how does he do this? By taking Klal Yisrael and splitting them among the nations. Fakert, we give you a place among the nations. When Mordechai is screaming not to go to the seudah, we're not lifregen doch de kashe. It was kirtzon ish va'ish, then blat kashe. Meg blat kashe fun dem. Zogt mir, afilu the people who don't eat bugs, they zicher eat from hashgacha, right? That's for sure. Okay, I didn't mean to check anybody, yeah? All good, good, rabosai, matzches hashgachah, yeah? Okay. So what was the problem? So, parshah, we always said it was the entertainment. Just because the food is kosher doesn't mean the program is kosher. Two things: the ra'ayos that was there, questions if they knew before if the ra'ayos, the ra'ayos would be some shailas, a kutah. But just the yesod of the seudah was to show that there's no Beis Hamikdash. Maybe also that's a reason why it's a tefeh. Seudah and hashkafah, ken zayn. And what's the pshat? The Yidden didn't chap in Mordechai, the gadol hador, with his daas Torah, he understood it, which is a big lesson in life. What stamped kosher, Rabbeisai, Gedolei Yisrael scream not to go there, there's a reason for it, because they see what we don't see. They farshtein the sugya better than us. Un andere kemen zogen, hagufa, vos mizitz mit a goy ban tish? Dos aleyn is the problem. Rabbeisai, we're saying three pshatim. And what was such a big taina al sheneihem? ... On the teretz is, other ... which is a good shaila, did they know in advance? I don't know.

Maybe it came out that way. ... that's the ... that's Yayin Nesach. That's why we have a nis of Yayin Nesach, right? Aderaba, pshat is, ... to show that there's no Beis Hamikdash. They couldn't see it. They saw it as going to loyalty to Tachashveirish. ... he saw deeper. He saw that it was more about showing the Beis Hamikdash is finished. Another pshat is, hagufa, the yeshna am echad mefuzar umeforad bein ha'amim. That's פשוט the pasuk. The way the pasuk clearly tells us Haman's ta'ina. ... was saying, No, don't do that. Don't go and mix and mingle. Klal Yisroel's meyuchad. They're special. Rabosai, now let's discuss the techeiles Mordechai. What is the techeiles Mordechai that they were so happy? When the teretz is, Klal Yisroel is misyached, then they see the Melech, and then they have the hashra'as haShechinah. You could be in this world, ... but yet the person lives, a Yid lives with the Ribono Shel Olam. And goyim look at you and they're laughing at you. What? This is what a Yid is all about. That every teva, what seems to be, it's not really teva. There's a Rabbeinu Shlelem, there's HaMelech behind it all. Tzitzis. What is tzitzis, rabosai? This is famous. That's what tzitzis represents. Tzitzis represents, rabosai, malchusa dishmaya b'hai ara. The yam is doimeh l'rakia, right? So it's yam, but you look up to the rakia. Ki mei hashamayim al haaretz. Chassidishe sefarim, from Taitchin, ki mei hashamayim al haaretz, right? A person can live here, but a himmeldige teg. A Yid lives... and that's techeles. Where did I get this from? It's a Malbim, rabosai. The Malbim says clearly in Zechariah, perek ches, pasuk gimmel: V'hatzitzis moirin al sechiras hamitzvis, v'gam al hashraas haShechinah b'Yisrael, kemo shekasuv... Az evi shteit, techeles doimeh layam. Nu, it's hamefurash in Malbim, rabosai. Hashraas haShechinah, which means a person in his daily life, geit arum mit a Rabbeinu Shleilam. Ach Ahashverosh wants, mizol kumen tsum seudah, forget the Rabbeinu Shleilam, forget about Him. We're in Persia now, and I'm the melech. Un demot chashrait chayiv vkayam, s'nit azoi. Sheshanes Yaakov tzahalah vsameichah. Der oylam yachad, techeiles Mordechai. The techeiles of Mordechai. He's going around b'levush malchus. Geyt arum, he looks like the senator. Geyt arum, as if he's a senator. What is he wearing? A tachtach tzitzis iber dem, tachpeleh, tachpeleh. And they chap, az der yid geyt arum mit dem Ribono Shel Olam. It's a whole different malbush. And I don't mean physically; it means everything that goes in the malbushim. Der oylam yachad, techeiles Mordechai. That's the pshat, rabosai, b'roisam yachad, yachad. Why yachad? So some learn the pshat is going on Haman and Mordechai. They didn't know who's who. So b'roisam yachad, when they see them together, so how did they chap it's techeiles Mordechai, that's not Haman. ... That's the pshat, that Mordechai and Haman—so Haman decided to put on Mordechai's clothing. Like this he gains that people should say, Oh, you see, it's still Mordechai that's still schlept Haman. Little does he know that it's not the clothing. ... put on the bigdei Kohen Gadol, but he didn't know.

Oh, that the bigdei kohen gadol is l'chavel sifares for him. It makes the beauty of the person come out. The men's blite zol b'beheima. Today we have dogs that they give very nice uniforms for. I don't know if you ever saw, they wear the poodles, they wear this beautiful plaid. It's not going to change the dog, you know. You could wear all the beautiful clothing in the world, the dog blite zol b'hunt. Huh? Okay, okay. Al kol panim, here, Rav Eisai, yachad. When they saw them together, zogen the meforshim, yachad, techilas Mordechai. He chapped that this is Mordechai. Good? But the way we're learning pshat, I saw Reb David Cohen in his sefer, his famous sefer on the Purim, also learns the pshat like this. Now what's the pshat yachad? Achdus in Klal Yisroel. Yachad means that Klal Yisroel together. Okay. Now let's explain the sheishanas and the yakef. What's the sheishanas and what's the yakef? Avada sheishanas borrowed from a term in Shir HaShirim, Ki sheishana bein hachochim, kein ra'ayosi bein habanos. When Klal Yisroel, Yiddishkeit, mishpigel tzachap, becomes in contrast to the goy, he's beautiful. The lowest and smallest of Yid is gold compared to the goy. Ki sheishana bein hachochim, kein ra'ayosi. Pena bonos. It's quoted from a me'ir Pamishlana, that he said that when he comes to Shamayim, and they start asking about his avodos, Torah, he'll be very ashamed. אבל אין זach vet a zogin. Beser vi di goy tate? Okay. That's a heilige vort, rabosai. Az der Yid is azoy fil beser vi di goy. And soon I'm going to show you, I believe that's Purim. I believe the yesod of Purim is tatteh we're better than the goy. Ki sheishanah bein hachochim, kein hayosi bein habanos. Betzilah yashavti, vechamadti. No matter what, Rabbeinu Shleilam, it's sheishanah bein hachochim. It means a sheishanah bein hachochim, and that's why use the lashon of Yaakov. It's not Yisrael, it's Yaakov. The Ramban, the Zohar, they all write that whenever it says Yaakov, it has to do with galus. It has to do with Klal Yisrael in the matzav of galus. Sheishanas Yaakov, the sheishanah of Yaakov. What was Purim? Klal Yisrael was chayiv harigah. But then we showed something very special, that the Yid, that the Rabbeinu Shleim had to be matzil us. Sheishanas Yaakov, the sheinkeit from the Yid. That's what Purim. Sheishanas Yaakov, even the Yaakov, even when it's Yaakov, when it's the smaller and lower madreigah, it's not Yisrael. Still, sheishanas. Kiselach harimah rakaseich, afilu rei kanim shebecham, leihem mitzvos kerimon. Der sheinkeit for the Yid, when it comes, look at the Yid and look at the guy. קוקט אויף דעם נאַףקאמינה. Look at the difference. Sheyshanas Yaakov, it's a whole of a simcha, one of their happiness, זיי צופרידן. Forget about the tzefinim wegen the Yeshua. Avadeh they were happy; you can't say they weren't happy about the yeshuah. But what really made them happy? ... Something more than just the actual yeshuah. There was a ruchniyusdike, Rabbeinu Shleilam. They saw Malchus Shamayim, and the smallest and simplest of the Yid, sheyshanah is a flower compared to this. Sheyshanas Yaakov, tzahalah v'simchah, ours. We're bringing out the beauty of Klal Yisrael. Vos is der sheinkeit for the Yid? And the answer is, tzahalah v'simchah. What is he happy about? ... When the kumt tzuzamen, Klal Yisrael comes as one to see techilas Mordechai. He's walking around, he looks beautiful with the ... This is what moves them, and this is what makes them proud to be a Yid.

And that's Purim. We're going to soon explain that it's about being proud to be Yid. The Malbim in Yeshayahu, mem-gimmel aleph, speaks: Yaakov is always shfal hamadreigah. Yaakov means that it's on a smaller madreigah. Yet, when they're the smallest of the madreigah, they can reach the highest of levels. When Yidden are even b'chinas ad lo yada, he's patur min hamitzvos almost. The beauty of the Yid comes out when he's uninhibited by anything. What is the Yid? What is the toichen of the Yid? Ad lo yada. You know what ad lo yada? Where do we find the mitzvah of ad lo yada? Because we're trying to get down to the inside, voss bistu uninhibited. Un der sheinkeit kumt aroys. The sheinkeit of the Yid kumt aroys when he's in the matzav of ad lo yada. I want to tell you a mechadike vort. Sheishana. I remember going into a flower store. Sheishanim is not the most expensive flower of the store. And don't challenge me, because I don't remember the names of the flowers. They're beautiful flowers you can get for much more expensive, shener, more. So what's the sheishana? Why the sheishana more unique than any other flower? So I saw a heilige vort from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Napierin, the Pashiskei Sisa. Aye, Katal Yisrael. Rabbi Shimon says, I will be the tal, I'll be the dew. Yifrach k'shoshanah, will sprout and open and blossom like a shoshanah. It's interesting, the rose, it opens, it has petals, it's completely closed. But it opens by the scent or the lubrication of the water from above. And Rabbi Shimon says, What is that water that opens up this beautiful flower? Aye, Katal Yisrael. I'll be that tal. When the Yid sees hashraas haShechinah, when he sees the Ribbono Shel Olam, he opens, he blossoms. Klal Yisrael was in a difficult situation, ruchniyus and gashmiyus, in the story of Purim, in Shushan. But they were like shoshanah, they blossomed quickly. Aye, Katal. When they saw the hashraas haShechinah, like the Gemara says, me'ahavas hanes, kiblu aleihem. Nikhalu haYehudim. What shows this tremendous koach that Klal Yisrael has? And the answer is, b'eis tzarah, they come together. Over the years, I've contemplated ... Yet there's so much fighting. I mean, let's be honest. What's the answer to that paradox? ... If you're honest, look in the mirror and ask yourself. You know what the teretz is? Two terutzim. Definitely not like the goy, for sure not. And a different yesod, rabosai, which I heard from Gedolei Yisrael. Nobody fights like us, and nobody makes up like us either. Such a ... It's such a ... rabosai. Can I tell you something characteristic about a yeshanah? And it's not a drashah. You know why? Because Rashi says it. Rashi himself says it. ... על הישנים. Tehillim, perek mem-hei, pasuk aleph, subterashi, the talmidei chachamim are called sheishanim. It's referring to the talmidei chachamim, says Rashi. Why? Sheheim rach. They are soft, like sheishanim. Wow. Interesting. Talmidei chachamim are soft like sheishanim?

Questions for you, rabosai. And I'm not going to say the obvious, well, did you have... I'm not going to go there, okay? But the Gemara tells us, Kol talmid chacham she'eino kasheh k'barzel... He has to be tough like nails, like a... So what's Rashi talking about rach? What's he referring to? And then I have a different question. Hamnahag shel... Klal Yisrael is a sheishaneh, az mikol haumos. Klal Yisrael is the most brazen of all other nations. Am k'shei oref. What are we talking about? Rabosai, the teretz is in the Rambam. Avada. We're not am k'shei oref. Let's see how we make up. Says the Rambam, Asu l'adam hilchos teshuvah, perek beis, halacha yud: Asu l'adam lihyos achzari v'lo yispa'eis. You have to be—this is going on Erev Yom Kippur, we'll soon get to one minute in Yom Kippur—you have to be not an achzar, v'lo... ela yehei noach, noach l'ratzos v'kashe lichos. Yeah, we got to be strong. We got to be tough. Tough not to get angry, kashe lichos, but noach l'ratzos. And the Rambam says that this darkom is called the way of the zera Yisrael v'libam... Hanachah, deep down in every Yid's heart, this is what it's all about, that he's noyach l'ratzois. K'sheShanah bein hachoichim, nikhalu haYehudim. When it came to protecting one Yid, the other. When it came to fighting one for the other, then they joined together. Nikhalu haYehudim b'achdus, b'echad gamur, says the Gaon. It was one, united as one. That's the koach of the Yid. Rashi tells us in Meseches Megillah, zman kehila lakol hi. We read the Megillah even on Yud-Gimmel. Why? Because it's zman kehila lakol. It doesn't even need a pasuk. It's pashut, it's a chelek of the yeshuah of Purim. The fact that they joined together, v'nikhalu haYehudim b'areihem. Rabosai, Purim is, we celebrate the Yid because that's what Haman hated in us. You know what Haman, you know what the world hates about us? That when we come together, no one comes together like us. They hate that. The Nazi hated it. We can tell you story after story. That's what ate the Nazi up more than anything else. The triangle, the Yid with the Ribbono Shel Olam and his fellow man. That connection, Yisrael v'Kudsha Brich Hu v'Oraysa chad, it's all one. They can't handle that. Purim, we celebrate that fakert. We are Yidden. That's what Purim is. Nikhalu haYehudim b'areihem. Kimu haYehudim. Look how many times we stress and emphasize the word Yehudim in the... In the Megillah, we're celebrating Ich ben a Yid, Nishken goy. I'm a holder from the halachah, and therefore Purim is based on matanos l'evyonim and shalach manos, ish l're'eihu. A shaila: can I give shalach manos to an enemy and be yotzei? A shaila. I hate the guy. I can't stand him. I'm... Reb Elyashiv, in his sefer, Hilchos Olam, there's a kuntres from Reb Elyashiv on Hilchos Purim: You're not yotzei. Shteit in pasuk, ish l're'eihu. Shteit, ish l're'eihu. It's not your friend. Reb Chaim Kanievsky, his kuntresim writes, Chas v'shalom, there's no such thing. The temimus of Reb Chaim, vos sheich? How could you hate someone? What are you talking about? Okay. Can I tell you a pele yoeitz? The Pele Yoeitz agrees with both of them. You can have an enemy, but yet you should give him shalach manos. Zogt the Pele Yoeitz in Hilchos Purim, because that's the whole yesod of shalach manos. The gantze yesod for shalach manos is to make up with the other person. So you should דווקא look to give shalach manos to people who you don't like, l'chatchilah. Azoi zogt er. It's a pele yoeitz.

And that's the takke pele yoetz. He's giving you a gevaldige eitzah. It works. I've done it in the past. It works wonders, they say. I go to shadchanim, the guy, your neighbor, this, our driveway, our this, our yent, our this. Send them a shidduch shadchanus and it's all over. Finished. Might be starting again after Purim. That I can't. That's up to you and him. But it's over. That's nikalu haYehudim v'reyeihem. Nikalu haYehudim v'reyeihem. This is what it is. Now we put the last part to the equation. Reb Shlomo, my taireh Reb Shlomo, asked me to put the shaila before the shiur. It's either niba v'lo yada ma sheniba, or fakert, I love him so much that whatever he asks me, that becomes the shiur. Could be. Anything could be. How could it be so much in Purim in one day? How could you pack it all into one day? How good the shaila. And I answered him, you know, when you get the right medicine, you don't got to take a boxload of it, right? That's the koach of Purim, that you could get in a short, quick dosage. But you don't even know how much you get in that Purim, and I won't explain it to you in one minute. I know I'm stealing time from you. I'll send you a shadchanus and it'll all be good, okay? The shiur itself, that's the shadchanus, as I read the Monis Halevi, no? That's what he sent shadchanus to his shver, his kallah. Could you imagine sending a kallah shtickel Torah? He sent her a shtickel Torah. You know the history? Okay, after the shiur I'll tell you. He said that was the story. The Monis Halevi was a shadchanus to his kallah. You try. Let me see how long you'll stay married. Okay, now. Kitza aveisai, you hear? Listen good. Hear good, hear good. Simcha. So we spoke about the achdus and the yadus, and where is the tzolah v'sameicha now? Now dafka not paitch in the simcha, yeah? There's only one thing that makes a Yid b'simcha, and that is the equation I just told you: that he's a Yid, together with other Yidden; that he recognizes the Ribono Shel Olam is the Melech. Melech plus Klal Yisrael equals simcha. That's what it is. You know how I know this? Because it's a gayin, it's all over. It's Rosh Hashanah, by Hibishuren Melech. Yom Kippur is the yachad shivtei Yisrael, that they make, ... they come together as one. Equalsukes. Purim, V'loi lohu noded hashnas hamelech, nikhalu haYehudim, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and therefore what? Vayehi Shushan ... olah v'sameicha. The equation works, rabosai. I know it as a fact. When it's Melech plus Klal Yisrael equals simcha. There is no, so to speak, loopholes around this equation. Melech, Vahibishuren Melech, the gayin, I told you. Yachad shivtei Yisrael equals Sukkos simcha, and this, the koach of Purim is Yom Kippur. Now you have a whole new taich of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is what Purim is. Because Purim, you get it in a capsule form, asheshanim kipeso, because you got it all in one capsule. You take a capsule, hastachalt. ... Nikalu haYehudim, ... the achdus properly, and now we'll bring you to the simcha. But don't forget, part of the equation is, Vayehi bishurun melech. Targeses to the Rabbeinu Shloilem, the taten himmel on Purim. ... to yeshuos and nechamos. You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by TorahAnytime.com.