Lots and Lots

For all its fanfare, the Yom Tov of Purim is somewhat hidden. We know, almost instinctively, that it is not just a day of empty fun—a certain sense of Kedusha and elevation permeates the day. Perhaps, in order to access one of the important messages contained in the Yom Tov, it would be helpful to understand the meaning of its name.

The Passuk in the Megilah is very clear about the origins of the word Purim: “Al Kein Karu L’Yamim HaEleh Purim Al Shem HaPur”. The day was called Purim because of the Pur that Hamen used to determine on which day to plot his destruction of the Yidden. The Passuk tells us this as a matter of fact, but if we think about it, this is somewhat difficult to understand.

The Chid”a, in Chomas Anach, points out the the Pur was “Sif Katan MiKol HaTzar HaGadol”, a relatively small part of the entire story. Why, then, was the entire Yom Tov named for it?

It seems, however, that the Pur is perhaps not as insignificant as we might think. Just a few Pessukim earlier, when the Megillah discusses the origins of the Yom Tov, we are told: “Ki Haman Ben Hamdasa HaAgagi Tzorer Kol Hayehudim Chishev Al HaYehudim L’abdam V’Hipel Pur…” Why is the Pur mentioned here if it was only a tool that Haman used? The Passuk could well have ended after the word “L’abdam, but instead speaks about the Pur. We must infer that the Pur played a bigger role than meets the eye.

But, even if we are to assume that the Pur played an important role in Haman’s dastardly plans, it is still curious that this word specifically was chosen as the name of the Yom Tov. None of our other Yomim Tovim are named after something so far removed from that which we are actually celebrating. Pesach, for example, is so called “Al Shum Shepasach HKBH Al Batei Avoseinu B’Mitzrayim”, which is the actual Nes that occurred. The Yom Tov is not, however, named after the stars which told Pharoah to enslave Bnei Yisroel, which in turned necessitated the Nes. Why, then, when it comes to Purim would we name the Yom Tov after something that really seems tangentially related to the actual reason for the Yom Tov?

Rather, it would seem that the Pur not only played a significant role in Haman’s plans, but in the Nes itself. If this were the case, it would be understandable that the name of the Yom Tov is based on this word. How and why might this be true?

Earlier on, the Meggilah tells us exactly how the Pur came to be. Although Mordechai was the only one who was not Kore’ah U’Mishtachaveh, Haman was not satisfied at the prospect of eliminating him alone: “VaYivez B’Einav L’Sholach Yad B’Mordechai Levado.” Rather, Haman wished to destroy Klal Yisroel in its entirety. And so, during the month of Nissan of the twelfth year of Achashverosh’s rule: “Hipil Pur Hu HaGoral Lifnei Haman”. Although the Passuk does not speak much about how the Pur worked, we are told that it was “M’Yom L’Yom U’Mchodesh L’Chodesh Shneim Asar Hu Chodesh Adar”. Rashi explains that the Pur, or Goral, was used to determine “B’Aizeh Yom BaChodesh Yatzliach.” Haman’s plan was already developed, he only wished to determine when was best to act.

It appears that Haman’s use of the Pur was effective, as it returned a desirable result—or so he thought. The Gemarah in Megilah teaches us that Haman cast a lot that landed on Chodesh Adar, and became excited, exclaiming: “Nafal Li Pur B’Yerech She’Mes Bo Moshe.” Haman knew that Moshe Rabbeinu was Niftar in Chodesh Adar, and so he figured that this month was an auspicious time for him to attack Bnei Yisroel. He was, however, mistaken: “Lo Haya Yada Shebishiva B’Adar Mes U’bishiva B’Adar Nolad”. Haman did not know that Moshe Rabbeinu was Niftar on the same day that he was born, which made Adar a less promising month for his plans than he thought.

On one hand, this Gemara indicates the importance of the Pur, at least in Haman’s eyes: he understood the scope of his intentions, and felt that an appropriate day was of utmost importance. The Pur, then, was not just a decision-making tool, but was obviously done in a way that would help Haman choose a “good” date. That said, there is an important question to be asked on one of the statements found in the Gemarah.

We are told that Haman did not know that Moshe Rabbeinu was Niftar on the same day that he was born, making Adar a less auspicious month than he assumed. This is difficult to understand—if Haman knew the Yartzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu, why did he not know the day on which he was born? Why would he be aware of one important date and not another?

This question is perhaps amplified by a Medrash Rabba on this Passuk which speaks about the Pur process at length. According to the Medrash, the Pur did not land first on Chodesh Adar, but Haman found something in each successive month that he understood would stand in his way. For example, when the Pur landed on Chodesh Nissan, Haman knew that the Zechus of Pesach would stand in his way, and in Sivan the Zechus of the Torah. But these various Zechusim, which the Medrash tells us Haman understood, reveal a deep familiarity with Yiddishkeit. For example, in Chodesh Elul the Zechus of Maasar Behema, which is done in that month, caused Haman to move on. And, in Chodesh Kislev the Zechus was Chanukah, which had not yet happened.

If all this was true, that Haman understood these Zechuyos, it is surprising that he did not know that Moshe was born and was Niftar on the same day. Why did he make the error that led to his choosing Chodesh Adar for his plot?

The truth is that there is a line at the beginning of this Medrash that seems to confirm our original theory. On the words “Hipil Pur Hu HaGoral” the Medrash says: “Alav Nafal HaPur”, the Pur fell upon him. This seems to indicate that the Pur itself was the source of Haman’s downfall. That the Medrash then goes on to describe the Pur process, and all of Hamana’s thoughts as it unfolded, in such detail is perhaps indication that it was these machinations that led to Haman’s downfall. The question, of course, is: How? How was is that the casting of the Pur led to Haman’s defeat?

Perhaps if we understand the later part of the Medrash, and how it fits with the Gemarah in Megilla, we will be better able to answer this question.

The Shefa Chaim of Klausenburg, in Parshas Tzav, asks a similar question on the Gemarah in Megillah based on a Gemara in Meseches Rosh Hashana. There, the Gemarah tells us that HKBH is “MiMaleh Shonasan Shel Taddikim”, completes the years of Tzaddikim, so that they are Niftar on the date of their birth. How is it possible, asks the Klasusenburger, that Haman did not know this “Davar Pashut”?

If we think about it, this “Davar Pashut” is itself curious: why is it important that a Tzaddik has “full” years, such that he is Niftar on the date of his birth? We can perhaps answer this question based on the way the Shefa Chaim answers his.

Haman may indeed have known that Moshe Rabbeinu was born on the seventh of Adar as well, says the Shefa Chaim, but he certainly did not know what this means. When a Tzaddik is Niftar, but his teachings are carried on, we say of him “Sifsosav Dovevos N’Kever”, his lips move even as he is in a Kever. The Petirah of a Tzaddik, then, do not mark an end but a beginning: his legacy is now carried in his absence, his lips all the while in motion.

We can now understand why Tzaddikim are Zoche to live full years, and be Niftar on the date of their birth: since they now enter a new realm, one of “Sifsosav Dovevos N’Kever”, it is fitting that this occur on the day of their first birth as well.

This, explains the Shefa Chaim, was the mistake that Haman made. Even if he knew that Moshe Rabbeinu was also born on the seventh of Adar, he did not realize the significance of this fact. He thought that the Zechus of Moshe ended in Adar, which would make it an auspicious month, but he was in fact wrong. The Zechus of Moshe is carried on even after he is Niftar, because on the day of his Petirah he enters the realm of “Sefosav Dovevos N’Kever”.

This idea may help us understand the ultimate significance of the Pur.

The Medrash seems to indicate that a true Zechus would have been necessary in order to stop Haman, and he missed one for Chodesh Adar, leading to his downfall. What is the Zechus of Adar that protected us? Now, we might say that it was the Zechus of Moshe Rabbeinu, who was born in Chodesh Adar, but the other Zechusim mentioned in the Medrash are related to Klal Yisroel—Mtizvos or Yomim Tovim that relate to the month. How do we understand the Zechus of Adar in this light?

Perhaps the Zechus of Adar was not Moshe Rabbeinu, but Klal Yisroel itself. We are the nation of the Mesorah. We are the ones who can affect a reality of “Sifsosav Dovevos N’Kever”, because we carry on the words of those who have left us. It was this Zechus, which is highlighted in the month of Adar, that ultimately protected us from Haman.

The Pur, we now see, had extreme significance: the way in which it was carried out saved us, and doomed Haman. Haman used the Pur to find a month without a protective Zechus, but in his arrogance he ignored the most important Zechus of all, the one he cannot relate to. The Mitzvos that we do, which created Zechusim in other months, only come about because we believe in a Mesorah, and place such importance on the transmission from one Dor to the next. The Hamans of the world have no connection to such a concept, and so they just see Adar as a month in which a leader was Niftar—they don’t see that he was also born anew in that month. They don’t see that his teachings are still passed on one to the next, and so the Zechus means nothing to them.

“Al Kein Karu L’Yamim HaEleh Purim Al Shem HaPur”

Each year, on Purim, we are supposed to contemplate the Pur, which, as we have seen, was the key to our salvation. But for the fact that we carry on the teachings of Moshe Rabbeinu, allowing him to remain alive in the guise of Sifsosav Dovevos N’Kever, all would have been lost. It was at that moment, at the time of the Pur itself, that we were saved, and it was only because of this Zechus which is so unique to us and unfathomable to anyone else.

The importance that we place on the Mesorah is what protected us from Haman, and what can still protect us from this day. V’Sikvosam B’Chol Dor V’Dor—our hope lies in the connection from one Dor to the next. It is this Zechus that can protect us and allow us to ultimately be successful in felling our enemies, K’Ashe Yishletu HaYehudim Hema B’Soneihem.