The Miracle of Purim
On Purim, we celebrate the salvation of the Jewish Nation from extinction.
Haman ordered in the name of King Achashverosh that all the Jews in his kingdom, which included most of the civilized world, were to be killed in one day. Miraculously, Haman experienced a dramatic downfall shortly afterwards, and the Jews were saved.
The day on which the Jews were supposed to be annihilated was declared as an annual day of celebration. As part of commemorating the miracle, our Sages instituted four mitzvot (commandments) to be performed on this day. We must listen to the reading of the megillah, which tells the entire story of the decree and how we were saved. We are to partake in a festive meal in celebration of our salvation. In addition, we need to give charity to the poor and send gifts of food to other Jews.
The Deeper Message of the Mitzvot
While the first two mitzvot are quite obvious as to why they are called for on this special day, the latter two deserve somewhat more of an explanation. What is unique about this holiday for which there is extra emphasis on reinforcing positive vibes between one person and his fellow man?
The Manot Halevi (3:8, 9:19) explains that at the time that Haman secured the consent of King Achashverosh to the decree against the Jews, the Jews were not all in harmony with each other. This is hinted in the words that Haman related to Achashverosh, “There is one nation which is scattered and separated [from each other].” In fact, this is why Haman thought that his evil scheme would succeed without Divine interference.
Unity: The Key to Salvation
The Jews’ reaction to this was, as Esther commanded them, to gather all the Jews together to fast and pray. They understood well that the way to defeat Haman was through reinstating unity within the Jewish nation. This is why we have these mitzvot on Purim, which induce closeness between our people, in reminiscence of the virtue which brought about our salvation. Based on this insight, it then would follow that an integral theme of Purim is strengthening unity amongst our people. This is the way to truly keep our communities safe and secure, and to bring salvation to our people, as it did in those days.
A Modern-Day Illustration
This concept reenacts itself in our times as well, as is demonstrated in the following story:
Unfortunately, a feud had broken out in a family over an inheritance. The family was splintered to fractions with ongoing discord. Over the years, many of the family members were plagued with misfortunes. There were health issues and marital problems. Some suffered from infertility while others struggled with other painful experiences. At one point, a member of the family fell into a coma and the doctors had given up hope on reviving him.
One cousin decided it was time to put an end to the long strife which had infected the family unity. Through much determination and with many challenges, he obtained the signatures of all the family members stating that they forgive each other. When the project was complete, the letter was brought to the bedside of the ill person who lay motionless, and was read out loud.
Before they knew it, a startled doctor came rushing in. “The monitors are displaying normal brain activity!” he exclaimed. Sure enough, the man started on his way to make a full recovery. Many of the other troubles the family suffered from were soon alleviated as well.
Protecting Ourselves Through Unity
Often when we feel threatened, we divert our attention to the immediate cause of the difficulties facing us and neglect to focus on the spiritual call being given to us. We fail to realize that when disharmony exists among us, we have opened the door for trouble to enter in our midst. The true way to fend off threats and oppressors is by uniting ourselves as one.
Lack of unity doesn’t have to be in the form of a fist fight. If we look down at other Jews who are different than us, we have already created a breach in our unity. Holding on to grudges, speaking negatively of others, jealousy and unrightfully distancing ourselves from others are all elements which are hacking away at our safety barrier.
The mitzvot of giving money to the poor and sending gifts of food on Purim are not merely acts to perform. The lesson our Sages are attempting to ingrain in us is the understanding of the true way to protect ourselves from harm. Purim is a time to analyze the way we treat each other; to think of ways we can improve on reinforcing unity in our midst.
Parshat Terumah 5786/2026
torah4every1@gmail.com by Rabbi Yitzchok Aryeh Strimber
