Purim 5778: Why do we still celebrate a story that happened thousands of years ago?

good evening and welcome to this Janet class on porn we will discuss tonight what exactly it is that we are celebrating on program and why it is so important to do so let me begin by explaining in general what the concept the Jewish concept of time is you can compare time to a circle because it constantly repeats itself do you have a weekly cycle monthly cycle yearly cycle well in the other hand you can compare time to a straight line because time always moves forwards and never moves back so which is it a straight line or a circle and the answer would be that it's actually a combination of the two when you combine a straight line in the circle what you get is a spiral now imagine a spiral staircase a spiral staircase is similar to a circle in that you constantly pass the same points under center at the circumference but every time you pass the same point you're at a higher level and the same is true regarding time the Jewish mystical concept of time is the time is a creation time is not just a measurement of how long it took God to create the world or how many years the world has been in existence but time in itself is a creation as we say every Shabbos in kiddush cassius I mean Hashem is a shaman restless which means that God created the world in six days but if you analyze the words used in this phrase she she she she I mean also rather than bish is yummy masa it implies that the six days were created not only was the world created in six days which would be the meaning of Bish's yummy masa but that the six days in themselves were a duration each day of the six days of creation was a creation in and of itself independently of what was created in that day as a matter of fact whatever was created on each day reflected the specific energy as fira of that day so you have the first day of creation which corresponds to acid which is the energy of love of giving so that the white was created because light is the manifestation indiscriminate giving light doesn't discriminate between who illuminates and who doesn't illuminate the second day that corresponds to Guevara to judgment severity the separation of the waters came into being heavenly waters in the earthly waters so so to every day the six days of creation and Shabbos has its energy and then we start again every day of the week every Sunday is called the omission every month is called young Shanie that the first day the second day because it's the first and second day of the cycle repeating itself well it doesn't repeat itself like in a circle it repeats itself as in the spiral staircase that although every Sun that you have the energy obsessing again and every Monday you have energy hora again it's not the same thing because it's after a whole week of accumulated energies and experiences and although it is fastened it's not the same facet that you had the week before so the same just I said this was regard to the six days of creation the same is true with all of time we celebrate the 15th of Nisan for example the day that we left Egypt but the cause and effect here is probably the other way around that is why the Jews leave Egypt the fifteenth day of Nisan is because God created a day of liberation which was the fifteenth day of nyssa just like the Jews left Egypt the fifteenth day of listen because it was a day of liberation a day that was created and destined to be day of liberation so - every year when peso comes around we don't just remember what happened to our forefathers thousands of years ago as a matter of fact this year is three thousand three hundred thirty years ago in a faraway land but it is actually an opportunity for us here and now to liberate ourselves from our own personal Egypt our own personal constraints be they religious intellectual emotional social psychological whatever so when we come to Puran the same is true and that it's not just that we remember what happened two and a half thousand years ago approximately but we actually relive it on a personal level now in order to be able to relive our holidays and not just celebrate them as a way to remember what happened but actually celebrate them as a way to relive what happened we need to be able to understand what it wasn't really happened just I can pace up for example one might say what do I have to do with Egypt I was never a slave and and it was never in Egypt so what does this have to do with me and the answer is that Egypt is a country a physical place in the Middle East but a does also a concept there's also a frame of mind and that is something that we experienced today as well which are the constraints it's ryeom it's serene so we need to really free ourselves from our own limitations so if you look at the Exodus in that way we see how it applies to us and it's something that we can and should experience ourselves and the same is true with porn porn was the same thing that if we in order for us to be able to experience program on a personal level we need to get to the essence of the story and see how it transcends the specific time place and people of the events told in the story of pauran and how it actually relates to us and here and now so that is the objective of tonight's talk to try to uncover some of the secrets some of the essence of what happened in the story of Purim and why it is so important to us thousands of years later so the truth that matter is that is the essence of core the essence of Purim is to reveal the essence that is what program is all about and that is actually expressed in the name of the scroll of Esther which is called in Hebrew making lot as their which means the roll the scroll of Esther and the idea here is Magilla means scroll but it also can mean comes in the world Gillooly to reveal Esther is the name of the heroine of the story of Purim but Esther is also related to the world say sir meaning hidden so the truth is Magilla Esther can also mean the revelation of the hidden that is what the essence of the story of Purim is and that is something which has to do with us today as well the major challenge that we had in our lifetime here on earth is to be able to penetrate the external suprafacial appearance of things and to understand what is really going on behind the scenes the book of Esther is the only book of Tanith the only book of the Bible that does not have God's name in it explicitly it never mentions the name of God openly it is there alluded to in different ways but it doesn't none of God's holy names are in the Megillah that is why as a matter of fact when somebody learns the art of being ascribed a Sofer the first thing he was running is a big event because the makino doesn't have god's name in it so he doesn't run the risk of making a mistake when writing name which would be blasphemy to write you know God's name wrongly so his first book that he writes is the book of Esther so then he doesn't run the risk of writing God's name wrong as a newly graduated scribe so there we see this this idea that the whole idea of Purim is appears to be a series of coincidences a series of political maneuvers palace intrigue that happened and you know and you don't see God's hand there at all right so the idea of the story of Purim is precisely to teach us that even though things seemed to be running the course of natural law the laws of nature behind it all is God's hand and we see it in different things that happened for example when the decree came out to destroy all the Jewish people and mortify was very upset about it and sent a message to Esther I was the queen and she should intercede on behalf of the Jews with King Ahaz perish and she said that you know you can't just call it the king he might kill me so I mortify his sister so she says okay you know what I'll go and but with the condition everybody should fast three days and nights in preparation for my risking my life going to the king and the rabbit points out that we see her a very strange thing I mean if Esther wanted to find favor in the eyes of her husband the King Ahaz Ahaz who chose her precisely for her duty why would she fast with me they should spend three days at the gym or at the beauty parlor fasting wouldn't exactly enhance her beauty and points out that this Mordecai and Esther understood that any decree that takes place on the physical plane is only a manifestation of the decree taking place on the spiritual plane meaning that it wasn't the Herrera or humman who were calling the shots they were just puppets there were just tools in a much larger scenario and that is that God had decided that the Jews needed to have this decree and the cause of their spiritual efficiencies and the only way to overcome the decree was to fix those deficiencies and thereby merit the nullification of the decree so that is why as they're asked more defined to tell the Jews to fast for three days so that their spiritual merit would be increased and that would allow her to be successful in her speaking to the king speaking to the king was only a means that was not the real cost of make the change the real change was the change in needed to take place on the spiritual level so so we see right there if we look at that whole exchange between Esther and Mordecai we see that they both understood that what was going on here wasn't just the result of Irish and hummin hating the Jews for whatever reason but that we really wouldn't care if they had in the Jews the Jews weren't to be vulnerable to their decrees and what caused the Jews to be vulnerable to the decrees of Hashem Irish and hummin was to be addressed now what is it that made the Jews vulnerable to the decrees of a hashish and hammer so the Talmud asks this question as a matter of fact the common asks what did it Jews do to deserve such degree of extinction of annihilation what did they do to deserve such a decree so the Thomas says because they enjoy the feast that ushers made for them the Megillah opens by telling us about a feast that ushers made for all his countrymen the lasted 180 days and because he celebrated his understanding the Jews would not leave his country to go back to Israel when they will have medicine the king of Babylon destroyed the first time all the prophets prophesized and after seven seventy years the Jews would return back to Israel according to the calculations another sheriff made the seventy years have passed and the Jews weren't going anywhere so he figured that that prophecy was in Rome or was nullified and that was that was what he was celebrating so he made a party and at that party he had the Megillah tells us he prepared food treats own issue each according to the desire of each and every person was mean each and every person issue issue every man and man said the pharmacist for mortifying for helmet there was food that satisfied Hammonds gastronomic aspirations and there was food that satisfied mortifies elastic Cassius requirements in other words that the Jews were able to partake of that feast without violating any of their religious obligations so the question is what was the big sin what do they do a kosher cup little kosher kosher enough for Mordecai to eat the food so what was exactly the problem why do they deserve this the cream so the answer is that the rabbit point out that the keyword here is not that they ate at the face but nano they enjoyed the feast that Joshua made what does that mean it means in other words that the Jews saw that seven years apparently went by they were still in exile and they didn't care because they were on good terms with the king of the superpower so cherish was a superpower then dominated 127 countries territories and all the Jews lived under his authority and he threw a party invited the Jews to come and eat kosher food and everything on they felt great you know what do we need to go back to Israel or what do we need God for we're doing fine so that is when God said okay guys you know you think you're doing fine and you don't need me anymore I'll leave you to your own resources if you think that you don't need God because nature is doing pretty well and you're okay on your own I'll let you be on your own and let's see what happens so that is when all of a sudden Association jamón reverted to their natures and started the whole plot to kill the Jews now when the Jews saw was going on they had an option they had an option to abandon their Judaism because the decree was only against Jews and if you denied your Jewishness you were not covered by that decree in other words the big feet have nothing to do with you nevertheless throughout all the time a year more than a year that the Jews were under that cloud that decree they only strengthened their commitment to their Jewishness to the Judaism and they did not abandon it so that is what actually nullified the decree meaning for the Jews finally realized that they do need God to take care and they do need to serve God and it wasn't enough just comfortable just being one of the normal regular citizens of Perugia that is when the decree was nullified and the Jews regained their spiritual stature again as a matter of fact the Talmud tells us explains one of the one of the verses of the me given that says that after the whole story and the victory and the turnaround this salvation of the Jews it says Camus we keep blue LED assure her fatal losses that to choose Kim will be key below the established and accepted that which they had profaned in other words that the Jews had abandoned sort of the some of the you know fervor they had for their Jewish identity you know they felt very good being normal citizens of the super power of their time but then after the story of Purim they their faith was reactivated and they re turned to their connection to our Minotaur so in this phrase that the be given says kimo Vicki below the established or they ratified and accepted so our said you said Kimo mashiki look far they ratified that which they had already accepted meaning what happened in Poland actually was the end of a process that began at Mount Sinai and throughout all the years until the story of Portland maybe a thousand years the Jews had a very good excuse for not keeping the Torah Mitsos at all because our sages tell us that what God wanted to give the Torah he first offered it to all the nations of the world and each of them asked what the Torah contains once the Torah tell us to do and when they heard that there was something there that they didn't judge with their lifestyle they rejected it they can't live without killing without stealing without whatever and they weren't interested in changing the lifestyle and when it came to the Jewish people they said not sevenish ma we will accept them we will here we will do when we will here but at Tom who tells us that actually God lifted Mount Sinai over their heads and said if they were to accept the Torah fine and if not they would be buried right there so Talmud says that since then the Jews had a good excuse for not fulfilling the mitzvahs they were forced into it they had no choice they never accepted it willingly they were threatened that if they were not to accept the Torah they would be buried right then and there so become meat or a beware I said that since then the Jews had a very good excuse for not fulfilling the Torah because they were forced at the story of Purim they accepted the Torah and it says willingly so that ratified their acceptance retro actively at Mount Sinai in other words that it wasn't something it was forced and ponder even if it was at that point forced but later since they accepted willingly so that retro actively validated the original acceptance I say this gives an interesting insight into this whole episode of God putting in Mountain over them what does it mean he put a mountain over them so suppose explains that mountains and valleys represent love and fear that mountains which are expensive represent love which is expensive and valleys which are impressions in the ground represent fear which makes the person contract so the idea of the mountain represents love and the is that God showed so much love to the Jewish people taking them out of Egypt and all the miracles splitting the sea everything that was done for them that when he asked him to do something how can he say no no so that love the open display of constant limitless love was what coerced them to accept his request how can you say no to such a benefactor that shows you so much love so that was the coercion and that is why one might have thought that the Jews never really accepted and out of their own volition they accepted it because they were seduced into it and and they were forced because they couldn't say no to some one God who showed him so much love and gave him so much gave him so much but when the story of Purim came around where God seemed to have abandoned them but they were under the decree of total annihilation the God was nowhere to be seen nowhere to be found they had the perfect excuse to just drop everything in and leave you know you know he doesn't love us anymore he's not here anymore so what are we doing here nevertheless what happened they reaffirmed their connection to tournament says they reaffirmed their connection to their Jewishness in spite of the fact that God seemed to have abandoned them wasn't there to help them so that showed that their connection to God wasn't just because it was worthwhile because they paid or because they would receive some benefit but because it was an unbreakable connection meaning that they were connected in spite of anything that might happen not because of something they had okay so that is what happened actually in story of per have an important is that our acceptance of the torrid Mount Sinai was finally validated in a very deep way that's why we also find tonight's the essence of of Purim actually the essence of Portland is the unbreakable connection the Jew has with a shame that essence which is unquantifiable non-conditional and that is what is expressed and porom that is what we're able to connect to on / as a matter of fact we find that Yom Kippur it's also called Yom Kippur in young people in means they have atonement say this explains that Yom Kippur dream can also mean a day like pouring meaning that Yom Kippur is similar to pouring that means that pouring in a certain way is superior to Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur is only similar to pour why is that so that brings up we find several things that are similar between Kippur and foreign one is the the lots that were thrown in Cuba there were two goats that were selected one of them was was to be thrown over a cliff the other was to be bored as a sacrifice and they were chosen through lots Haman so in order to determine which day of today the calendar year he would they created Jews to be exterminated a bit he also threw Lots I was done by Lots so we find this whole idea of lots is present in Yom Kippur as well as important so that we have lots is something which is totally super rational something which which is not logical and that is exactly the idea of Yom Kippur and Purim which is something which transcends the intellect which transcends irrational reach of the mind and that is what allows us to have a tongue net on Yom Kippur and that is what was expressed important even though made no sense to continue being Jewish but their connection went far beyond the of their intellect many times you see people coming to shul on Yom Kippur that are not there all year round minds mean story of a fellow who have TM Kippur as he's leaving the show the rabbi says you know it's about time we join God's army so the guy says what do you mean I belong to God's army so the rabbi says why don't we ever see you around says well I belong to the Secret Service what people come to show sometimes don't show up a whole you're the darién keeper and some would look at them maybe cynically what are you doing here you just come you know to make sure God gives you a good ear and then how here you don't it don't show up but see this explains it is something much deeper happening here and that is that the Kippur the day where the essence of the soul expresses itself and the way I explained it well like to express it is people come to him people come to shul on Yom Kippur and in essence they're saying I am here because I am Jewish in other words that independently of the level of practice expression of religious the jihadi Jew feels that he is a Jew independently what he can explain about it and independently of what he can articulate about it he just knows he'd rather be in than out it's binary so that's what I presume get burned it's an essential thing you're either in or out yes or no it's not quantifiable I'm the same things with Purim firmness exactly what happened to the Jews reaffirm this condition and this is what we access and activate every year important here with Purim this is what we look to to connect to and that is that very essence of our measurement that very essence of our soul that is not subject to any outside influence or impact the country once we access that the idea is for that to then impact and influence our day to day day in life why do we see them Kippur is like pouring because you keepers a day that we divorce ourselves from our normal lifestyle we don't eat we don't drink we don't wear shoes and other things that are prohibited on Yom Kippur so it's very easy to feel holy and connected to God then because you disconnected from your your earthly functions but poor term is just the opposite problems a day that we are obligated to eat and drink and TV and get drunk and it's a very physical the celebration is in a very physical level and country distinction to Hanukkah for example where the celebration is not doesn't revolve so much about food it revolves water around spiritual things such as lighting candles and how well but important we don't have that during the celebration is very physical so one explanation is because important the decree was to exterminate us physically so the celebration is also physical whereas a Hanukkah decree was only a spiritual decree only spiritual extermination so therefore the celebration is also more spiritual but idea is that pauran we are able to bring that essence into mundane behavior and thereby transforming the mundane behavior turning it into holy behavior so that is the essence of porn this is a perm is not you know the way it might seem to the outside something superficial and just letting loose there's nothing further than the truth from the truth than that the idea is precisely the opposite to express that essential condition that we have in our personally apparently mundane activities and to be able to turn those around and that comes from a very deep place in us there's an interesting thing that I would like to share a concept regarding one of the mitzvos of porn which is the obligation to get drunk the Talmud says how if initially personally Kariya that person has the obligation to drink wine important Abdullah Yoda until the point where he does not distinguish when or how London where where define the point which is not distinguished puling cursed is Haman and blessed is Marta the musical ends up saying Haman is blessed so what does this mean there are many different opinions as to how to fulfill this obligation doesn't mean you have to actually get drunk the Rambam for example says that you drink a little more than then you're accustomed to and you know enough to make you go to sleep and when you're sleeping you can't tell the difference between him in a Mordechai but there's an explanation river brings that the idea here is you drink enough wine until you do not distinguish or you're not able to realize that the numerical value of the words are Ohama meaning first as Haman is equal to the numerical value of the words barking blessed is mortified so that's the idea so the question is what does it mean first of all if you drink enough wine you won't be able to do much simpler mathematical equations so why specifically these this test that you have to add up the numbers in numerical value of our hummin and the numerical value were murder high and it has to come out equal why not do something much simpler as a test also the fact that our Haman first as Haman has the same numerical value was blessed is Mordecai means that there is some connection between the two because the fact that they share the same numerical value shows that there is some connection the question is what connection can there be between these two diametrically opposite personalities the great sage and pious Mordechai versus the cursed the vile Haman and what connection could it be between the two of them for them to share the same numerical value so the rebel explains here very interestingly that the idea of drinking wine can be understood they'll relate to drink wine or you can understand it also metaphorically as in body being the one aspect of torah meaning taurus considered nourishment for the Soul just the food just like the body needs physical nourishment the soul needs spiritual answer now the body has different levels of nourishment you have bread and water the basics that it needs to live most people need to live then you have more nourishing food meat potatoes vegetables whatever else you eat to to enhance your dunya then you have fruits which are there to add taste and pleasure to your life and then you have one which is something that makes you happy and if you drink enough of it it reveals your secrets or you reveal your secrets now the Talmud actually points out these nasty iron gets us so that when one goes in the secret comes out now why is it so the tongue will sense because the numerical value of wine yeah in seventy and the numerical value of the word so secret is also 70 so when you drink wine your secret comes out but something deeper than that and that is because what is wine in essence one is the secret of the grape how do you make one - grapes let them ferment and the wine comes out so wine is in essence the secret of the grape that is why when you drink wine your secrets also come out now you have that physically let me drink physical one your physical secrets if you have come out or subconsciously but then you have also on a spiritual level there are those levels in Torah which correspond to bread water meat potatoes fruits and wine Chuck shot well mr. so shot is a very literal basic entry level of tourist earning which tells you what to do what not to do one and the very basic understanding of things and then you go up in level until you hit the fourth level which is the level which is called the secrets in the Torah which is compared to wine for the reasons we said before just the wine is the secret of the grape and wine reveals your secret there is that part of Torah which is the secret part of Torah and when you learn that it reveals the secret part the subconscious part of your soul and then there's the essence of your soul which is revealed by the part of the Torah compared to oil which would be a sickness but the secret part is Kabbalah the Kabbalah I see this as well is considered the wine aspect of the menu of the Torah nourishment of the soul so the idea here is that you have to imbibe enough wine enough see this enough Kabbalah for you to be able to perceive in the first Haman is potential to be a blessed more time in other words when you look at something superficially you judge it superficially but when you're able to look beyond the facade and see what's behind it then you have a whole different perspective so even though it might appear to you as a cursed Haman you're able to perceive the potential to become a blessed Mordecai and actually the greater the evil the greater the potential for good when that evos transform the talmud actually tells a story that brings us out in a very clear way one of the sages robiola nun was very beautiful where he has a very beautiful face and he was bathing one day in the river when a group of bandits that were led by a gladiator named rich luckiest Jewish man hater his name was rich Lukesh so he told this fellow in the river and he pounced on him in order to violate and when he was about to when he to proceed Robbi often and tells him hey you know that energy and power that you just displayed if you were to apply it to Torah study you would become a great sage you would you would be very successful so ash lucky shine to him that beauty you have in your face if you were to apply it to women you would be very successful sorry I can't tell you see how beautiful Maya my sister is even more beautiful than iron now if you agreed to go study Torah my sister will agree to marry you Irish lucky she agreed right there and then as a matter of fact the tourists the Gemara says when he tried to jump back the distance that he jumped before he wasn't able to because Torah study even the commitment to Torah study weakens your animal energy anyway so that's the story of rebuking luckily he became a very great sages a contemporary comedy can reveal cannot they were always many arguments in the Talmud between the two of them and it's a fascinating story I won't get into the whole story of the two of them but they were very lifelong friends anyway what am I trying to bring out normally if somebody jumps and is about to attack you you either fight or flight I mean she be the fighter you run away what did not be - and react was his reaction he saw in this gladiator who's about to attack him the potential for greatness if you would be channeled the right way so that is an example of what idea of current is that we should embody fill ourselves with enough Torah and the and that part of the Torah which which which reveals the secret of existence and accesses the secret of our own existence around Hashanah once we can access it and activate it then we can also perceive and others around us in the world around us the godly soul then is hidden beyond behind the external facade that covers it naturally so to sum up the idea of portal is not just to remember what happened thousands of years ago is to relive it the essence of Porter is to reveal the hidden to reveal the essence that may give us Esther means reveal majima has Esther hidden and the holiday of Purim is it appear to be a series of coincidences and and political maneuvers but in actuality it was hand within this glove you see the glove but was in the hand was in the glove there is a hand and the whole idea of promised to train us and to point out to us that when we are confronted with situations in life to be able to penetrate the outer facade and perceive what is within the essence of each situation and to able to behave and act accordingly so that's just one example of the many different teachings and we find them say this about the story of Purim and there's much more to be spoken about but time is running out so I would like to wish you all happy and meaningful forum that we should come and inspired and strengthened in your connection to your own Jewishness and power to reveal bugginess in all the situations that appear to be on Baddeley and thank you again to janet for the opportunity to share with you some of the teachings and knowledge required from others and I'm now passing on to you for you to pass on to others thank you again I've been happy for before to all don't forget to do the Mitzvah subprogram which is during the day I've put in to give it a least one coin to at least two poor people to give it at least two types of food to one friend to hear the Megillah once at night Wednesday night I want for a morning and to have a feast during the day of program also to hear the Torah reading for a morning and also market is a cycle to fast on the day before program it's called Tommy tester the faster faster and to give the mass is a shekel which is to give three half dollar coins or actually have coins of any currency which is called half half dollars called half dollar maybe other currencies then have coins that are called half preferably if they're made of silver to remember the half shekel that was given at times in the temple at this time of the year in order to buy the communal sacrifices so click on to an Inca bad website to find out more details about your local times and activities but your local about house has to offer you nabob you Chilean we hope to celebrate for an inertia lining this year next year with Messiah