Chapter 1
וקבל היהודים את אשר החלו לעשות
“And the Jews took upon themselves that which they had begun to do.”1
The Gemara comments: At that time [when the miracle of Purim took place], Jews fulfilled that which they had undertaken to do a long time before. This means to say that the Jewish people repented, and resolved to observe all that we had pledged to do when the Torah was given.
When Purim took place, Jews were to be found in every corner of Achashveirosh’s kingdom. From time to time, these Jews became more distant from the observance of mitzvos. There are two reasons2 given as to what caused this spiritual degradation. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says our spiritual downfall came as a result of the opinion, held by many during the time of King Nevuchadnetzer, that man’s greatest glory lies in achieving physical perfection. Man, they believed, was to use his intellect and skills to further develop the world. This was also the foundation of Nevuchadnetzer’s philosophy.
This is what is meant by Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai’s statement that [the sin of the Jewish people was that] “they bowed to an icon of Nevuchadnetzer.” Bowing implies permitting another’s opinion to supersede one’s own.3 This ill-grounded logic eventually led many Jews to desecrate the Shabbos and profane the Torah and mitzvos.
The second opinion is that the spiritual downfall was a result of the cordial relationship that existed between the Jews and the Persians, Medes and Babylonians. The Jewish people enjoyed extremely close ties to the royal court, and enjoyed the non-kosher royal banquets. This led them to [further] distance themselves from Torah and mitzvos. Several years before the redemption from the Babylonian exile, Satan may Heaven protect us began to agitate the Jewish people so as to make them sin. Satan’s intent was that by getting the Jews to sin, G‑d would Heaven forbid continue to allow them to languish in exile. The Jewish people, unable to withstand the test, succumbed to temptation.
Mordechai and the members of the Sanhedrin [the Jewish supreme court] tried to stem this tide of rebellion, but to no avail. A number of impudent and insolent individuals placed themselves at the head of the impious and irreligious faction, and scoffed at any efforts to get the Jews to repent. Mordechai and the Sanhedrin attempted to get the Jews to repent by relating to the Jews the glad tidings of redemption from Babylonian exile, which was to take place in the not too distant future.
Through their mockery, the insolent ones Satan’s messengers managed to influence some of the better Jews who had up to that time sincerely believed in the coming redemption. After listening to the non-religious leaders, they too began having doubts.
The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that aside from Mordechai and some members of the Sanhedrin, nobody ventured to speak about the coming redemption. Others were completely mute on this subject. It was impossible for them to say that G‑d forbid the redemption would not be coming, for they firmly believed in it. They were, however, uncertain as to when it would take place. They also did not believe that Mordechai and the members of the Sanhedrin knew the appointed time. They therefore remained completely silent about the matter. Their silence lent strength to the words of Satan’s messengers, enabling them to scorn Mordechai and the Sanhedrin itself, and to lead the Jewish people further down the sinful path of eating forbidden foods, desecrating the Shabbos and marrying non-Jews. This in turn brought about an even greater proximity between the Jewish people and the other inhabitants.
This silence of the believers cast shadows of doubt in the Jewish population at large. These doubts and uncertainties manifested themselves in various ways. Some Jews, for example, totally abandoned belief in the redemption, Torah and mitzvos. Others, while adhering to some aspects of Torah and mitzvos, lost a certain degree of faith in the coming redemption, and in various matters became close to the evil leaders.
So it was that Jews of that time were sinking into the depths of sin. This came about through the corrupt influence of the misbegotten leaders, who denied the existence of G‑d and the validity of His Torah, as well as through those who were silent on the subject of redemption.
In summary: There were two fundamental reasons for the Jewish people’s sinful state at the time of the Purim miracle: a) the opinion that a good material life is all-important, and can be attained through one’s own power and craft; b) the opinion that it is necessary to become totally integrated, or at the very least united with the country’s inhabitants. The free thinkers mocked Mordechai’s call to repent in preparation for the coming redemption, while some of the Jewish leaders were mute on the subject. This led to doubt and uncertainty among some erstwhile believers, and strengthened the hands of the heretics.
Chapter 2
When G‑d saw that Satan’s messengers were causing the Jews to sin, and that state of Torah and mitzvos observance was constantly worsening, He4 had Haman (the Jews’ arch-enemy) persuade the king to issue various harsh decrees against them. Haman assembled kindred spirits who, like him, were rabid Jew haters in order to decide the best time of year to carry out the evil decree of annihilation may it never come to pass. He then went to Achashveirosh to receive royal permission to carry out the slaughter.
Haman devised a cunning slander against the Jews. He was sure that this calumny would bear fruit, and that the king would subsequently approve his plan to annihilate the people. Haman was sure that the resultant evil decrees would be executed, for he knew how sinful the Jewish people were, and that the “attribute of justice” would incite G‑d forbid against them.
Indeed, this was the inner meaning of Haman’s slander;5 Satan, the primordial serpent,6 incited before King Achashveirosh, [G‑d being known as Achashveirosh because] the first [in Hebrew reishis] and the last [in Hebrew achris] are His,7 as the verse states:8 “I am first and I am last.”
Haman slandered the Jews by saying: “There exists [in Hebrew yeshno] one [echod] nation, scattered and dispersed among the nations, whose laws differ from the laws of all other nations, and the king’s laws they do not obey.”
[In spiritual terms, Satan’s complaint was as follows:] “There exists yeshno one nation….” The word yeshno [comes from the Hebrew word yesh, and] means might and will. Satan slandered the Jews by charging that our might, which had been given to us by G‑d, and for which reason we are called “one nation,” as the verse states:9 “And who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth,” [was not being properly utilized.]
The Jewish people have a will so strong and a power so mighty that we are able through our study of Torah, performance of mitzvos and demonstration of good character traits to draw down the One G‑d into this material world, so that even here His unity can be recognized and His G‑dliness felt. But the Jews, said Satan, are “scattered and dispersed among the nations” they are using their G‑d-given gifts and talents for various “national” (i.e. mundane) matters.
[Furthermore, said Satan,] the Jewish nation’s laws “differ from the laws of all other nations.” Jews are different than all other nations. Every nation has its own physical and spiritual lifestyle to which it adheres. This is not the case with the “one nation… whose laws differ from the laws of all other nations….” They are ready and willing to change anything and everything G‑d forbid in order to be similar to all other nations. This is due to the fact, continued Satan, that “the Kings laws,” i.e. G‑d’s laws,10 “they do not obey.”
It was of such calumny that Ravah said:11 “No one can approach Haman’s ability to speak ill [of the Jewish people].”
Haman successfully incited against the Jews [before the King,] and Jews in all Achashveirosh’s countries felt the great travails brought upon them by Haman’s decrees. This painful affliction aroused a brokenheartedness within segments of Jewry that led to repentance.
This spirit of contrition aroused the wrath of the heretical leaders. They tried to prove that the harsh decrees were not so bad after all, but rather stemmed from the kingdom’s sincere desire to shower all manner of good upon the Jewish people. This goodness, the heretics promised, would come when Jews applied themselves diligently to labor and craft. These leaders went on to say that Jews should not believe in G‑d’s salvation through redemption from exile. On the contrary, they maintained that now more than ever it was vital to become one with the inhabitants of the land.
By dint of such words and deceitful actions, Satan managed to convince many Jews to turn away from repentance, and in a variety of ways further their relationships with the land’s inhabitants.
So the Jews continued to sin, and Jewish afflictions increased accordingly. Nothing came from the empty promises of the heretical leaders except for the profanation of holiness, the eating of non-kosher food and other sins. All the while, the Jews’ torment and pain continued to increase.
Mordechai, however, “knew all that was happening.”12 Says the Yalkut:13 Mordechai knew how to heal the torment; he knew which sins had caused the afflictions, and the healing measures required. He assembled all the Jewish people and told them that all their afflictions stemmed from their profaning of Shabbos, their eating of forbidden foods and other sins. He aroused the Jews to a tremendous repentance, and assured them of the coming redemption. The Jewish people obeyed Mordechai’s call to repentance, and steadfastly believed in the coming redemption.
This, then, is the meaning of the verse “And the Jews took upon themselves [to do] that which they had begun to do.” They became pious and performed Torah and mitzvos with true self-sacrifice. The redemption came a year later, and within four years the Holy Temple was rebuilt.
Herein lies the awesome might of repentance. Jews were, during that trying period, surrounded by opponents of their religion. They were also under the influence of people that denied G‑d and hated Judaism people who scoffed at Torah and mitzvos and mocked the righteous Mordechai and members of the Sanhedrin. [All this notwithstanding,] they were able through repentance to attain a spiritual level similar to that attained during the receiving of the Torah.
G‑d accepted their true repentance, their regret for past misdeeds and their resolutions for the future to be loyal to Torah and mitzvos. G‑d rained good fortune upon them through the miracle of Purim, and the Jewish people were favored with the redemption.
In summary: Haman’s decrees and the resulting travails were brought upon the Jewish people by the corrupting influence of their heretical leaders. Haman is empowered by Satan’s calumny of the Jews: that the chosen people were using their G‑d-given powers only for mundane matters, and [Satan] exerted himself to the utmost to see to it that the Jewish people became unified with the surrounding nations and torn from G‑d’s laws. Mordechai’s call to repentance affected the Jewish people. Their total self-sacrifice for Torah and mitzvos led to the miracle of Purim.
Chapter 3
The year 5542 (1782) was the third consecutive year in which Chabad chassidim suffered grievously at the hands of our opponents. Our suffering was extremely difficult to bear. That Purim, the Alter Rebbe of blessed memory said: “We will have to endure even more,” referring to the bitter excision proclaimed that summer, “but all must know that it has been affirmed On High that which has been accepted here below [i.e. that Chassidism would emerge victorious]. It is only necessary that we strengthen our service of repentance, for every redemption comes only after being prefaced by repentance. We need to be redeemed from those that slander us, so we must prepare with repentance.”
That year, tens of thousands of Chabad chassidim were afire. All of them from the most illustrious scholars and distinguished men of spiritual service, to the simple folk immersed themselves in repentance. Purim 5543 (1783) found the Alter Rebbe in a state of extreme joy. He then announced: “We were victorious!” The joy of the chassidim was incalculable.
At that time the Mitteler Rebbe [the Alter Rebbe’s eldest son and successor], who was then a mere nine years old, remarked that the situation was similar to the original two periods of Purim. During the first, Mordechai called the Jews to repentance and they responded. Concerning that period it is written: “And the Jews took upon themselves [in Hebrew vikibeil] that which they had begun [heicheilu] to do.” Vikibeil [may alternately be rendered “lamented,” so that the verse] means “they lamented,” as we find in the Mishnah :14 “We lament you.” Concerning this first Purim period, the verse is to be rendered thus: “The Jews lamented heicheilu that which they had made mundane.15 [The Hebrew word heicheilu may alternately be rendered as deriving from the word chol, or mundane.]
Mordechai’s arousal of the Jewish people to repentance was successful. Not only did they mend their ways and repent, but the whole year through they demonstrated total self-sacrifice for Judaism,16 in hope that G‑d Himself would save them from their terrible predicament. This came to pass in the second Purim period, with the miracle of Purim.
Concerning the second Purim period, the verse is to be rendered thus: “The Jews took upon themselves [vikibeil] that which they had hoped for [heicheilu].” In this instance, vikibeil means “to take upon,” while heicheilu is rendered as “hoped for” [from the Hebrew word chiloh, to beseech or hope]. During the second Purim period, Jews accepted upon themselves that which they hoped for, which was that they be saved by the A-lmighty, and their prayerful wishes were fulfilled.
In our time [when our hopes are again] of redemption, may G‑d make us fortunate with His Divine assistance, that we repent and from the depth of our hearts lament that which we have made mundane. May we fulfill Torah and mitzvos in complete truth, and strengthen our belief and faith in the complete Redemption through our righteous Moshiach. And may we again see our hopes speedily fulfilled.