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The Rebbe on Purim

An address to children:
Thousands of years ago there lived the wicked Haman, who wanted to do bad to the Jewish
People. But they were not afraid, and they remained loyal to Judaism, to Mordechai and
Esther, and to their teachers who showed them how a Jew should live his daily life.
What connection does Haman have to a Jewish child today?

Farbrengen, Purim, 5732 • February 29, 1972
Haman, bitter enemy of the Jews, said of their misdeeds, “the Jewish nation is slumbering.”
Even their worst enemy perceived that a Jew’s heart is inseparable from G-d. The Jew is merely asleep sometimes, and his heart’s true desire cannot be expressed through our sleeping body.

The Baal Shem Tov explains the Talmudic statement, “One who reads the Megilah backwards, does not fulfill his obligation.” He interprets “backwards” to mean that one can read the Megilah following all the laws, with all the proper intentions, but at the same time, he might think “This is ‘backwards,’ it’s irrelevant.

Why the Megillah is named only after Esther
Mordechai and Esther are the heroes of Purim, yet the Megillah is named only after Esther. And the initiative that the Megillah be included among the books of the Bible came specifically from Esther. Why is Esther given the spotlight, when her success depended on Mordechai’s plan?

Experience a Purim Gathering with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory
An hour-long excerpt from a 1972 recording of the Rebbe’s Purim farbrengen. The Rebbe tackles the enigmatic essence of the Purim story, and explains the real and primary miracle the Sages say we are celebrating. Drawing life lessons from how in those dark times, a generation of assimilating Jews were found worthy in G-d’s eyes.

When king Achashverosh gave permission to the Jews fight off their enemies, he allowed an extra day for those in Shushan. The day after Purim, called Shushan Purim, is celebrated to mark this special phenomenon. In a sense this is more than just an historical commemoration; it celebrates the ability in general, to add to good in a meaningful way.

At the height of danger, with Haman’s decree of annihilation hanging over the heads of the Jewish people, their spiritual leader, Mordechai, sought some all-important counsel. He did not turn to the thought leaders or political pundits of the time; he went to some innocent Jewish children. When he heard their certainty that G-d would save them, he knew all would be well.