“For this reason, these days were called Purim, in commemoration of the lot.”1עַל כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה פוּרִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר,
Based on the well-known concept that an entity’s name reflects its nature,2וְעַל פִּי הַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל כָּל דָּבָר מוֹרֶה עַל עִנְיָנוֹ,
it is understood that the reason these days were called Purim in commemoration of the lotמוּבָן, דְּזֶה שֶׁקָּרְאוּ לַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה פוּרִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר
is because the fundamental dimension of the festival of Purim is the lottery.הוּא לְפִי שֶׁעִקַּר הַיּוֹם טוֹב דְּפוּרִים הוּא הַגּוֹרָל
(“Pur is [the Persian term for] lot.”)3(פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל).
Explanation is required (as emphasized in the maamar of this title in Torah Or):4וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין (כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּדַיֵּק בְּתוֹרָה אוֹר ד"ה זֶה),
On the surface, the lottery was not the [fundamental5 dimension of] the Purim miracle.דְּלִכְאוֹרָה, הֲרֵי לֹא זֶה הָיָה [עִקַּר] הַנֵּס.
Moreover, the lot which Haman cast (was not only not part of the miracle;וּלְהוֹסִיף, דְּהַגּוֹרָל שֶׁהִפִּיל הָמָן (לֹא רַק שֶׁלֹּא זֶה הָיָה הַנֵּס,
on the contrary,) it was an element that led to Haman’s decree.אֶלָּא אַדְּרַבָּה) הָיָה חֵלֶק מֵהַגְּזֵרָה
[To quote the Megilah:6 “He cast a pur, i.e., a lot, to annihilate and destroy them.”][וּבִלְשׁוֹן הַמְּגִלָּה הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל לְהֻמָּם וּלְאַבְּדָם],
From the fact that these days are called Purim, recalling the lot,וּמִזֶּה שֶׁיָּמִים אֵלֶּה נִקְרָאִים בְּשֵׁם פּוּרִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר,
it appears that (casting the lot) constituted the fundamental miracle of Purim,מַשְׁמַע שֶׁזֶּה (הַגּוֹרָל) הוּא עִקַּר הַנֵּס דְּפוּרִים,
to the extent that the miracle is recalled with this name.וְעַד שֶׁהַנֵּס נִקְרָא עַל שֵׁם זֶה.
On the surface, the positive dimension of the name Purim can be explained based on the Gemara’s statement7וְלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר עַל פִּי מַה שֶּׁאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא
that when the lot fell in the month of Adar, (Haman) rejoiced with great happiness,דִּכְשֶׁנָּפַל הַפּוּר בְּחוֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר שָׂמַח (הָמָן) שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה,
saying: “The lot fell for me in the month that Moshe died,” which is not a positive omen for the Jewish people.אָמַר נָפַל לִי פּוּר בְּיֶ רַח שֶׁמֵּת בּוֹ מֹשֶׁה,
He did not know that not only did Moshe die on the seventh of Adar, but he was also born on that date. The positive omen connoted by Moshe’s birth outweighs the negative signs implied by his passing.וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלָד.
According to the above, it is possible to sayוְעַל פִּי זֶה הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר,
that the reason these days are named for the pur, the lot, isדְּזֶה שֶׁיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה נִקְרָאִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר הוּא
that the miracle of Purim was that the lot fell in the month of Adar,לְפִי שֶׁהַנֵּס דְּפוּרִים הָיָה זֶה שֶׁנָּפַל הַפּוּר בְּחוֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר,
the month that Moshe, the savior of the Jewish people, was born. This event defined the spiritual character of the month and brought about the positive chain of events that occurred.הַחוֹדֶשׁ שֶׁבּוֹ נוֹלַד מֹשֶׁה מוֹשִׁיעָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
This explanation, nevertheless, requires further clarification.אֲבָל בֵּאוּר זֶה עֲדַיִן צָרִיךְ עִיּוּן,
For calling the holiday Purim to recall the lot indicatesכִּי מִזֶּה שֶׁהַיּוֹם טוֹב נִקְרָא פּוּרִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר, מַשְׁמַע,
that the connection of the miracle to the lot isשֶׁהַשַּׁיָּכוּת דְּהַנֵּס לַפּוּר הִיא
(not only to the fact that the lot fell in the month of Adar,(לֹא רַק לָזֶה שֶׁנָּפַל הַפּוּר בְּחוֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר,
but also,) to the lot itself.אֶלָא גַּם) לְעִנְיַן הַפּוּר עַצְמוֹ.
On the contrary, the fundamental dimension of the miracle came about because of the pur, the lot.וְאַדְּרַבָּה, עִקַּר הַנֵּס הָיָה מִצַּד הַפּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל.
For a lottery reflects a very lofty spiritual rung,דְּגוֹרָל הוּא עִנְיָן נַעֲלֶה בְּיוֹתֵר,
and from that rung was derived the Purim miracle.שֶׁמִּזֶּה נִמְשָׁךְ הַנֵּס.
The fact that the lot fell on the month of Adar, the month in which the savior of the Jewish people was born, wasוְזֶה שֶׁנָּפַל הַגּוֹרָל עַל חוֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר שֶׁבּוֹ נוֹלַד מוֹשִׁיעָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא
(like all the elements of the Purim miracle)(כְּמוֹ כָּל הָעִנְיָנִים שֶׁהָיוּ בְּהַנֵּס דְּפוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם)
an outgrowth of its fundamental element,תּוֹצָאָה מֵעִקַּר עִנְיָנוֹ,
which, as reflected in the name Purim, is the lottery.פּוּרִים עַל שֵׁם הַפּוּר.

Summary

The name Purim communicates the fundamental theme of the holiday. That name requires explanation: Pur is the Persian term for lot. On the surface, the lottery was not the fundamental dimension of the Purim miracle. On the contrary, the lot was cast by Haman as part of his plan to destroy the Jewish people. In resolution: A lottery reflects a very lofty spiritual rung, and from that rung was derived the Purim miracle.