Making the Mitzvos Hayom Meaningful

2 – Making the Mitzvos Hayom Meaningful

When we come to prepare for Purim we find ourselves at a total loss for what to do.

Krias Yam Suf and Purim

In a year with two Adars, Purim is celebrated in the second Adar because, as the Gemara explains, “we place one geulah (redemption) next to another geulah.” The question arises: which geulah is Purim being placed alongside—Leil Seder or Krias Yam Suf? The completion of Klal Yisrael’s geulah occurred at Kriyas Yam Suf so this must be the geulah to which the Gemara is referring. This suggests that Purim must have a deep connection to Kriyas Yam Suf.

Indeed, Kriyas Yam Suf was a revelation that the natural world itself—seemingly ordinary and bound by fixed laws, is able to express a purpose. That purpose is Klal Yisrael. This miracle took the simple world and showed that it’s entirely a revelation of Hashem. The world itself took on a form of “intellect,” responding to its ultimate role. This is rooted in the very condition upon which Hashem created water: that when the moment would arise, it would rise and stand like a wall.

Certainly, every natural creation has a purpose embedded within its very existence. However, before Kriyas Yam Suf, we had never seen nature itself actively “speak” and “declare” its purpose—demonstrating an intellect! This was the true chiddush (novelty) of the miracle. This is why even the water in drinking cups all over the world split—because it wasn’t simply that Hashem was saving Klal Yisrael but rather Hashem was revealing the purpose of water and by extension the purpose of the entire world of gashmius.

On Purim, we experience a parallel revelation to Kriyas Yam Suf. We typically perceive our physical body as being under the domain of free will—we must actively direct it toward its purpose. However, Purim is the one day in the year when the body itself expresses its purpose without the guidance of free will. 

This is why we connect these two geulos—the redemption of Purim and the redemption of Kriyas Yam Suf. 

Understanding the Ramban in Parshas Bo

The above suggests that the principle of “making one geulah adjacent to another geulah” isn’t simply about reinforcing the idea that Hashem is behind both revealed and hidden miracles, as the Ramban explains in Parshas Bo. If that were the case, then Pesach, the nes galuy (open miracle), should come first, followed by Purim, the nes nistar (hidden miracle), reflecting the natural progression from the obvious to the concealed. 

Rather, the Ramban is clearly addressing something else entirely—his discussion revolves around schar v’onesh (reward and punishment), whereas Purim operates on a level far beyond that system of divine governance. Purim only seems to function within schar v’onesh—after all, Hashem decreed destruction upon Klal Yisrael due to their sin. However, their sin was only on the surface level, and therefore, Hashem’s decree to destroy them was also only on the surface level. The deeper revelation of Purim is that schar v’onesh itself serves as a means to an even higher reality. The fear it instills is not an end in itself but a gateway to something far beyond—an awareness that physical reality itself exists for kedusha.

Mikra Megillah as preparation

The drinking on Purim comes only after the preparations of the day—the fulfillment of the mitzvos hayom (commandments of the day). It serves as the ultimate expression of joy, revealing that our very bodies—the simplest, most physical aspect of our existence—are inherently holy. This revelation occurs only once a year. Throughout the rest of the year, this truth remains in the background. But on Purim, for one day, the inherent kedusha of our physical existence is openly expressed and experienced.

Indeed, for the gedolim, drinking on Purim was a means to reveal that their body was kedusha. Rav Yisroel Salanter drank to such an extent that he lay on the ground, and his talmidim gathered around him, listening intently to the words he uttered in that deepest state of shikrus (drunkenness). For us, such drinking does not bring out our kedusha, and therefore, we do not follow that path. However, we still engage in all the hachanos (preparations) of the day, and through them, we too arrive at a revelation—the kedusha of the simple, physical body.

The first mitzvah of Purim is hearing the Megillah reading at night because we must begin with the intellect. We connect the dots of all the “apparent natural developments” of the story of the Megillah concluding with the destruction of Haman, his sons, and all the enemies of the Jew. This is the deepest point of the simple reality, that evil is gone. Normally, we perceive evil as an inherent part of the lowest, most physical aspects of the world. Yet Purim reveals that even the lowest, most physical aspects of the world have an inherent purpose wherein evil is entirely removed!

Regarding Krias Yam Suf, we explained that it is not merely a story of Klal Yisroel’s salvation, but something much deeper. Similarly, the story of the Megillah is not just about saving Klal Yisroel from destruction. Rather, it demonstrates how the most mundane aspects of this world—the physical body, which lacks a clear connection to ruchniyus and is represented by Achashverosh—progresses through a natural sequence of events, ultimately bringing about the complete eradication of evil.

Matanos L’evyonim (gifts to the poor) as preparation

Throughout the year the destitution of Jews points to the fact that the fundamental structure of nature is harsh, lacking, and unsupportive. On Purim, through matanos l’evyonim we reveal that there is no lacking in the gashmius of this world!

Mishloach Manos (sending gifts of food) as preparation

Mishloach Manos is meant to strengthen the bond between us and our fellow Jews. It serves as a vehicle for achdus (unity) within Klal Yisroel, reinforcing the interconnectedness of all Jews. There is a special significance to sending Mishloach Manos to someone with whom we have a grudge, this creates achdus which reveals the “simple reality”. Indeed, when we struggle to connect with our neighbor, certainly we cannot connect to our own simple reality. This is because that simple reality, in its essence, is so profound, so vast, and so powerful that, in truth, we and our neighbors are one, united as part of the same greater whole. This is a deep, hidden truth within the Torah. We see this reflected in the Mikra Megillah, where, by the end of the story, all evil is eradicated from reality—completely removed from Klal Yisroel. Mikra Megillah teaches us this concept on an intellectual level, Mattanos Le’evyonim and Mishloach Manos reveal it through action. There is no lack, no evil, and no division in this simple physical world—and Klal Yisroel is all one, undivided, and whole. Our connection is perfect, without any cracks or divisions among us.

Mishteh as the personal expression of the “sod” of kedusha of the simple reality

The Seudah (festive meal) of Purim should be a gradual progression towards this profound expression. It is not appropriate to drink alcohol quickly to rapidly reach a state of deep drunkenness. Therefore wine would be most appropriate to drink at the meal. The Purim Seudah should build up slowly, layer by layer, towards the revelation of a simple yet unbelievable reality: the extraordinary gift of being a Jew. This process of the meal is designed to unfold and reveal that, at the foundation of everything we experience—our Torah and mitzvos, our intellect, our careers, our social lives—everything is rooted in our identity as Jews. We reveal that this reality of being a Jew encompasses everything. We reveal this profound reality on this one special day each year, and this is Hashem’s sod (secret)—that the most simple existence of Klal Yisroel is what He desires.

When we experience Purim properly, it can be a transformative moment of growth. On this day, we are given the opportunity to see ourselves and others through a lens of imun (belief in their ability to actualize their God-given potential), even for those we might otherwise give up on. Purim offers us a glimpse into the essence of avoda where we touch upon the truth that the beginning and end of every avoda is “to be a simple Jew.” Throughout the year, we toil and strive in avodas Hashem and on Purim we come to the profound simplicity of this truth: “the simple reality is being a Jew.”

With this framework we can appreciate how Purim is really “Yetzias Mitzrayim (The exodus)” because we are cleansed of all impurity and evil, and are going above the hanhaga of “tov (good) and ra (bad).”

Friday Purim

This year the Purim seudah is on a Friday. This is an opportunity to embrace the avoda we have been discussing. Eating the Friday night seudah “without an appetite” and making Kiddush because “this is what a Jew does” is a profound expression of the simplicity of being a Jew. This is the ultimate expression of what we are experiencing in the seudas purim and here we have the opportunity to extend it into our Friday night mitzvos! 

Questions and Answers after the shiur:

Rav Yerucham

Rav Yeruchom said that Purim comes to “destroy evil between man and his friend” and this principle is what we are saying is encapsulated and expressed in the mitzvah of mishloach manos.

Mishloach Manos

Mishloach Manos is not a direct relationship with another, but through the recipient eating our food we experience unity between us. This unity transcends “daas” which forges us into distinct individuals. Mishloach Manos comes to connect us to the other Jew because he is Jewish too.

Purim Seudah alone

It’s possible to experience the deep significance of Purim even alone, as many of us are going to be during the COVID period. Rav Hutner, for example, made it a point to observe the Purim seudah privately because of how deeply intoxicated he became. While it is certainly ideal to celebrate with others, it can be very fruitful alone. Afterward, Rav Hutner would attend the public seudah at the yeshiva. 

There was a man who had done a great kindness for Rav Hutner, and when asked what he could do in return, the man replied, “I want to attend your Purim seudah.” The man later shared that he wouldn’t reveal what transpired during the private seudah, but he did mention that Rav Hutner had been so intoxicated that “wine was coming out of his nose!” Yet, at the public seudah afterward, Rav Hutner was entirely in control of himself.

There is a similar story with Rav Kook. After drinking heavily at the public Purim seudah, he needed to daven Maariv. He paused for a moment, leaned his head against the wall, and after a minute or two, was ready to daven. These gedolim were able to bring themselves — or perhaps, more accurately, their neshama — back.