Purim – Making sure our personal avoda is part of the goal of the Ribbono Shel Olam

06 Purim – Making sure our personal avoda is part of the goal of the Ribbono Shel Olam

Introduction

There is a fascinating aspect to one’s personal avoda on Purim which perhaps we have not thought of, and it is connected to nevuas Moshe Rabbeinu as explained in the Nefesh Hachayim. 

Reb Chayim explains in shaar gimmel that the level of nevua that Moshe Rabbeinu prophesied on was the level of “Shem Hashem” [1]. That was the difference between the prophesy of Moshe Rabbeinu and the Avos Hakdoshim. The Borei Olam informed Moshe at the beginning of the forty years, that this would be the level of nevua that he  would experience, implying that the world does not pose an obstacle to the prophetic experience. That is to say that to some extent the nevua is closer to the perspective of the Borei Olam – where the world itself is of no consequence, and hides nothing.  The Nefesh Hachayim explains that that is the reason why the Borei Olam revealed himself in a bush – a seemingly lowly aspect of nature, since it bears no fruit, to show that even there is place for divine revelation [2]. The world itself is not an obstacle to the presence of Hashem. 

He goes on to explain [3] that for that same reason, when the Borei Olam calls “Moshe Moshe” there is no פסיק טעמא [a sign which denotes a pause between the words] whereas when Hashem calls “Avrohom Avrohom” or “Yaakov Yaakov” there is a פסיק טעמא. This is because the level of Moshe Rabbeinu was such, that even his physical self did not pose an obstacle to the revelation of the Borei Olam – that was the level of nevuas Moshe Rabbeinu. 

The Nefesh Hachayim explains that he continued to grow and experience this level of nevua to a greater extent – until he was able to have “שכינה מדברת מתוך גרונו של משה” because from Moshe Rabbeinu’s perspective he had negated himself completely.

Moshe Rabbeinu himself was not an obstacle 

There is certainly something difficult with what the Nefesh Hachayim is saying. He emphasizes that not only did the world not pose an obstacle to the nevua of Moshe Rabbeinu, but even Moshe Rabbeinu as a person did not pose an obstacle. But Moshe Rabbeinu is part of the world – so if the world is not an obstacle to nevua, then surely Moshe himself is also not an obstacle. So why does the Nefesh Hachayim need to emphasize both? 

But even if we do not understand the difference – it is clear that there is a difference between the rest of the world and the person himself as regards being an obstacle to a revelation from the Borei Olam. 

Klal Yisroel experienced something similar to the nevua of Moshe Rabbeinu 

At Matan Torah – Klal Yisroel had a somewhat similar experience to the prophesy of Moshe Rabbeinu as described in the posuk – “פנים בפנים דיבר ה’ עמכם”. The unbelievable force of that revelation resulted in Klal Yisroel having no choice other than to accept the torah. That is what the Maharal [4] explains as being what the Gemoro calls מודעה רבה לאורייתא – they had no choice other than to accept the torah. However, during the days of Purim, they accepted the torah מאהבת הנס – but here lies the problem. If a person is young when he makes a מודעה, acceptance of the situation when reaching old age doesn’t really count. Because he is now older and has begun to forget, he has less clarity then he had in his youth. It’s because he is now weak that he accepts that which previously complained about. We were in Golus Bovel, without nevua – we were weak, how can we now say that there is no longer a מודעה?

They were not on the same level as they had been when they accepted the torah. It was the intensity of the revelation at Matan Torah which ‘forced’ them to accept the torah. They would have to be on a lofty level and with that awareness still accept the torah completely. 

So it would appear that to some extent there was a revelation on Purim similar to that at Matan Torah – only it was not through nevua. At Matan Torah the world was not an obstacle to the Borei Olam revealing Himself, and on Purim we saw with crystal clarity that the reality in which we live is never an obstacle to the goals set for the world by the Borei Olam. The decrees of Homon – the evil plans which looked certain to happen, nothing can stand in the way of the ultimate purpose of creation. Klal Yisroel is part of the plan of the Borei Olam. It is not despite Homon but even with Homon – everything is working towards the tachlis – the goal of the Borei Olam. 

קימו וקבלו

This idea can be seen in an interesting comment by the Gaon on Megilas Ester. The Megila [ט כז] says – “קימו וקבלו” which is taken to mean that they accepted the torah for a second time. But in the Megila it is actually written – “קימו וקבל” – the letter ‘vov’ is missing from the word קבלו. The Gaon comments that they accepted again that which Moshe Rabbeinu received. But why emphasize that which Moshe Rabbeinu received? Because they accepted the torah through a revelation which was similar to the way things were revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu – that the world is not an obstacle to the revelation of the Borei Olam. The goals of the Borei Olam will be realized – even though when looking at the world it would seem that there is so much which stands in His way. The world can never be an obstacle to the will of the Borei Olam, to the ultimate goal of the Borei Olam.

Our own personal avoda

With all this in mind – perhaps we also have something that perhaps we can work on. It’s possible that sometimes a person stands in the way of fulfilling the goal the Borei Olam has for us. We continue believing that the world will reach its goal – and nothing can stop the Borei Olams goal for the world coming to fruition. But the Nefesh Hachayim emphasizes repeatedly that there are two aspects which we have to see as not standing in the way of the Borei Olam – the world and ourselves. So we have to be sure that we are not standing in the way of the goal of the Borei Olam. 

In tfila every day we come to an awareness that the lives we are living – even lives of torah and mitzvos, might not be measuring up to the goal that the Borei Olam has for us, and we, to some degree, stand in the way of the plan the Borei Olam has for us.     

In the brocho of modim we say –  מודים אנחנו לך וכו’ – we thank the Ribbono shel Olam on behalf of all of Klal Yisroel. Then we say צור חיינו מגן ישענו אתה הוא לדור ודור – 

“צור” here can mean an artist – one who “draws” the story of our lives – or every generation has its own tzuras odom. Certainly the tzuras odom of this generation is different from that of years gone by. In previous generations the tzuras odom included nevua, or Ruach Hakodesh, something which we are sorely lacking in this generation. 

But then we speak about ourselves – “נודה לך ונספר תהלתך על חיינו המסורים בידיך” we thank the Borei Olam for the life he gives us. For as long as the Borei Olam is holding on to life – he can take it back. From the perspective of Choshen Mishpot we could say that the Borei Olam is אדוק ביה –our lives are in his hands. 

The next line is perhaps what we have been talking about, ועל נשמותינו הפקודות לך – our lives are in the hands of the Borei Olam, and our Neshomos have come to this world with something to do – each person has a tafkid. But very often the lives we lead and the role we are meant to play in the world of the Borei Olam are two very different things. So we say ועל ניסך שבכל יום עמנו, it is a miracle that the Borei Olam continues to give us life despite our shortcomings. Once we understand the miracle which takes place every single day, we have to take responsibility in order that our lives should reflect the goal the Borei Olam has given us and we should not stand in the way of what the Borei Olam wants. 

Each of us has a tafkid

It really is something to get used to – that we have a particular tafkid in life. Very often we look at a role and decide we are not comfortable filling that role. We would rather do something else. We have to realise that even though it is something a little different from what we might have thought, still that is perhaps what the Borei Olam is demanding from us.

I have asked myself sometimes that perhaps I should come and explain why it is that Chareidim don’t go to the army, from a completely different perspective. I have not done it yet for whatever reason that may be, but perhaps I should.  

The reason why Chareidim should be continuing to learn torah and doing mitzvos at times like these, is because Hamas is a symptom of a terrible disease. Hamas is a symptom, not the illness. The illness is anti-Semitism on a world wide scale. And anti-Semitism is present because the Borei Olam is giving a very clear message to us – that He is not happy with our Jewish identity and the way we perceive Yiddishkeit. Guns cannot be used to fight anti-Semitism at its root, and as we have learned throughout history, assimilation certainly does not work. German Jewry was the most assimilated in all of Europe at the time of the Second World War – and of course their status as assimilated Jews did not help them against the wrath of Nazi anti-Semitism.

In a situation such as the one we are in at present we have to work on strengthening Jewish identity. And those who can work on strengthening Jewish identity, are those members of Klal Yisroel who are continuously active in aspects which strengthen Jewish identity – those who are learning torah, and are active in gmilus chassodim, and who know the importance of emuna. Essentially what we see is that there are two battle fronts – the physical war, which certainly cannot be ignored, but also the illness of anti-Semitism which must be fought too. World anti-Semitism has to be fought, and that is only through strengthening Jewish identity. 

Perhaps someone has to come and explain things from that point of view? Perhaps it is my tafkid? But because I don’t feel comfortable thinking that way because it takes me out of my comfort zone I ignore it. Yet that could be the place the Borei Olam wants me to work. So perhaps my willingness to work only in areas where I feel completely comfortable is actually standing in the way of the Borei Olam’s goal for me being realized. I am standing in the way of the Borei Olam’s goal for me. 

What we can learn from Purim

That is what we have to learn from Purim – that nothing [the world or ourselves] can stand in the way of the goals which the Borei Olam has decided on. This is perhaps one of the deepest sugyas that we can ponder – what is the tachlis of each individual Regarding how he functions in this world? Perhaps we stand in the way of the goal that the Borei Olam so desires for us? Purim comes with a message – that the tachlis will be revealed, but is it enough for us to know that and just let things happen, or is there a personal avoda here – to make sure that one does what the Borei Olam wants from him. This is a remarkably deep aspect of cheshbon hanefesh – derived from the deeper message of Purim.   

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[1] ע’ נפש החיים שער ג פרק י”ג – “והענין, הוא הוא עצם החילוק שנתבאר למעלה בין השם אלקים לשם הוי”ה ברוך הוא. כי על הרוב בענין השגת האבות מצינו נאמר השם אלקים, “האלקים אשר התהלכו אבות לפניו” [בראשית מ”ח ט”ו] “האלקים הרועה אותי מעודי [שם] וכן אנחנו קוראים אותו יתברך אלהי אברהם וכו’. כמו שכתבתי לעיל בענין קדושת מדרגתם, שלא השגיחו על שום כח וענין בעולם כלל. 

אמנם השגת נבואתם לא היתה בביטול הכחות ממציאותם לגמרי וזהו שאמר הכתוב [שמות ו ב] “וארא אל אברהם וכו’ באל שדי” שענינו גם כן כענין השם אלהים ורוצה לומר שאני בעל הכחות כולם וברצותי כל רגע אני משדד מערכת כל הכחות מאשר קבעתי בהם בעת הבריאה זהו אל שדי אבל בבחינת ענין שמי הוי”ה [כמו שנתבאר פירוש ענינו לעיל פרק י”א] לא נודעתי להם בהשגת נבואתם. 

אבל משה רבינו עליו השלום היתה השגת נבואתו בענין בחינת השם העצם המיוחד הוי”ה ברוך הוא ולכן לא היה שום כח חוצץ בפני אור השגת נבואתו וכן על ידי כל נסי ה’ שנעשו על ידו ראו כולם ביטול מציאות כל הכחות לגמרי ואין עוד מלבדו יתברך לגמרי כמשמעו כמו שאמר הכתוב “אתה הראת לדעת כי הוי”ה הוא האלקים וכו'” והוא ענין ופירוש השם המיוחד הוי”ה ברוך הוא כנ”ל”

[2] ע’ נפש החיים שער ג פרק י”ד – “ולזאת היה משה רבינו עליו השלום מוכן כל רגע לנבואה כמו שאמר [במדבר ט ח] “עמדו ואשמעה מה יצוה ה’ לכם וכו'” וכמו שאמרו רבותינו ז”ל וכן היה משיג נבואתו בכל המקומות באיזה מקום שיהיה בהשואה גמורה בלא שום חילוק כלל כמאמרם ז”ל [בשמות רבה פ”ב ובבמדבר רבה פרשה י”ב ובחזית סימן ג’ בפסוק (שה”ש) “עמודיו עשה כסף”] זה לשונם למה דבר הקדוש ברוך הוא עם משה מתוך הסנה וכו’ ללמדך שאין מקום פנוי בארץ פנוי מהשכינה שאפילו בתוך הסנה היה מדבר עמו עד כאן לשונם והוא כפי בחינת מדרגתו הנוראה”

[3] נפש החיים שער ג פרק י”ג – “ועיין מה שכתב הרח”ו ז”ל בספר הגלגולים בפירוש מאמרם ז”ל שמו”ר ב אברהם אברהם יעקב יעקב פסיק טעמא ומשה משה לא פסיק טעמא שהוא על ענין הפסק וחציצה מועטת מענין הגוף עיין שם”. 

[4] ע’ גור אריה על הפסוק “…ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר” [יתרו יט יז] “אבל העיקר הפירוש אשר נראה פשוט, כי כפה עליהם ההר כגיגית לומר אם לא תקבלו התורה שם תהא קבורתכם [שבת פח.] לומר כי התורה היא הכרחית לקבלה, ואם לא יקבלו התורה שמה תהא קבורתם…ואפילו הכי קאמר רבא שם [שבת  פ”ח.] מכאן מודעה רבה לאורייתא, פירוש שהיה מכריח אותם לקבל התורה, אף על גב דלפי זה לא חזרו מן ‘נעשה ונשמע’, סוף סוף בשעה שקבלו התורה היו מוכרחים, וכיון שהיתה קבלתם בהכרח יש כאן מודעה רבה לאורייתא”.