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By Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

In one month will be the holiday of Purim. There are several connections between this week’s Torah reading Tetzaveh and the ‘Megillah’ (Book of Esther) that we read on that joyous holiday.
First of all, Tetzaveh is the only chapter of the Pentateuch (after Moses’ birth) that does not mention Moses’ name. Similarly, the ‘Megillah’ is the only book of the Bible that does not mention G-d’s name.
Second, this week’s reading opens with an eternal commandment; lighting the Menora forever (tamid) (27:20). Similarly reading the Megillah is an eternal commandment!! (See Rambam, hil. Magila 2:18)
Finally, this week’s s reading deals with the Temple which is never-ending (Moshiach will build the Third Temple). So too Purim is a holiday that will never cease (Es 9:28)
What is so special about the Magila and Purim that makes them eternal and what has it got to do with G-d’s and Moses’ names not appearing?

To understand this here are two stories.

The first one I heard from Rabbi Mair Abesara o.b.m. years ago.
Some three hundred years ago a G-d fearing Jewish couple came before the Baal Shem Tov with a tragic story. Their son had become a priest! He always was a different sort of child that was miserable or angry when he wasn’t the center of attraction.
So when the missionaries came around and gave him unlimited attention and did everything possible to snare his Jewish soul, he fell for it.
His parents saw what was happening but were helpless to stop him until one day he was gone… no one even knew where he went. Now they were standing before the Baal Shem Tov and asking for his help.
“But it’s not easy for us to cry.” The father said. “To tell you the truth we are really angry. After all we’ve done for him how could he do such a terrible thing? Such a sin?”  His mother chimed in.
“To tell you the truth he gave us so much aggravation that we have stopped mentioning his name in the house and we almost hope he won’t return.” The father continued. “But we haven’t completely given up. And that’s why we’re here. Maybe you can take this insanity from his mind.”
The Baal Shem waited a few seconds and answered.
“Only your love will bring him back. If you want him to return you have to love him even more than before.”
The parents left the room in a daze. How would it be possible to love someone that aggravated and disappointed them so deeply and totally? Who has become a stranger… an enemy!!?” But they decided to give it a try.
Every morning they both woke early and said the entire book of Psalms for their son and the rest of the day mentioned his name with love and admiration in the home. But with no results.
Until, months later the night wind suddenly began howling and whistling outside with such force that they couldn’t sleep. Trees were falling, Everything not tied down was thrown like a leaf. It seemed as though the world outside was falling apart and that at any moment so would their old wood hut. Suddenly they heard a loud thud at the door… as though a large animal was trying to enter.
But then they heard a faint knocking sound. It was hard to make it out over the screaming wind but… there it was again… unmistakable knocking, someone was out there. Someone wanted to come in.
The man went to the door, lifted the bolt, braced himself and as soon as he turned the key a storm cloud of snow and ice filled the entrance and with them a person!!!
But then, unexplainably, the storm suddenly seemed to die down and they were able to close and bolt the door shut again.
The person was shivering like a leaf and crying like a baby. They lifted his hood and revealed… their son!
It took a while before he thawed out and calmed down. He explained that a month ago he had become disgusted with the Church and their ideas but the priests wouldn’t let him go. They locked him in a room high in the monastery and said they could not release him till he ‘repented’.
Then, just last night, just as he thought that all was lost, suddenly a powerful wind began to blow through the high window of his cell so powerfully that it burst the door open, swept him through it lifted him  and carried him for miles till it slammed him against the front door of ….. home!
As the Besh’t advised; their love brought him back!

The second story is about the pupil and successor of the Baal Shem Tov.. Rebbe Dov Ber ‘the Maggid’ of Mezeritz.
The Maggid was an intensely holy person who was constantly involved in Torah, Prayer or deep contemplation sleeping only moments each night.
He had some sixty holy pupils each a genius with ruach HaKodesh (divine intuition) and versed in all the books of Judaism that took turns serving him.
Once, when it was the turn of the famous Tzadik Rabbi Elimelech of Lezinsk the Maggid suddenly broke out of an unusually deep reverie of contemplation in which he was completely detached from this physical world, turned to him and said.
“Elimelech, do you hear what they are saying in the heavenly court? They are saying that the commandment of ‘Loving another Jew’ (Lev. 19:18) means that to love a complete sinner just like you love a complete Tzadik.”
When Rab Elimelech told the other Chassidim what the Maggid said they decided to change their priorities and devote more time and energy to wayward Jews.

This answers our questions about the uniqueness of Purim.

The above stories both have the same point. We must rise above out egos, even our spiritual ‘religious’ egos, in order to really accept the Torah.
The Torah is called both the elixir of life and of death (Yoma 72:b).
Namely; when the Torah is treated as part of the creation, even the spiritual creation, then, like the creation, it is limited and dead. But if the Torah is taken as the will of the CREATOR. Then it embraces, transcends and gives life to everything.
And that means that we too must rise above even our natures …. as the Besh’t and the Maggid instructed in the above stories. Then the Torah we learn brings eternal blessing to the entire world.
That explains why the Talmud tells us that at Sinai the Jews didn’t really receive the Torah. That happened some 900 years later with the miracle of Purim. (see Shabbos 88a)
On that first Purim, when Haman gave the Jews one full year to deny their Judaism and thus escape his decree of, “Exterminate all the Jews in one day” (Esther 3:13) was the first time the Jews thought only about what G_d wants and not about benefitting themselves.
Not even one Jew even CONSIDERED denying their Judaism although they had nothing to gain … except the truth!!

And that is the essence of the Torah, the essence of the Jewish soul and the essence of G-d. Namely that all three exist only to bring blessing, unity and joy into the creation.
This is the point of the Torah that unifies and enlivens all Jews and it is above any ‘names’ or aspects of G-d. Rather it touches at the very essence of G-d. Therefore there are no names of G-d found in the Magilla.
And similarly in this week’s section lacks the name of Moshe for the same reason. It begins with G-d calling Moshe ‘You’; implying the very essence of Moses, above any names.
And therefore, Moshe got the eternal commandments of lighting the Menorah and building the Temple to permanently illuminate and unify the entire world with G-dliness.
(This is also why one must get drunk on Purim until he doesn’t know the difference between Haman and Mordechi. (Aruch Chiam 695:2). Because we must learn to serve G-d for no personal, logical reason ….. only because it is true.

And this will be the accomplishment of Moshiach; to lead, unify, educate and enliven our entire generation, young and old, Jew and gentile (seven Noahide commandments) in the light of the Torah and the Creator with JOY above all limits. Just as the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught, did and is still doing.
And not much is missing, we are standing on thousands of years of Jewish hopes, suffering and prayers. Now it could be that just one more good deed, word or even thought can tilt the scales and bring……. Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel

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