Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future THE BENJAMIN AND ROSE BERGER TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld March 2016 • Purim 5776 Featuring Divrei Torah from Rabbi Eli Belizon Rabbi Dr. David Horwitz Rabbi Jonathan Schachter Rabbi Robert Shur Ms. Eliana Sohn Rabbi Michoel Zylberman A Project of Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future We thank the following synagogues who have pledged to be Pillars of the Torah To-Go® project Congregation Ahavas Congregation Young Israel of Achim Shaarei Tefillah Century City Highland Park, NJ Newton Centre, MA Los Angeles, CA Congregation Ahavath The Jewish Center Young Israel of Torah New York, NY New Hyde Park Englewood, NJ New Hyde Park, NY Young Israel of Beth El in Congregation Beth Boro Park Young Israel of Shalom Brooklyn, NY West Hempstead Rochester, NY West Hempstead, NY Richard M. Joel, President and Bravmann Family University Professor, Yeshiva University Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Vice President for University and Community Life, Yeshiva University Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, David Mitzner Dean, Center for the Jewish Future Rabbi Menachem Penner, Max and Marion Grill Dean, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Robert Shur, Series Editor Rabbi Joshua Flug, General Editor Rabbi Michael Dubitsky, Content Editor Andrea Kahn, Copy Editor Copyright © 2016 All rights reserved by Yeshiva University Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future 500 West 185th Street, Suite 419, New York, NY 10033 • [email protected] • 212.960.0074 This publication contains words of Torah. Please treat it with appropriate respect. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Paul Glasser at 212.960.5852 or [email protected]. 2 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Purim 5776 Table of Contents Purim 2016/5776 Tick Tock the Purim Clock Rabbi Eli Belizon . ..................................................................... Page 4 Sefer and Iggeret: The Dual Nature of Megillat Esther Rabbi Dr. David Horwitz ................................................................... Page 7 What’s in a name? A “LOT”!!! Rabbi Jonathan Schachter . ......................................................... Page 11 Selected Comments of the K’tav Sofer to Megillat Esther Rabbi Robert Shur . ................................................................... Page 15 The Vilna Gaon’s Purim Blessing Ms. Eliana Sohn . ............................................................................ Page 21 The Converts of Shushan Rabbi Michoel Zylberman ................................................................. Page 25 3 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Purim 5776 Tick Tock the Purim Clock mong the many interesting aspects of Megilas Esther is the story of how an orphan Rabbi Eli Belizon becomesA a leader of the Jewish people. Rebbe, Stone Beit Midrash Program The process by which Esther becomes Rabbi, Young Israel of Fair Lawn a queen and leads Am Yisrael was a gradual one. The Megilla (4:11) points out Esther’s fear and hesitation to lead and save the Jewish people Isn’t the emphasis on “laila v’yom” the success of his mission to destroy from this crisis. After what seems to be obvious? the Jewish people. The Gemara a long struggle, Mordechai, however, I believe Esther was introducing notes that Haman was unaware that successfully convinces Esther to forge something profound to the Jewish Moshe Rabbeinu was born on the ahead with a plan to save the Jewish people with this peculiar statement. very same day, and therefore this people. He does this by striking The key to this puzzle is found in an month represents the beginning of the a chord and appealing to Esther’s idea developed by Rav Meir Simcha salvation of the Jewish people from judgment. This prompts Esther to from Dvinsk. At the end of the exile. If Haman was so knowledgeable request that all the Jews fast for three Megilla, the verse states about Jewish history and he knew the day of Moshe’s yahrtzeit, why did he לְקַ ּיֵםאֶ ת יְמֵיהַּפֻרִ יםהָאֵ ּלֶהּבִ זְמַ ּנֵיהֶ ם days prior to her approaching the King. neglect to realize that Moshe was born To fulfill these days of Purim in their on the same day of the year? What times. was it about that event that escaped לְֵךּכְנֹוס אֶ ת ּכָל הַ ּיְהּודִ ים הַ ּנִמְ צְאִים ּבְׁשּוׁשָ ן Esther 9:31 Haman’s attention when studying the וְצּומּו עָלַיוְאַ לּתֹאכְלּו וְאַל ּתִׁשְּתּו ׁשְ ֹלׁשֶ ת יָמִ ים לַיְלָה וָ יֹום. After the Jews were saved, the holiday history of the Jewish people? Go and gather all of the Jews who are of Purim was publicized to all of found in Shushan and fast for me. Don’t The Gemara,Sotah 12a, tells us that the Jews who were told to keep this eat or drink for three days night and day. when Moshe was born, the house holiday “in their times.” What does Esther 4:16 filled up with light. This must have this phrase in “their time” mean? been an indication that Moshe The Jewish people were facing an Rav Meir Simcha, Meshech Chochma, was born at night, at a time when extremely dangerous and precarious Esther 9:31 explains that the story of illumination would have a significant situation, which called for an extreme Purim emanated from Haman’s lottery impact. By contrast, the verse in response. Nevertheless, the wording of which landed on the thirteenth of Devarim (32:48) states that Moshe Esther’s instruction is a bit odd. Why Adar. The Gemara,Megilla 13b, states died “be’etzem hayom,” in the middle did she need to phrase it as “three days that Haman was excited about this of the day. Thus, even though the night and day”? The Jewish people date since it was the month in which two events occurred on the same were aware that three days translates Moshe Rabbeinu died, and this must calendar day, Haman miscalculated into night and day. In most areas of be a bad month for the Jewish people. and thought that these two events halacha, the night precedes the day. He therefore became confident in occurred on different days. The Find more shiurim and articles from Rabbi Eli Belizon at http://www.yutorah.org/Rabbi-Eli-Belizon 4 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Purim 5776 non-Jewish calendar considers the yimos hamashiach (redemption) that Rabbi Meir night as part of the previous day. will be the daylight following this Simcha Therefore, according to Haman’s dark night. The purpose of our lives Hakohen of calculation, Moshe was born at night is not now but in the future. לְהַּגִיד ּבַ ּבֹקֶר חַסְּדֶ ָךוֶאֱ מּונָתְָך ּבַּלֵ ילֹות. Dvinsk on the sixth of Adar as opposed to the seventh. This is why the Gemara (1843-1926) To speak of Your kindness in the states that Haman didn’t know that morning and your faith in the nights. the date of Moshe’s death was the Tehillim 92:3 R. Meir Simcha was born in very same day Moshe was born. Butrimonys, Lithuania, to Samson We believe at night and we will Rav Meir Simcha explains that the Kalonymus, a local wealthy merchant. ultimately praise with clarity in the month of Moshe’s death would After marrying at age 17, he settled morning. Therefore, our days reflect have been a month of bad mazal if in Białystok, Poland, where he was this philosophy and demonstrate he had died on any day other than supported by his wife, who opened that the darkness of night is only the the date of his birth. However, if a business to support him while he beginning; ultimately the light of he died on his birthday, that would continued his Talmudic studies. After day will follow in our glorious yimos 23 years in Bialystok, during which indicate that it wasn’t a function of hamashiach. time he rejected many offers to become bad mazal, but rather a function of the rabbi of a city, he finally accepted Moshe’s righteousness. Haman’s Esther is emphasizing this point to the rabbinate of the Mitnagdim in the miscalculation led him to believe the Jewish people as she asks them Latvian town of Dvinsk, now known as that Moshe was born on the sixth to join her on a mission to save Am Daugavpils. He served in that position and therefore, Adar was a month of Yisroel from the terrible darkness for 39 years until his death. bad mazal for the Jews. of Haman. Her initial speech is a In Dvinsk, his counterpart was the call to action and a declaration that Haman’s error was all based on the Hasidic Rabbi Yosef Rosen, known as demands a transformation in the configuration of the day. Perhaps the Rogatchover Gaon or by his work way the Jewish people of her time this is much more meaningful Tzofnath Paneach. The two had a great look at life. Esther explains that we than simply a way of calculating respect for each other, despite the need to transform our mindset from Rogatchover’s legendary fiery temper, dates on the calendar. There is a that of the people around us. It is and on occasions referred questions in fundamental difference between the not sufficient to just fast for three Jewish law to each other. Jewish approach to the calculation days; instead, we need to do so of days and the secular approach. In 1906, a certain Shlomo Friedlander according to a Jewish calendar day It reflects a major difference in the claimed to have discovered, and — with the clear understanding that then published two tractates of the Jewish outlook on life. We as Jews by fasting we are helping to bring Jerusalem Talmud that had been have gone through many periods the daylight to follow this horrible considered to have been lost for of struggle and persecution.