פּוּרִים אִתְקְרִיאַת עַל שֵׁם יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, דַּעֲתִידִין לְאִתְעַנְגָא בֵּיהּ, וּלְשַׁנּוּיֵי לֵיהּ מֵעִנּוּי לְעֹנֶג.
Purim is named after Yom HaKippurim [which can be read as “the day that is like Purim”], for, in the future, people will rejoice on Yom Kippur, and will transform its required afflictions to delight.
וַיָּב֖וֹא הֲתָ֑ךְ וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לְאֶסְתֵּ֔ר אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶסְתֵּר֙ לַהֲתָ֔ךְ וַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּ אֶֽל־מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ וְעַם־מְדִינ֨וֹת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ יֽוֹדְעִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּל־אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָבֽוֹא־אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ֩ אֶל־הֶחָצֵ֨ר הַפְּנִימִ֜ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יִקָּרֵ֗א אַחַ֤ת דָּתוֹ֙ לְהָמִ֔ית לְ֠בַד מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יֽוֹשִׁיט־ל֥וֹ הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֥יט הַזָּהָ֖ב וְחָיָ֑ה וַאֲנִ֗י לֹ֤א נִקְרֵ֙אתי֙ לָב֣וֹא אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ זֶ֖ה שְׁלוֹשִׁ֥ים יֽוֹם׃ וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְמָרְדֳּכָ֔י אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ (פ) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מָרְדֳּכַ֖י לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֶסְתֵּ֑ר אַל־תְּדַמִּ֣י בְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ לְהִמָּלֵ֥ט בֵּית־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִכָּל־הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃ כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃ וַתֹּ֥אמֶר אֶסְתֵּ֖ר לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶֽל־מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ לֵךְ֩ כְּנ֨וֹס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַי וְאַל־תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָי֔וֹם גַּם־אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן וּבְכֵ֞ן אָב֤וֹא אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי׃ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר מָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיַּ֕עַשׂ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוְּתָ֥ה עָלָ֖יו אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ (ס)
When Hathach came and delivered Mordecai’s message to Esther, Esther told Hathach to take back to Mordecai the following reply: “All the king’s courtiers and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any person, man or woman, enters the king’s presence in the inner court without having been summoned, there is but one law for him—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the golden scepter to him may he live. Now I have not been summoned to visit the king for the last thirty days.”
When Mordecai was told what Esther had said, Mordecai had this message delivered to Esther: “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.”
Then Esther sent back this answer to Mordecai: “Go, assemble all the Jews who live in Shushan, and fast in my behalf; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will observe the same fast. Then I shall go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I am to perish, I shall perish!” So Mordecai went about [the city] and did just as Esther had commanded him.
"If you keep silent" (Esther 4:14) If you keep silent now and do not advocate for your people, you will eventually keep silent in the life to come and will not be allowed to speak. Why? Because you could have done good in your days and didn't. Do you believe God will abandon Israel? He will surely find a redeemer for them, as it is written: "relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter."
לֵךְ כְּנוֹס אֶת כׇּל הַיְּהוּדִים וְגוֹ׳ עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא כַדָּת אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא שֶׁלֹּא כַּדָּת הָיָה שֶׁבְּכׇל יוֹם וָיוֹם עַד עַכְשָׁיו בְּאוֹנֶס וְעַכְשָׁיו בְּרָצוֹן וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָבַדְתִּי אָבָדְתִּי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָבַדְתִּי מִבֵּית אַבָּא כָּךְ אוֹבַד מִמְּךָ.
"And if I am to perish, I shall perish." I will be lost completely for not sitting with my people. And the verb in the past tense replace the verb in the future, the reason being for her thought, and this is similar to "if I am to be bereaved, I shall be bereaved."
אם החרש תחרישי בעת הזאת וגו' ומי יודע אם לעת כזאת הגעת. מכאן אתה למד שלא יהא אדם דוחה בשתי ידיו אלא דוחה בימין ומקרב בשמאל. לכך (שם) ומי יודע אם לעת כזאת.
“Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.”
From here we learn that one should not push another away with both hands, but rather push away with the right and pull closer with the left. That is why [Mordechai] said: "and who knows."
ברוך המקום ברוך הוא שמכיר בראש מה שיהיה בסוף [...] אמר אם אני משמר לו חובות הראשונים אין העולם עומד. עלי להעביר ראשונות וכך עשה. ומנין תדע לך שהוא כך כשהיו ישראל במדבר סרחו במעשיהם עמד להעביר את כל אשר עשו שנאמר ויעבור ה' על פניו ויקרא (שמות ל״ד:ו׳) אל תקרי ויעבור אלא ויעביר מלמד שהעביר כל רעתם מנגד פניו. תדע לך שהוא כך מרדכי בשעה שדברה עמו אסתר שלא כהוגן קצף עליה ואלו הן הדברים שדברה שלא כהוגן שאמרה ואני לא נקראתי לבא אל המלך וגו' השיב לה כי אם החרש תחרישי וגו' וכשחזרה ודברה עמו כהוגן הודה לדבריה ואלו הן הדברים שדברה לו כהוגן לך כנוס את כל היהודים העביר כל דבריה שנאמר ויעבור מרדכי (אסתר ה) ואומר מי אל כמוך נושא עון ועובר על פשע (מיכה ז׳:י״ח):
Babylon/Italy/Israel (end of 10th century)
[When God created man, he said:] if I am to retain his earlier misdeeds, the world cannot stand. I must overlook the first (misdeeds), and so He did [...] From where can you know this is so? When (The Nation of) Israel was in the Desert, they misbehaved (in the sin of Golden Calf). God overlooked all that They had done, as it says "And Hashem passed (ויעבור) in front of him (Moshe) [Shemot 34:6]. Do not read "he passed" (ויעבור) rather he forgave (ויעביר). Learn from here that He forgave all the evil before him. And it should be known to you that so was with Mordechai at the time when Esther spoke to him improperly; since she said "but I have not been called to come in to the king etc." [Esther 4:11]. And he (Mordechai) responded to her "For if you remain silent etc." [Esther 4:14]. But when she repented and spoke to him properly, saying "Go, gather all the Jews" [Esther 4:16], he looked past her (earlier) words, as it is written "And Mordechai passed" [Esther 4:17] and also: "Who is like God, who forgives iniquity, and overlooks transgression (וְעֹבֵ֣ר עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע)" [Micha 7:18].
וְזֶה שֶׁדִּקְדְּקָה אֶסְתֵּר וְאָמְרָה, "לֵךְ כְּנוֹס אֶת כָּל הַיְּהוּדִים וְכוּ'" (אסתר ד׳:ט״ז) 'כְּנוֹס' דַּיְקָא וְכֵן אַחַר כָּךְ כְּתִיב כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים לְשׁוֹן כְּנִיסָה וְקִבּוּץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם ח'), "לְהִקָּהֵל וְלַעֲמֹד עַל נַפְשָׁם" וּכְתִיב (שם), "נִקְהֲלוּ הַיְּהוּדִים וְכוּ'" וְכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מגילה ב'), זְמַן קהלה לכל הוּא כִּי עִקַּר הַנֵּס שֶׁל פּוּרִים שֶׁהוּא מַפָּלַת הָמָן עֲמָלֵק הָיָה עַל-יְדֵי הַכְּנִיסָה וְהַקִּבּוּץ, שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי זֶה נִתְרַבִּין הַבָּתִּים שֶׁל הַתְּפִלָּה עַד אֵין חֵקֶר עַד שֶׁנִּתְכַּנְּסוּ לְתוֹכָם כָּל הָרְחוֹקִים וְכָל הַנִּדָּחִים כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁכָּל זֶה הוּא הֵפֶךְ מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ הָרָעָה כַּנַּ"ל וְעַל-כֵּן נָפַל מְאֹד עַל-יְדֵי זֶה וְכַנַּ"ל וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שם) וּמָרְדְּכַי יָצָא מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת תְּכֵלֶת וְכוּ', בְּחִינַת תְּכֵלֶת שֶׁבַּצִּיצִית, שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי זֶה הוּא קִבּוּץ נִדָּחִים שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת תְּפִלָּה הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי זֶה הָיָה מַפָלַת הָמָן-עֲמָלֵק כַּנַּ"ל וְעַל-כֵּן כְּשֶׁרָצָה הָמָן לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמַר (שם ד'), "יֶשְׁנוֹ עַם אֶחָד מְפֻזָּר וּמְפֹרָד בֵּין הָעַמִּים וְכוּ'" 'מְפֻזָּר וּמְפֹרָד' דַּיְקָא שֶּׁיִּשְֹרָאֵל הֵם מְפֻזָּרִים וּמְפֹרָדִים בֵּין הָעַמִּים וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְקַבְּצָם וְעַל-יְדֵי זֶה רָצָה לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל ח"ו, כִּי עִקַּר מַפָּלָתוֹ עַל-יְדֵי הַקִּבּוּץ כַּנַּ"ל וְעַל-כֵּן אָמְרָה אֶסְתֵּר, "לֵךְ כְּנוֹס אֶת כָּל הַיְּהוּדִים וְכוּ'" 'כְּנוֹס' דַּיְקָא וְכַנַּ"ל:
Rabbi Nachman of Breslav (1772-1810)
Esther was specific in her wording when she said "gather" (knos) and later similar words denoting gathering and assembling appear, as it is written: "to assemble and protect themselves" (Esther 8:11), "the Jews assembled in their cities" (Esther 9:2), and our rabbis also said this is a time of assembly for all (Tractate Megillah B), for the essence of the miracle of Purim, namely the downfall of Amalek, was through ingathering and assembly, where all the houses of prayer multiply to no end, with all the faraway people arriving to them. This is precisely the opposite of his evil plan, and was his complete downfall. And this also recalls the verse "When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen" (Esther 8:15) recalling the blue (techelet) in the tzitzit which brought about the gathering [...]"
וַיָּשָׁב מָרְדֳּכַי אֶל שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ (אסתר ו, יב), מְלַמֵּד שֶׁשָּׁב לְשַׂקּוֹ וּלְתַעֲנִיתוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ כָּל מִי שֶׁלּוֹבֵשׁ שַׂק וּמִתְעַנֶּה, אֵינוֹ מַעֲבִירוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד שֶׁתֵּעָשֶׂה בַּקָּשָׁתוֹ.
(Esther 6:12) "And Mordechai returned to the gate of the king" - This teaches that he returned to his sackcloth and his fasting. Rabbi Chelbo said: Anyone who wears sackcloth and fasts should not remove it until his request is fulfilled.
Yehuda Arieh Leib Alter (1847-1905)
"And Mordechai returned to the gate of the king" etc. Our sages say that he returned to his sackcloth and his fasting. The explanation for 'and he returned' is that he returned in repentance (teshuva). This is the way of the tzadik {righteous}, through which he is assisted by God. He subjugates himself entirely in shame from before the almighty.
And Mordechai regretted that he caused the whole decree. And now, that God gave him this grace, he was ashamed even further, and repented. For repentance as a result of shame is certainly not the same as before. There are two ways of gaining humility. Firstly, through worthlessness, and the second, through greatness as it is written elsewhere {that a person realizes his greatness - who he is and what he has - and realizes that he doesn't deserve any of it}. And this is the difference between a tzadik {righteous person} and a rasha {a wicked person} as it is written "That day Haman went out happy and lighthearted" (Esther 5:9) because of the feast (he was invited to), and that was his downfall. But with regard to Mordechai it is written 'and he returned/repented' as written above.
Furthermore, it is apparent that Mordechai knew that God will certainly help the Jewish people as it is written "relief and deliverance". And so it's written "and he knew all that had happened". But so is the way of all tzadikim {righteous people}, that although they know of the salvation, nevertheless they are able to cry out wholeheartedly as if they didn't know. And someone that isn't {on that level}, the true salvation isn't shown to him. And this depends on complete faith where one nullifies his intellect to God, and he knows and believes that there is no contradiction in any of this, that salvation arrives through the outcry of man. Even though God will not forsake the Jewish people, without question. Nevertheless, it is necessary to cry out in a time of distress, as it is written: "It is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it" (Jeremiah 30:7).