Parshat Tetzaveh  15 Adar 5761, 10 March 2001

By Shlomo Riskin

Efrat, Israel - I am excitedly anticipating Purim this year even more than usual. The reason is quite simple. I generally divide Jews I know into two categories: Tisha B'Av Jews (who want to moan, groan and cry) and the Purim Jews (who love to sing, dance and drink) needless to say, I consider myself a Purim Jew; indeed I once responded to a questioning grandchild as to why I decided to become a Rabbi, "because I like Kiddushes". And this year-because Purim comes out on Thursday evening and Friday for most Jews, on Friday evening and Shabbat for Jerusalem Jews (or for whoever lives in a city which was walled from the days of Joshua) - Jerusalem celebrates Purim for three days. This is an extravaganza known as Purim Meshulash, or Purim in triplicate. This rare occurrence happens since the Jerusalemites for whom Purim falls out on the 15th of Adar which this year is Friday morning and Shabbat, must read the Megillah Thursday night and Friday lest they carry the scroll of Esther on Shabbat. Since the actual day for the Jerusalemites is on the Sabbath, that is the day on which they recite the Al Ha-nissim. And the festive Purim meal is enjoyed on Sunday.

Since I live in Efrat, I will enjoy our Purim Seudah, (festive meal) on Friday and we have already been invited to a Seudah in Jerusalem on Sunday; and since the Sabbath always is an occasion for festive meals, at least the spirit of this Purim Meshulash or triplicate Purim will apply to me as well. And the Rabbinical command formulated in the Talmud in the name of Rava is: "it is incumbent upon the individual to drink on Purim until he can no longer distinguish between praising Mordechai and cursing Haman". (B. T. Megillah 7B) Now Judaism is known as a religion of sobriety which teaches the command, "You should be holy", and forbids his religious leaders from entering the Holy Temple, blessing the congregation or rendering a religio-legal decision after having drunk even a minimal amount of wine.

So why do we make such an exemption on Purim - and this year for three days at that?!

In order to understand, it is important to take another look at the Scroll of Esther. Perhaps the leitmotif of the fascinating story which unfurls is V'Nahafokh hu - everything is topsy turvy, the very antithesis of what it appears to; it is much like the Talmudic sage who dreamt he was in Paradise and reported what he had seen: those who are on top in this world were on the bottom in the other world, and those who were on the bottom in this world were on top in the other world. So are all the characters in the Megillah who appear to be in a masquerade ball with no one actually being the person he is dressed to be.
King Ahashverosh is garbed in royal splendor, wielding his majestic scepter in the manner of an omnipotent Oriental potentate; in reality, he is a vacillating weakling, maneuvered and manipulated by those around him. Haman is painted as the arch villain, destroyer of Jewish people in Persia; but in reality, it is Haman who reminds the Jews - including Mordechai and Esther - that they are Jews and not Persians. Esther bears the Persian name of the pagan goddess Astarte, lives as the queen of a Persian king, and attempts to conceal her Jewish identity - but when the chips are down, she openly reveals her hidden identity and even puts her life on the line to save her people. Mordechai bears the Persian name of the Persian god Marduk and spends his days as an advisor to the Persian king - but his inner Jewish commitment emerges when he risks his career and even his life by refusing to bend his knee or bow down before grand vizier Haman.

As with the people, so with the events. Precisely when Haman appears to be at the height of his influence and prestige - when Queen Esther invites him to be the third party at a romantic tete a tete between her and Ahashverosh which she turns into a menage a trois - and he even celebrates by preparing a tree on which to hang Mordechai, that very night an insomniac king remembers that Mordechai must be honored for having saved his life and Haman's luck began its downward spiral. Indeed, the tree prepared for Mordechai ended up as the executing agent for Haman himself... What appears to be the true events we are witnessing are in reality very different from what they seem to be.

Most astonishing of all is G-d himself, the tragic hero and central "Persona" of the Bible who has not appeared even once in the entire scroll of Esther. However, as the miracle story arrives at its climax, the discerning reader understands that the invisible finger of the divine has directed the entire drama from behind the curtains - beginning with the convenient disappearance of Vashti to make room for Esther and concluding with Ahashverosh mistaking Haman's entreaty prostration with sexual advances. Nothing in this world of deception is as it appears to be. It is crucial that we learn to look behind and within, in order to perceive the true reality beyond the false facade.

There is also a fascinating connection between the Megillah and this week's Torah portion of Tetzaveh, which deals with the priestly garb in the Sanctuary. The decor of the Persian palace is described with the same splendorous colors and materials as we use in the construction of the Sanctuary (Esther 1,6) - but the Sanctuary was imbued with sanctity while the Persian Palace was defiled with debauchery. The garb of the High Priest was for the sake of honor and glory (kavod and tiferet), (Exodus 28:2),and the Ahashverosh ball displayed the "honor of his kingdom...and the glory of his greatness". Kavod malchuto...tiferet gedulato (Esther 1,4) ,- the honor and the glory of Ahashverosh no less. How similar externally to the High Priest and how different internally!

Indeed, the entire description of the unique priestly garb, four special garments for the ordinary kohen and eight special garments for the kohen gadol, is fraught with a crucial message from the perspective of the Megillah. Of course clothes are important, and external appearance affect internal emotions. Were this not the case, modest garb would not be such a cardinal Jewish value and unique Sabbath and festival dress would not be a religious command.

At the same time, however the Hebrew word beged (garment) is based on a root that means to betray, at the Hebrew word meil (cloak) is based on a root that means to steal. Clothes can make the individual and clothes can betray the individual; many a wolf parades in sheep's clothing, and many an evil thought is hidden under a black hat or behind a long beard. It is precisely the high priest in his super-sacred garb who must be sure that his inner thoughts match his outer appearance.

An amazing story is told about the saintly spiritual advisor (Mashgiach) of the Mir Yeshiva, Reb Yeruham, who would always insist that at the precise end of the twenty- five hour Yom Kippur Fast all the students leave the Bet Midrash for the Dining-Room, without prolonging the fast even five minutes to allow for the spirited dancing which took place in other Yeshivot. He himself, however, would remain alone in the study hall for at least an hour.

One student was anxious to find out what the saintly Mashgiach did at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, so he hid under the chair. Reb Yeruham, with his stately black hat, spotless black kaftan and perfectly combed beard was walking up and back, tears streaming down his face, repeating over and over again the words of Jacob as he prepared to stand before his father in the garb of Esau:

"Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall be in his eyes a deceiver, and I shall bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing". (Genesis 27:12)

And now we are ready to explain the secret of Purim drinking. Our sages teach us that the true essence of the individual is revealed in moments of anger, in attitudes towards money, and when inebriated (kaso, kiso, koso). Hopefully, the true Torah scholar who fears G-d will express his deepest Torah thought and his inner feelings of loving kindness even, and especially, when he is drunk - and this applies even when Purim is three days.
If he has any doubt about this, he better not drink!

Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach.

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