Purim In A Conversation

Ester told Mordechai לך כנוס את כל היהודים.  Why does she say כל היהודים, what does the word כל come to include?  Why is there is a din on Purim to drink עד דלא ידע?  Mordechai tells Ester מי יודע אם לעת כזאת הגעת למלכות.  

The Gemorah in Megillah (16b) says לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂוֹן וִיקָר  refers to the mitzvot of Torah, Yom Tov, milah and tefillin.  Rashi explains that the gentile’s decrees were not to keep these mitzvot.  Why specifically these mitzvot?   The Gra explains that these mitzvot contain an אות of the relationship  between Hashem and Klal Yisroel.  In other words, these mitzvot demonstrate the bris that exists between Hashem and Klal Yisroel (see more about this in Yemay HaPurim of Rav Dovid Cohen.)  It is not the mitzvot themselves that bothered Haman, it was the brit.  It was the idea that Klal Yisroel would have an irreversible brit with Hashem that remains intact despite any negative actions from Klal Yisroel that bothered Haman.

The time of Purim is alluded to in the possuk אנכי הסתר אסתר פני ביום ההוא.  As was made famous from the song, the possuk doesn’t merely mean that G-d is hidden but that even in the great darkness if one searches hard enough G-d can be found.  This hanhagah plays out in Klal Yisroel as well.  Even if the fire of the soul is darkened, the nefesh still contains the dying coals of fire that wish to cleave to Hashem.

When instructing Ester approach Achashverosh, Mordechai says ומי יודע אם כעת הזאת הגעת למלכות.  Why did Mordechai need to add this line if he already explained the danger of the Jew’s extermination and furthermore Ester should listen because Mordechai is telling her what to do?

Ester explained her hesitation to Mordechai was because she had not been admitted to Achashverosh as of late and by going to him uncalled, she was endangering herself which would shoot down any chance of survival.  Her claim was that it was more likely to cause salvation to wait.  Mordechai answers that there is room for cheshbonot if one is operating in a purely logical format.  However, when it is one’s specific mission in this world, כעת הזאת הגעת למלכות, then one must tap into the level of מי יודע, to go beyond chesbonot to ensure this mission is carried out (based upon Torat Menachem 5622.) 

Ester responds if that is the case לך כנוס את כל היהודים.  The כל comes to include even the sinners. Even those that may have caused Haman’s decree to be signed must join in causing the salvation.  If I am expected to act in a manner that may not be dictated upon logic to cause the salvation that is because the heart of the issue is about something beyond logic.  The challenge is to the very connection Klal Yisroel has with Hashem which defies logic.  If that is the case, every single Jew, no matter their status must join together to help bring about the salvation.  We are not gathering the sinner to pray as a sinner, but rather as part of כל ישראל.  The Noam Elimelech parshat Devarim writes, כי יש עולם הנקרא "כל ישראל" והעולם ההוא שלם בלי שום פגם, כי הכללות ישראל הם הצדיקים כמ"ש "ועמך כולם צדיקים", וא"כ אף שהפרטים חוטאים לפעמים אבל הכללות הם תמיד קיימים בקדושתם ואין שטן ואין פגע רע בהם חלילה, כי יש עולם הנקרא "כל ישראל" והעולם ההוא שלם בלי שום פגם, כי הכללות ישראל הם הצדיקים כמ"ש "ועמך כולם צדיקים", וא"כ אף שהפרטים חוטאים לפעמים אבל הכללות הם תמיד קיימים בקדושתם ואין שטן ואין פגע רע בהם חלילה.  It is this level of כל ישראל where the sinners will add pure prays to Hashem.  They are just as important in causing the salvation (see Sichot Kodesh Ki Sesa 5631.)

To take this one step further, the gematria of the words כל and מי are 50.  There are 49 gates of wisdom.  The 50th gate is what can not be obtained through knowledge.  It is above the limits of human logic.  Mordechai told Ester that she must access her ability from that gate, from מי יודע, above logic.  Ester in turn responded, by that very token, כל ישראל, even the sinners must be included in the fast for my success. It is because of this that the celebration of Purim must be carried out in a manner which is not limited by the boundaries of logic and there is an obligation to get drunk.