Slaughtering the Idol of I Can

 Harav Hagaon Meir Tzvi Shpitzer Shlita

Shabbos Hagadol commemorates מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן — Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s command to us to take a sheep, tie it to the bed, and keep it for four days in preparation for the Korban Pesach.

Regarding the words in Parashas Bo, וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת, Rashi says that Yetzias Mitzrayim was in the zechus of the Korban Pesach — וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי — and that zechus began with the מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן of Shabbos Hagadol.

Why were we given the mitzvah to take a sheep, specifically, for the Korban Pesach? The Ramban explains, in Parashas Bo, that the Egyptians worshipped sheep as their deity, as Moshe Rabbeinu told Pharaoh, הֵן נִזְבַּח אֶת תּוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם לְעֵינֵיהֶם וְלֹא יִסְקְלֻנוּ.  Why did they deify sheep?

The Ramban observes that the twelve months of the year revolve around twelve mazalos, and the first — the “head” and most important — of all the mazalos is the taleh, the sheep of Chodesh Nissan.

Nissan, says the Ramban, is the month of chiddush hatzemichah, when things start to grow and bloom. After a winter of hard work, we finally see the results. This idea of our efforts bringing success is representing by the mazal of taleh, the sheep. Why?

The Gemara (Chullin 84b), cited by Rashi in Parashas Eikev, explains that the Torah refers to sheep as עַשְׁתְּרֹת צֹאנֶךָ because they enrich their owners; ashteros being related to the word ashirus. Chazal say, therefore, that if a person is looking to invest, the best investment he could make is sheep. Sheep produce wool and milk during their lifetime, and meat after they are slaughtered. In addition, their horns are used for trumpets, their skin is used for drums, and their other parts are used for musical instruments a well.

Sheep therefore represent material success. Indeed, about Yaakov Avinu the passuk says: וַיִּפְרֹץ הָאִישׁ מְאֹד מְאֹד וַיְהִי לוֹ צֹאן רַבּוֹת. The Ramban explains that Chodesh Nissan marks the beginning of success.

Why is the month called Nissan? The Haga’os on Sefer Hatishbi notes that “Nissan” comes from the root nitzan, as in the passuk הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ. (Samech and tzadi are interchangeable.) The first bloom, the first success, which comes from all of a person’s work is seen in Chodesh Nissan.

The Torah refers to Nissan as Chodesh Ha’aviv, and Rashi says that aviv is related to the word av, father. Nissan is the “father” of the year, the beginning of a person’s success. Rabbeinu Bechaye explains that the word itself connotes that Nissan is the beginning (אב) of the other twelve (י"ב) months.

Rav Tzadok explains that the Egyptians believed that their own efforts produced their success: כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה. They worshipped the taleh not because they thought the sheep is intrinsically holy, but because they saw it as a manifestation of the might of their own hand.

Yetzias Mitzrayim came about in the zechus of Klal Yisrael’s מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן, meaning drawing themselves away from avodah zarah and kochi ve’otzem yadi, which was the Egyptian deity. The other Egyptian avodah zarah was the Nile River, which also represented material success.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu therefore commanded Klal Yisrael to take the taleh home and slaughter it, demonstrating that we don’t follow the Mitzriyim in their worship.

At this stage, we are busy baking and preparing matzos. The Torah tells us that matzah symbolizes the rush to leave Mitzrayim — כִּי בְחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם. There was no time to bake bread, so the Yidden ate matzah, and that’s why we eat matzah.

The Maharal, on Parashas Re’eh, points out that if we are trying to commemorate Yetzias Mitzrayim, we should focus on remembering that we were freed from slavery. The fact that we left Egypt in a rush would seem to be a very minor part of the story. Who cares whether we left in haste or at leisure? So why does the whole mitzvah of matzah serve to commemorate the fact that we left in a rush?

The Maharal answers that this is no mere tangential point — it’s the main point. As long as we felt that we have time, that it’s still possible to be in Mitzrayim, and that we are capable of taking ourselves out of Mitzrayim, then Yetzias Mitzrayim was not possible, because we still believed in kochi ve’otzem yadi, just like the Egyptians. If we had the power to leave by ourselves, then we could decide to leave later as well. The fact that we left in a rush indicated that it was Hakadosh Baruch Hu taking us out; He said, “Leave now,” so we had to leave now.

It is precisely the chipazon, symbolized by matzah, that demonstrates the abandonment of kochi ve’otzem yadi. We acknowledged that we didn’t have the power to leave Mitzrayim ourselvses; only Hakadosh Baruch Hu could take us out. That knowledge is the antithesis of the Egyptian belief in the taleh, in the idea that I generate my own wealth and success.

The Zohar says, in Parashas Tetzaveh, that in truth, all the food a person eats during the year has an adverse spiritual effect on him, pulling him further down into Olam Hazeh and away from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. When a person eat matzah on Pesach, continues the Zohar, that fortifies and protects him so that he can safely eat food the rest of the year and be involved in the world of gashmiyus. Once he internalizes the message of the matzah, which is that we ourselves have no power, we are protected throughout the year, even as we engage in activities that would otherwise lead us to believe in kochi ve’otzem yadi.

The Torah commands us to say Bircas Hamazon after eating bread: וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה', and the Gemara in Berachos discusses whether there is a d’Oraysa obligation to make a berachah before eating a meal as well. The Gemara reasons that if the Torah requires a person to recite a berachah after he is satiated, then he should certainly be required to make a berachah when he is hungry, out of the incredible feeling of gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for providing him with food to quell his hunger. The final ruling, however, is that there is no d’Oraysa obligation to recite a berachah before the meal, but the Gemara does not explain why.

The Meshech Chochmah does shed light on this matter. He explains that if the mitzvah of Bircas Hamazon would be purely about hakaras hatov, then indeed, the hakaras hatov should be more acute at the beginning of the meal, when the person is hungry. But the reason we recite Bircas Hamazon at the end of the meal is not merely to express gratitude, but rather as a declaration that everything I have just eaten, and my overall success, comes from Hashem. It’s not kochi ve’otzem yadi.

When is a person more likely to feel kochi ve’otzem yadi? When he finishes his meal, and he feels satisfied, both from the food he ate and from the hard work he invested into creating his meal and his wealth. At that time, when he is at risk of falling into the trap of kochi ve’otzem yadi, the Torah commands him to say Bircas Hamazon.

Yosef Hatzaddik was the one who laid the groundwork for Klal Yisrael’s stay in Mitzrayim, and his ascent to greatness began when he stood before Pharaoh and declared, בִּלְעָדָי אֱלֹקִים יַעֲנֶה אֶת שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה. Pharaoh had said, “I heard that you know how to interpret dreams,” but Yosef responded, “It has nothing to do with me.”

He was in a situation where he could easily have felt that it’s kochi ve’otzem yadi — no one else in Mitzrayim could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Nevertheless, he declared that his ability to interpret dreams was from Hashem. This paved the way for Klal Yisrael’s stay in Mitzrayim, because it established the distinction between the Egyptian and Jewish worldviews. Yosef’s outlook reached its pinnacle with the מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן of Shabbos Hagadol, which was followed by Yetzias Mitzrayim and the mitzvah to eat matzah because we were chased out of Egypt in haste.

Dovid Hamelech makes two similar statements in Tehillim. In Perek 35 he says שֶׁקֶר הַסּוּס לִתְשׁוּעָה, declaring that the horse, which people ride on to wage war, does not bring salvation. In Perek 60, he says, וְשָׁוְא תְּשׁוּעַת אָדָם, expressing that the belief that salvation comes from man is a delusion.

The mefarshim point out that Dovid Hamelech chose his words carefully. When talking about a horse, which creates an illusion that it brings the yeshuah, he uses the term sheker. And when he discusses a person’s own handiwork and the folly of imagining that he brings about his own salvation, he uses the term shav. What’s the difference between sheker and shav?

The Brisker Rav cites the Rambam’s explanation, in the first perek of Hilchos Shevuos, of the difference between a shevuas sheker and a shevuas shav. A shevuas sheker is when, for instance, a person falsely swears that he ate in a certain person’s house, while a shevuas shav is when, for instance, a person swears that a piece of gold is made of marble

What’s the difference between these two falsehoods? In the former, it is theoretically possible that a person could have eaten in his friend’s house; he just happened not to. A shevuas sheker, then, is something that happens not to be true, but could potentially have been true. A shevuas shav, on the other hand, is a statement that is utterly ridiculous, an impossibility. Gold never was and never will be marble.

A person could imagine, says the Brisker Rav, that the horse brings his salvation, and indeed, there are times when the horse is somewhat involved in the yeshuah. If you think that you were saved by the horse, however, you are mistaken. It’s a sheker.

But to imagine that what you do is what brought about the salvation — כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה, that is shav, totally ridiculous, and we reject that assertion outright. A person’s own efforts have no connection at all to any success he might have.

Chazal instituted that before we eat a bread meal, we need to wash our hands. On a simple level, the reason for this requirement of netilas yadayim is the hands might have become tamei. But the Zohar, in Rus, explains that the phrase “netilas yadayim” implies lifting the hands. Why do the hands need to be lifted? Because they are involved in creating and doing things in this world, and they therefore bring the person to the feeling of kochi ve’otzem yadi. Therefore, say Chazal, before you eat a meal, wash away that tumah of thinking that your hands are the instruments of your success. Lift your hands and appreciate that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the one who gives you any success you may have.

Our relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu is described in terms of yedidus, friendship. Hashem is called our “Yedid,” as the passuk states, אָשִׁירָה נָּא לִידִידִי. The Ben Yehoyada notes that the word ידיד is composed of the words yad yad, meaning my hand and Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s hand together. I shouldn’t think that my hands accomplished anything. Rather, I give my hand to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and I realize that it’s His hand that gives me success.

The gematria of the word yad is 14, signifying the fourteen segments of a person’s five fingers. In this world, we do everything we these fourteen parts of our fingers, but we declare that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is our Yedid — we stretch up our hands and declare that anything we can do is all because of the yad Hashem.

The gematria of yedid is 28, corresponding to the 28 times that Shlomo Hamelech describes in Koheles: עֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת, and so on. A person has 28 segments in the fingers of his two hands, and he mistakenly believes that his own efforts are what give rise to these 28 times. To dispel this notion, we lift our two hands to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, our Yedid, affirming that we do not ascribe to the belief of kochi ve’otzem yadi.

Like the Yidden in Mitzrayim, we draw our hands away from avodah zarah, from thinking that the taleh and the springtime blossoming comes from our own work. Instead, we appreciate that it’s all because Hakadosh Baruch Hu granted it to us. This is represented by the matzah, and its connotation of the chipazon with which we left Mitzrayim.

Todah

There is a discussion in the Achronim if there is an obligation on the 4 people that have been saved to bring a korban todah or if it is a nedavah.  Rashi on Chumash, Menachot (79b) and Tosfos Rid Rosh Hashana (5b)5 seem to hold that it is a chiuv.  However, the Shittah in Menachot disagrees with Rashi as does the Tur on Chumash.  There are a lot of other mekorot, see some of the discussion on the otzar forum.  

The Panim Yafos says the reason the Torah did not mention the chometz loaves of the todah in parshat Vayikra as an exception to the rule of normally not allowing chametz in the Mishkan is because the todah is not an obligation.  The Chatam Sofer says the todah is recorded in Tzav and not Vayikra because Tzav is the commandments to the kohanim, the tzaddikim, and they bring a todah even when there is no obligation because of the נסיך שבכל יום and hence the Torah says אם על תודה, a reshus, for we are talking about the voluntary todah. 

R.A.E. siman 119 cites the sefer Orim Gedolim has a safek if one person is saying hagomel for one version of being saved can he be motzei someone else who has to say it for a different reason, ואם המברך חייב ומברך הברכה על שהיה חולה ונתרפא וזה שומע חייב בברכה על שהיה הולך מדבר מסתפק בס' אורים גדולים בדרשותיו פ' צו די"ל דיוצא בלא עניית אמן או דאף בעניית אמן אינו יוצא עיי"ש.  The question seems to be if there is a general name of korban todah for all those that need ot bring a todah or the reason for the bringing becomes part of the name of the korban. Rav Yitzchak Sorotskin cites at least a הו"א to this idea that the reason for the obliation becomes part of the name of the korban from Rashi Zevachim (7a) that explains the chiddush the Gemarah says that if one shects a todah for the sake of another todah that one is obligated that it is valid for אע"פ שלא באו על הודייה אחת דארבעה צריכין להודות כדאמרינן בברכות (דף נד:) וכתיב בהו (תהילים ק״ז:כ״ב) ויזבחו זבחי תודה ושחט תודה בשעת עלייתו מן הים לשם תודה שהפריש על יציאתו מבית האסורין.

Eat And Eat

The halacha is that the korban pesach must be eaten על השובע, when one is already satiated.  This din according to Rashi (86a ד"ה אין מפטירין) applies to all korbanot and is learnt from למשחה, that kodshim must be eaten just as kings eat. In his words, שכן חובת כל הקרבנות כדקיימא לן למשחה לגדולה כדרך שהמלכים אוכלין. 

However, the Mechilta says על מצות ומרורים יאכלוהו" (במדבר ט, יא), מכאן אמרו: הפסח נאכל אכילת שבע, ואין מצה ומרור נאכלים אכילת שבע.  According to the Mechilta it is a din specific to the pesach that it must be eaten על השובע.  However, what is wrong with the general din of למשחה, why does the Mechilta feel the need to come up with a different source?    The Rambam (Korban Pesach 8:3) says that the chagigah is eaten before the pesach so that the pesach will be eaten על השובע.  In other words, the din of על השובע is only a din in korban pesach.  The source of the Rambam is a berasah in Pesachim (70a) and it is צ"ע according to Rashi what is the reasoning of the berasah that the chagigah is eaten first so that the pesach shall be eaten על השובע if the chagigah has the same din?    

The Rambam perush hamishna Zevachim (10:7) says אמר רחמנא בדברים שהכהן אוכל למשחה.  He holds that למשחה only applies to parts of a korban that the kohan eats.  In light of this Rambam we can understand that there would be no din of למשחה for korban pesach since it is a korban that non-kohanim eat.  (One may understand the Rambam may be lishitaso that the mitzvah of eating kodshim is only on the portion that the kohan eats, see Briskor Rav Menachot 21b., in which case, pesach in which there is a mitzvah to eat it would have the din of למשחה.)  That may be why the Mechilta needs a new limud to tell us that the pesach has to be eaten על השובע (Briskor Rav.)  

Tosfot Pesachim (70a) cites from the Yerushalmi a different reason why the pesach is eaten על השובע and that is so that won't be ravenous and come to break a bone of the pesach.  Why is the Yerushalmi not satisfied with the with the reason of the Bavli so that the pesach is eaten על השובע?  It is possible that the Yerushalmi holds that למשחה doesn't apply on non-kohan portions and does not hold of the derash of the Mechilta and therefore needs a Rabbinic reason to explain why the pesach must be eaten על השובע. 

The Mordechai (end of Pesachim) says the Yerushalmi was bothered by the question we asked on Rashi.  Why put the chagigah before the pesach so that the pesach is eaten על השובע if the chagigah has the same din?  Therefore, the Yerushalmi enters a new reason as to why it is important for the pesach to come after the chagigah.

Hagadol

A few interesting tidbits.

Chizkuni (Bo 12:3) says it is called Shabbat Hagaol because it was the first mitzvot that Klal Yisrael were commanded.  What does that have to do with gadol? 

The Haggadah Maseas Hamelech cites in the name of a kadmon (he doesn't specify the source,) that it is called Shabbat Hagadol because the law of tosefes Shabbat was commanded that Shabbat (see his explanation why then.)  According to this interpretation, presumably it is called Shabbat Hagadol because the Shabbat is actually longer.  (According to this peshat it has nothing to do with 10 Nissan.)

Rabbenu Manoach Caametz Umatzah (5:26) asks why is there no beracha on hagaat kelim for Pesach.  What is his question, it is just a koshering process to remove the issur, why is it different from any time one needs to kasher a vessel that became treif? 

The Haggadah Pesach Dorot (by a kadmon) says that the din of ד' כוסות is a takannah of Moshe Rabbenu.

Forever

The Rambam does not count the mitzvah of mentioning yitziat mitzraim on a daily basis in his count of the mitzvot.  Why does he not count it as a mitzvah?  Rav Chayim explains since the Rambam rules like Ben Zoma that כל ימי חייך comes to include the night, not in the times of Moshiach, the need to mention yitziat mitzraim on a daily basis will not apply in the times of Moshiach.  The Rambam therefore, does not count it as a mitzvah for the Rambam says (Sefer HaMitzvot shoresh 3,) only mitzvot that last forever are counted as mitzvot.  If that is the case, why is the mitzvah of sippur yitzias mitzraim counted as a mitzvah, why will it be still be recounted in the times of Moshiach and not be overshadowed by the great miracles that will occur then?  Obviously sippur will not be overshadowed and is distinct from zechira; what is the distenction?

Every Dor

The Noam Elimelech beginning of Shemos says: אזי בכל פעם שעולה ובא בבחינה אחרת יתירה זה נקרא בשם 'דור', דהבחינה הראשונה שהיה מתנהג בה, כל ימי נהוגו בה היא כמו 'דור', ואחר שנופל מבחינה זאת ונופל לבחינה אחרת, הרי הוא כמו שבא בדור אחר. וזה הוא "דור הולך ודור בא", פירושו כנ"ל, שזה נופל מבחינה ראשונה שהיה מתנהג עד הנה, הבחינה הזאת הולכת ממנו זה "דור הולך", "ודור בא", ג"כ כנ"ל שבא לבחינה אחרת.  Every advance in one's spiritual path is called a דור.  It is for him like a new generation, a new world of existence.  

In light of this we can say בדרך דרוש that is בכל דור ודור חיב אדם לראות את עצמו כאלו הוא יצא ממצרים.  Every spiritual salvation is a freedom from the constraints and servitude of the previous level.  

אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ.  Every elevation has those that attempt to hold one back but we are helped by Hashem to be able to raise our selves above them. 

Hidden LIght

Or Hameyer (Zhitomyr) rimzay Pekuday:

Noam Elimelech Reah: ובאמת איתא באור של ז' ימי בראשית "ראה שאין כדאי כו' וגנזו לצדיקים לעתיד לבא", דאנו אומרים "יוצר אור ובורא חושך", והיה לו לומר "יצר אור כו'" לשון עבר ולא לשון הווה, אלא האמת הוא שהשי"ת ברוב רחמיו יוצר אור תמיד, דהיינו הצדיק ההולך בדרכי השם באמת ובתמים, אליו נראה ונגלה אור הגנוז, ובכל יום יום שהצדיק הולך במדריגה יותר, נתגלה לו האור יותר. וזהו "ראה שאין כדאי כו' וגנזו לצדיקים לעתיד לבא", ר"ל שהצדיקים עתידים להיות לבוא אל האור הזה הגנוז שנתגלה אליהם. וזהו "לעושה אורים גדולים" ג"כ לשון הווה.

Two Types Of Giving

 קְח֨וּ מֵֽאִתְּכֶ֤ם תְּרוּמָה֙ לַֽי״י֔ כֹּ֚ל נְדִ֣יב לִבּ֔וֹ יְבִיאֶ֕הָ אֵ֖ת תְּרוּמַ֣ת י״י֑ זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת

Why does it repeat take Teruma, קְח֨וּ מֵֽאִתְּכֶ֤ם תְּרוּמָה֙ and bring Teruma, יְבִיאֶ֕הָ אֵ֖ת תְּרוּמַ֣ת י״י֑?  Why does it switch from תְּרוּמָה֙ לַֽי״י֔ to תְּרוּמַ֣ת י״י֑?  

Rav Shlomo Amar explains the possuk is talking about two different types of donations.  The first group are those that are willing to give whatever it takes toward the Mishkan,  They are willing to give מאתכם from themselves like אדם כי יקריב מכם, they are willing to give themselves over to the project.  These are people willing to donate all of their resources whether it be effort, time, money etc. to complete the project.  Those people are giving 'תרומה לה, they are giving a proper teruma to Hashem that is readily accepted. 

The second group is also נדיב לב, but not to the level of the first group.  They are willing to donate their money but no more.  This group donates זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת but they are not willing to donate themselves.  That is  תְּרוּמַ֣ת י״י֑, it is also recognized as a giving toward Hashem albeit not on the level of the first group. 

What Do You Count

 From משולחנו של רבי אליהו ברוך:

The אזנים לתורה actually says the difference in a nicer light:

One Unit

וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ אִ֣ישׁ כֹּ֧פֶר נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לַי״י֖ בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם

How does using the half-shekel to count work to avoid the ayin harah?  What is the issue of counting Klal Yisrael?  When one counts every individual that means that every person is a unit of themselves.  There is no togetherness.  That is the issur because there is a cohesive body of Klal Yisrael that is one part, not a gathering of a bunch of individuals.  The lesson of the half-shekel is that every individual needs another half to make them whole.  Everyone is not their own unit; they need someone else to complete them.

Layers Of Clothes

The Gemarah Megillah (16a-b) says that Yosef gave Binyamin 5 garments as a hint to his descendant Mordechai who would wear 5 garments, ומרדכי יצא מלפני המלך בלבוש מלכות תכלת וחור ועטרת זהב גדולה ותכריך בוץ וארגמן.  What is the connection between Yosef and giving Binyanim garments to Mordechai?  A person is reflected through the clothes that they wear.  Different situations have different moods, comfort level and significance and that is reflected through the garments one wears.  One has a levush they wear on a regular day, a levush on Shabas, a levush for exercising, etc.  These reflect different the different ways one wishes to portray themselves depending on the time and place.  It is the same thing in a spiritual realm as well. Different times call for different levushim. Yosef is the brother who survives and flourishes in the state of golus.  He was giving to Binyamin the secret which spiritual garments one must wear to succeed in golus so that Mordechai would be able to nullify the decree of Haman (Sfas Emes Vayigash 5639.)  [Maybe when Dovid cut the corner of Shaul's garment it was to symbolize that he wasn't wearing the proper garments for a king of his stature.]

What is the significance of 5 garments specifically?  There are five levels to the soul but the essence of the soul is above these 5 levels.  The five garments represent that it is ultimately something greater than the garments which the salvation of Bnei Yisrael will come.  

Yaakov has to dress up like Esav in order to "steal" the berachot from Yitzchak?  Why did Hashem orchestrate it that he act in this manner?  The chassideshe seforim explain that the point of the beracha is that even when Yaakov looks like Esav, in the future generations when at times it may be hard to distinguish between Jew and non-Jew, still Yaakov is chosen.  

This is the message of the two goats of Yom Kippur that look the same but still one is pushed off a cliff and one is offered as a korban.  Outwardly they look the same, but Hashem looks at the essence and sees the difference.  That is why it is a lottery that is used to determine the difference.  a lottery has no human intervention to alter the result, it comes purely from Above.  Haman, a descendent of Amalek used a lottery to pick a date because he was trying to tap into the power of Amalek that say everything is mere luck but the Megillah says הוא הגורל, it is not merely a translation for then what is the ה- הגורל but the Megillah is telling us it was tied to the גורל which Hashem uses to choose Bnei Yisrael because under all the לבושים Bnei Yisrael remain attached to Hashem (Rav Tzaddok Shushan Purim #2.) 

The Cheshek Shlomo at the beginning of Mashecet Megillah says that the word מגילה appears 5 times in the Megillah alluding to the five days the Megillah can be read on from 11 Adat to 15 Adat.  In addition, the word is מלא two times alluding to the real days of Purim and the other three times it is חסר alluding to the additional days.  In light of the above idea we can say the חסר spellings of Purim represent the 3 lower levels of the neshama.  The two מלא spellings represent the 2 higher realms of the nefesh which remain whole.  But it is beyond the all the levushim where one reaches the essence of the soul which is untainted.  

Reading Early

The opening Mishna in Megillah says that those that live in the כפרים can read the Megillah from 11 Adar if it is the יום הכניסה.   According to Rashi, the villagers don't know how to read the Megillah themselves and when they go to the city on Monday and Thursday for Beit Din is in session then, they will be able to hear the Megillah from a baal korah in the city.  

The Rishonim ask on Rashi how since the city man's obligation is only on the 14^th, how can he read for the villagers he is not considered a בר חיובא?  Therefore, other Rishonim learn that really the people of the כפרים know how to read the Megillah as well but they only gather together twice a week so Chazal allowed them to read then.  (Some Rishonim like Tosfos Yevamos (14a) hold that they read it in the כפר itself to avoid לא תתגודדו issues while other Rishonim hold there are other ways around לא תתגודדו and they can read it in the city.)  Many Achronim (see Steiler siman 1, Bear Yaakov (Arieli) siman 25) say in defense of Rashi that the בן עיר is considered a בר חיובא because the obligation on the כפרים is not a separate obligation to read on the יום הכניסה but rather it is the chiuv of the 14^th with a kula to allow them to read early.  Therefore, since the yesod of the chiuv is the same it is called בר חיובא. 

The Ran learns like the opinions that the בני כפרים read for themselves even though he says at the beginning of the Masechta that the people of the villages don't know how to read the Megillah.  So how can he hod a בן כפר has to read the Megillah if they don't know how to?  It would seem the Ran would have to hold like some Achronim say according to Rashi (see Rabbi Akiva Eger on the Mishna, Turay Even) that someone else reads the Megillah and they read along word for word.  This is a difficult interpretation for how can they be yotzeh if they are not reading from a Megillah?  Others suggest that one can be yotzeh through שומע כעונה even from one who is not a בר חיובא for the entire obligation on the villagers is not to read the Megillah but only to hear it (see Chelkas Yoav siman 36.)  This is still difficult for even when it comes to shofar where them mitzvah is hearing, one still needs to hear the shofar from a בר חיובא (Rosh Hashana 29a)?

There are two questions on the peshat of the Steipler on Rashi.  One question is that if a village is closer to a walled city, then they would go there to hear Megillah from a בן כרך who reads on the 15^th.  How can he be מוציא them if they don't share the same obligation, one is on the 14^th and the other on the 15^th?  Another question is that the Ran (beginning of perek 2) says that one who knows how to read the Megillah in Ashurit can't read it in other languages to be motze others even though they share the same chiuv since he can't be yotzeh through other languages.  We see it doesn't suffice with the same chiuv to be called בר חיובא but the one being motzei the others must actually share the same form of fulfillment of the mitzvah?  (See Steipler siman 2 that addresses these issues.)  

Because of these questions Rav Shlomo Fisher (Beis Yishay siman 36) suggests a different peshat in the Rashi.  The Gemarah (19a) says a villager that goes to the city reads the Megillah like the people of the city on 14 Adar.  Rashi understands the Gemarah means even if he already read the Megillah beforehand on the יום כניסה, if he is in the city on 14 Adar he has to read it again.  The Achronim explain with their yesod; since the main chiuv is on 14, if he can read it then as part of the city he must.  Rav Fisher explains that the villagers only have a kium of pirsumay nisa when they read early but the kium of krias megillah and the kula that Chazal gave them was that it suffices for them to have a reading of pisumay nisa even though it is not a proper krias megillah.  Hence, if one is actually in the city on 14, they read again to fulfill the obligation of kria.  He says since the whole obligation of the villages is only pisumay nisa ,therefore, even a בן עיר can fulfill that when reading early and is called a בר חיובא.  

The Ritva in the beginning of Megillah already defends Rashi and the Steipler reads the Ritva as saying like his yesod.  However, the Ritva sounds like he is saying even if the chiuvim are different the בן עיר וכפר are considered to be sharing in the same chiuv because there is a possibility of them reading on the same day, the villagers can read on 14 if they want and the city people would read earlier if there are no י בטלנין in the city.  It sounds like it is enough to be consdiered בר חיובא because of the possibility of reading together, וצ"ע.  The words of the Ritva: וכיון שעדיין הוא מתחיי' לא חשיב לגמרי נמי שאינו מחויי' בדבר אלא הרי הוא באותה שאמרו כל הברכו' כלן אעפ"י שיצא מוציא כיון דבר חיובא הוא ואף אלו הרי כפרים ראויים לקרא בי"ד עם העיירות פעמי' קורים בכפרים כשאין י' בטלנין בן עיר. 

Three Prongs

 ואתה תצוה why does it even need to say ואתה if it is talking about Moshe?  Why should Bnei Yisrael bring שמן זית to Moshe if he is not the one kindling the Menorah?

Moshe's name is not mentioned in this week's parsha.  The Rebbe (Toras Menachem 5751) says that the connection to Moshe in this parsha is a direct connection to the essence of Moshe, ואתה, not limited by his name.  The commandment to kindle the menorah is a command to light up the souls which are called נר and that must be done via Moshe who is the teacher of Klal Yisrael.  Therefore, Moshe's connection to Bnei Yisrael which is innate, not external like a name, is integral to the preparation of the spiritual nature of the menorah. 

The Megillah starts, ends and is middled by the letter ו.  Why does the Megillah contain so many ווין?  As explained in another context the letter ו can be spelled out as וו, ויו,ואו which is 12 for the 12 shevatim, 13 for אחד as a reference to Hashem and 22 for the letters of the aleph beit.  Haman thought that Bnei Yisrael, in their lowly state in golus, both physically and spiritually, were vulnerable.  He thought the connection between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem was broken.  The nes Purim demonstrated that the  ג' דרגין אינון מתקשרן דא בדא קב"ה אורייתא וישראל remained.  Bnei Yisrael were saved, there was a reacceptance of the Torah and ורבים מעמי הארץ מתיהדים.  The 3 ו's at surrounding the Megillah hint that this 3 pronged connection was acknowledged and verified during the story of the Megillah. 

The Gemarah (Megillah 16a) says that when Haman found Mordechai learning about the kemitzah of the omer when Haman came to parade Mordechai around the city he said  בא קומץ שעורים שלכם ודחה עשרת אלפים ככר כסף שלי.  What about the kemitzah puts down Haman?  The Shviley Pinchas says in light of the above idea that the kemitzah symbolizes this eternal bond Klal Yisrael, Hashem and the Torah have.  How so?  Rashi Vayikra (2:1) says the kemitzah is performed with 3 fingers.  The shape of a finger says the Tikkunay Zohar (10, pg. 25a) is like the letter ו.  Hence the three fingered kometz alludes to the connection between Hashem, Klal Yisrael and the Torah which is seen through the letter ו.  

This is the intent of the ו in ואתה תצוה to demonstrate that at all times the Jewish soul has a connectgion to Moshe, to the Torah that is deeply ingrained.

The Here And Now

There is a Midrash cited in various sefarim that אחשורוש is a reference to Hashem שאחרית וראשית שלו.  Why is this the description of Hashem alluded to here?

  

אשר קרך בדרך- Amalek says things are just מקרה.  What is the nature of claiming things are a mere chance?  When one doesn't see the full picture; one doesn't see the puzzle pieces fitting together.  If one has a freezeframe at a particular moment then it may be a chance but one sees the end of the story, it is obvious that there is an Orchestrator.  In other words, עמלק is stuck at looking only at the here and now, they don't see everything coming together.    

The Rambam Sefer Hamitzvot #188 says היא שצונו להכרית זרע עמלק בלבד משאר זרע עשו.  Why is Amalek associated with Esav in the formulation of killing them?  The Rambam is telling us that Amalek is the epitome of the Esav ideology.  Esav sold his בכורה for a bit of food because he looked only at the current situation in which he was hungry and did not care about the repercussions.  

When Hashem is instructing Moshe to tell Bnei Yisrael they will be redeemed, one of the miracles that is done is Moshe's staff turns into a snake and Moshe ran away.  Then he is instructed to grab onto its tail and it reverts back to a staff.  The Rikanti says the snake represents the forces of tumah.  The way that it is defeated is by grabbing the end.  To recognize that there is an end to the story, not to get stuck in the present state.  

There is a Midrash cited in many seforim that says the word אחשורוש at the beginning of the Megillah is hinting to Hashem שאחרית וראשית שלו.  Why is that the term used to reference Hashem?  And why at the beginning of the Megillah and why אחרית before ראשית?   

The essence of defeating Amlaek or Haman is the ability to connect the whole story.  To recognize that a ראשית has an אחרית.  Even at the beginning of the Megillah, way before the end of the story, the end is already set into motion even though it is not apparent yet.  It is only at the end of the Megilllah, at the stage of אחרית that one can appreciate that the ראשית is also שלו.  

Bilam says about Amalek, ראשית גוים עמלק ואחריתו עדי אבד.  The essence of Amalek is ראשית, the beginning but there is no end, אחריתו עדי אבד.  The Kabbalists point out the first letters of the words ראשית גוים עמלק spell out the word רגע.  They only see the present moment.  They grab onto the רגע of זעם that exists every day (Berachot 7a) at the time the טבע of the sun is worshipped.  Amalek holds on to the טבע as an explanation of events.  ואחרי ככלות הכל לבדו ימלוך נורא.