Purim – The Call to Ascend
by Rabbi Avraham Blass, Founder and Director of the Jerusalem Talmud Institute.
Amalek symbolizes evil in the world, whereas the People of Israel represent goodness. The war against Amalek essentially points to the mission of the Jewish people to make the world a better place. Of course, the battle against Amalek alone is not sufficient to achieve this goal; subsequent steps include appointing a king – someone who centralizes the Nation’s power to implement the positive aspirations of the Jewish people – and, ultimately, building the Holy Temple, which will illuminate the Divine message in the world.
The war against Amalek serves as a reminder to the Jewish people of their role in rectifying the world. If Amalek is characterized by happenstance – relying on the pur (lot) in the Purim story, then by reversing the letters of pur, we get the word rofeh (healer). Some explain that the alef in rofeh is not part of the root word. As the Talmud Yerushalmi (Rosh Hashanah 1:3) teaches, the role of the Jewish People is to heal the world.
The obliteration of Amalek is tied specifically to the Land of Israel. Although one can fight against Amalek even in exile, as long as the Jewish People remain outside their Land they cannot fully engage in the mission of rectifying the world. Complete world rectification is only possible in the Land of Israel. However, before reaching a state where we can actively engage in this mission, we must first ensure the survival of the Jewish People.
The central question regarding the holiday of Purim is the meaning behind its name. Is the main focus of the Book of Esther really the pur (lot) that Haman cast? The pur was merely the trigger for everything that followed, but it was certainly not the main event.
The answer to this question is also the answer to why Hallel (the prayer of praise) is not recited on Purim. According to the Gemara, the reason we do not say Hallel on Purim (as opposed to Hanukah when Hallel is recited) is that “we are still the servants of Ahasuerus.” In exile, we remain dependent on the mercy of the nations, who, as history has shown, are not exactly the greatest lovers of the Jewish People. We cannot experience full joy when we are a minority in a foreign country ruled over by the Gentiles. The inner message of Purim is a powerful call for Jews to leave the lands of happenstance where we are dependent on the will of others, and ascend to the Land of Israel.
The Talmud Yerushalmi teaches in its famous statement that the Redemption of Israel occurs gradually, stage after stage like the rising of dawn (Berachot 1:1), a lesson derived from the Book of Esther which also develops in stages. This serves as a clear message that we must keep moving forward by leaving the exile and ascending to the Land of Israel. Another teaching from the Talmud Yerushalmi addresses Jews already in the Land. Even within Israel, a weak and underdeveloped settlement invites external threats. The Yerushalmi (Megillah 1:1) states that cities walled since the days of Joshua celebrate Purim on the 15th of Adar out of honor for the Land of Israel. This means that simply settling the land is not enough—it must be settled in a strong and significant way, reminiscent of the flourishing cities of Israel in Joshua’s time.
I had the privilege of hearing a fascinating insight from Rabbi Boaz Mori, Rosh Yeshiva of Lev HaTorah in Beit Shemesh. According to the Gregorian calendar, Abraham was born in the year 1948 and ascended to the Land of Israel at age 75, meaning he arrived in the land in the year 2023 – essentially last year. The Simchat Torah War of 2023 serves as a call for the Jewish People to return to the Land of Israel.
Based on this, we can also explain the number of casualties across all the provinces of Ahasuerus on the 13th of Adar – 75,000. The number 75 highlights the significance of Abraham’s age when he ascended to Israel. It serves as a reminder to the Jews of Mordechai and Esther’s time that, despite their miraculous salvation, they should not lose sight of reality. They must remember that “we are still the servants of Ahasuerus,” meaning they remain dependent on the mercy of the nations. The only true solution for the Jewish people is immigration to the Land of Israel.
The situation of the Jewish People in exile is, at best, a state of dishonor, and in harsher terms, a Chilul Hashem (desecration of God’s Name) as the verse states, “When they came to the nations, they profaned My holy Name, for it was said of them: These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave His Land” (Ezekiel 36:20). Seeing Jews in exile, all the nations of the world mock Hashem saying that He lacks power if He can’t safeguard His People in the Land He gave to them (see Rashi, there). Thus foreign governments and every rogue feels free to do with us as they please.
The Talmud (Bava Kama 27b) presents an interesting contrast between the reality of exile and that of the Land of Israel: In exile, people walk with their heads down, carefully watching the ground as they navigate the roads. In Israel, however, people walk with their heads held high, looking forward. Living in the Land of Israel is an inherent Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of God’s Name where the Jewish People are independent and proud, looking forward to the glorious future promised to us in the Prophets whose prophecies we see materialized more and more each day.
The establishment of the State of Israel restored the Jewish People’s sense of honor. The Sages of Israel, after the miracle of Purim, decreed that cities walled since the days of Joshua should celebrate Purim on the 15th of Adar. The Talmud Yerushalmi (Megillah 1:1) explains that this decree was made “for the honor of the Land of Israel.” Some take pride in an illusion of honor in exile, such as the apparent success of the Jews in the time of Mordechai and Esther, just as individual Jews have attained success and fame throughout all of our wanderings. However, the Sages teach us that this is merely false honor because “we are still the servants of Ahasuerus.” True honor exists only in the Land of Israel.
To attain the honor that the Land of Israel bestows, one must first connect to it. This connection begins with an attitude of respect toward the Land. The Talmud Yerushalmi (Taanit 2:12) describes the significant date of Yom Nicanor (the 13th of Adar) which marks marks a great Jewish victory over the Greek general Nicanor.
The Yerushalmi presents Nicanor’s intention to conquer Jerusalem as an act of blasphemy. It is unlikely that a respectable general like Nicanor would have used crude language. Rather, the Yerushalmi teaches that disrespect toward Jerusalem is itself considered blasphemy. Similarly, in the story of the Spies in the wilderness, disrespect for the Land of Israel is considered an act of rebellion – “None of those who have spurned Me shall see it” (Numbers 14:23).
Before sending the Spies, Moses renamed Hoshea as Yehoshua, praying for him to be saved from their shameful scheme. The Yerushalmi (Sanhedrin 2:6) explains that this name change involved transferring a letter from Sarah to Yehoshua, symbolizing an elevation of honor. This teaches us that true Jewish success depends on respect for the Land of Israel. Giving honor to Eretz Yisrael and setting Jerusalem above our highest joy is the foundation for Kiddush Hashem, both for the Jewish People collectively and for every individual Jew.
