The Inner Essence of Am Yisrael
by HaRav Shlomo Aviner, Head of Yeshivat Ateret Yerusalayim and author of some 250 books on a wide variety of Jewish themes.
Behind the mitzvah to drink on Purim is the revelation of the hidden nature of Am Yisrael. The essence of Purim is expressed in an extraordinary halacha: “A person is required to become so intoxicated on Purim that he no longer knows the difference between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordechai. The Sages of old have already expressed their astonishment. How can there be a mitzvah obliging one to get drunk on Purim? Isn’t a drunkard akin to one who practices idolatry, and isn’t the prayer of one who prays while drunk considered an abomination?
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook explains the concept of drunkenness on Purim: When a person gets drunk, the intellect departs and the more fundamental inclinations are revealed, as our Sages said, “When wine comes in, the secret goes out.” The Sages further said, “A man is known by his cup.” Concerning this, Rabbi Kook commented, “Not only is a man known by his cup, but his whole nation is known by it as well.” The fundamental nature of the nation is revealed; the difference between Am Yisrael and the nations of the world is exposed through the drinking of wine. The Talmud describes what happened when, at the banquet that Achashverosh held for his ministers and subjects, they began to become inebriated: Gentiles when celebration with food and spirits often come to irreverent and crude behavior. And so, at the banquet of that evil one, some said that Medean women were the most beautiful and some said that Persian women were the most beautiful. Achashverosh said to them, “The ‘vessel’ I use is neither Medean nor Persian, but rather Casdean. Would you like to see her?” Thy replied, “Yes, but only if she is naked.” We see from this that what most preoccupies the minds of the nations of the world is female beauty! The government ministers, nobles, and leaders of the business community who were present at the banquet all appeared to be dignified people, serious and well mannered. Yet, after a few drinks, their true essence emerged. Their public behavior may be admirable and we can definitely learn from their example. In fact, the Talmud praises some elements of modesty found among the Persians. But this is simply a veneer. Inside, they are morally bankrupt. In contrast, when Am Yisrael drinks, the inner core of the nation is exposed: complete holiness, sweetness and refinement. The liquor reveals that we are a holy people, for when we become drunk, we increase our piety and devotion to God. Collectively, we are on the level of, “He that becomes soothed by his wine possesses one of the attributes of his Creator.” One may argue, perhaps, that we should drink wine every day of the year in order to reveal our inner commitment to God. The answer to this is: No, this is not the case, for the day of Purim has a special inherent power to restrain us. On this day of Purim, a holy elevation takes place and one’s body becomes sanctified. Each festival has its unique spiritual influence: for example, the spirit of freedom prevails on Pesach, and the spirit of repentance illuminates the days of Judgment. On Purim we willingly received that Torah which at Sinai we had received through coercion. At the time of Mordechai, the terrible threat to the fate of Am Yisrael, the terror at the annihilation that could have happened, and the miracle of the salvation which then occurred – all of these aroused our love for the Torah. We matured. Our special inner nature began to shine within us. We strongly identified with the Torah and with the Master of the World. Every year on Purim, when we relive those high moments of spiritual ascension, the same inner power returns and is revealed. We therefore drink wine, for in the exceptional spiritual character of the day, there is an enhanced capacity for exercising caution, and through the wine, our internal purity can be revealed. Therefore, “the days of Purim will never pass from the Jews and their memory will not cease from their descendants,” for these days mark the appearance of the uniquely holy character of Am Yisrael.
The Aramaic word used by our Sages to express the obligation to drink on Purim is “l’vesumei.” This word is not the most common term for getting drunk; rather it has the connotation of “to become fragrant.” Our Sages state that “when the Torah was given, the world was filled with fragrance at every Divine utterance.” The Torah is a sweet perfume that emerges from the inner character of the Jew which is also a sweet aroma. It can be said that the Torah is our inner nature. The fundamental value of Am Yisrael is not dependent on our behavior, on whether or not we actually observe the Torah. In other words, our claim to the Torah does not begin with our own efforts, but rather it is part of our essence, our very nature. The Talmud relates the story of a non-Jew who attempted to provoke R. Chanina by saying, “You Jews are impure, as it says, ‘Her impurity is on the hems of her skirts.’” R. Chanina answered him, “God dwells with them amidst their impurity.” Even when Am Yisrael is impure, the Divine presence is among them. Even when our behavior is improper, we remain the children of Hashem. We are still connected to God and Torah in our very essence. At times we become alienated from Torah, our heart and inner essence; on Purim this link is restored. Rashba expands on this concept by connecting it to the idea of the ultimate nullification of the festivals, with the exception of Purim. God did not promise that the other holidays would exist forever, for perhaps our sins would make us unworthy to have them, as the prophet says, “God caused the Shabbat and festivals to be forgotten in Zion.” But regarding Purim, God has promised that it will not be forgotten. And similarly, with regard to Yom Kippur it is written, “This will be for you as an eternal statute.” This is a Divine promise that Yom Kippur will always effect atonement, even if we are not worthy and do not repent from our sins. Yom Kippur does not atone as a result of our actions; rather, the powerful essence of the day itself effects atonement. Ths is possible because of the nature of Am Yisrael, which is unchanging and eternal in its attachment to God and therefore perpetually worthy of atonement. Likewise, the power of Purim stems from the inner eternal nature of Am Yisrael, and therefore Purim will never be nullified. The famous poem recited on Purim, Shoshanat Yaakov, states, “Their salvation is forever – the salvation of Purim will last forever. The Eternal God of Israel will neither lie nor change His mind,” because He made a promise to Am Yisrael, even if they sin.
The historical process of clarification of the eternity of Am Yisrael clarifies and illuminates the eternal nature of the existence of Am Yisrael. Where can one find a more complex and confounding situation – was there ever a greater catastrophe than that of Purim? We were to be completely annihilated in one day! This was a threat more frightening than the Holocaust. Yet out of that fear and darkness, God shone for us, “in our lowliness He remembered us…and He redeemed us from our tormentors.” A great and historic revelation took place, showing that God does not abandon His nation, even in the most complicated and threatening of situations. Divine salvation from situations of darkness such as these emphasizes the eternity of Am Yisrael. The assertion of our Sages that, “Greater is Kiddush Hashem (the sanctification of God’s Name) than Chillul Hashem (the desecration of God’s Name),” can be restated as, “Greater is Kiddush Hashem when it comes from Chillul Hashem.” The events of the Purim story are the height of Chillul Hashem because Am Yisrael, which is the heart of humanity and the hope of all worlds, faced complete annihilation due to Haman’s decree. And then suddenly, everything was completely altered and reversed: “It was transformed, for the Jews prevailed over their enemies.” The physical eternity of Am Yisrael was revealed for all to see, as was their spiritual eternity, for they reaccepted the Torah with free will and desire. When Am Yisrael drinks and “becomes fragrant” on Purim, words of Torah flow out of our mouths, for the Torah is our inner essence. For this reason, Purim and Megillat Esther will not be nullified in the Messianic future when all of the great miracles of the future Redemption will occur. This is because the days of Purim are the clearest possible revelation of the eternity of Am Yisrael. This eternity of our nation is the inner foundation and basis of all past and future redemptions.
The Messianic transformation Purim is a Messianic holiday since it has within it the power of transformation, and this is the power of Mashiach. Our Sages relate that there are two yeshivot in heaven, and at the head of all of them is the yeshiva of the Mashiach. Not everyone can enter this yeshiva, for there is a prerequisite for admission: “He who does not know how to transform darkness to light and bitterness to sweetness must not enter here.” A person who doesn’t have the capacity and talent to transform the depths of darkness to the greatness of light cannot be associated with the yeshiva of the Mashiach. Purim is the holiday of transformation – “Naafoch-hu.” “It was transformed, for the Jews prevailed over their enemies” – and it is therefore considered Messianic and unalterably associated with the future. On Purim, we are elevated by our drinking until we “cannot distinguish between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordechai.” That is to say, we cannot distinguish between the cursed and the blessed, for the cursed is transformed into the blessed. The gematria of Haman is the same as the term “chelbena”- one of the eleven spices used to make incense in the Beit HaMikdash. This spice has a foul odor on its own, but when it is joined with the other ten spices, it becomes pleasantly fragrant. So, too, “cursed be Haman” – the very depth of accursed evil – is transformed into “blessed be Mordechai,” the power of blessed righteousness. The power of Purim is the power of complete transformation; it is the power of the eternity of Am Yisrael that will never be nullified, and in the Messianic era, it will radiate with all its strength – may it be soon.
