Purim and the Beit HaMikdash – Tetzaveh
讜ְ注ָ砖ִׂ讬转ָ 讘ִ讙ְ讚ֵ讬 拽ֹ讚ֶ砖ׁ 诇ְ讗ַ讛ֲ专ֹ谉 讗ָ讞ִ讬讱ָ 诇ְ讻ָ讘讜ֹ讚 讜ּ诇ְ转ִ驻ְ讗ָ专ֶ转. (砖诪讜转 讻讞, 讘)
According to the Tur and the Shlah HaKadosh, when there is a festival during the week, it is hinted to in the parshat hashavua preceding it. The hint to Purim in this week's parsha is easy to find. The Gemara (Megila 12a) on the passuk from Megilat Esther 讘ְּ讛ַ专ְ讗ֹ转讜ֹ 讗ֶ转 注ֹ砖ֶׁ专 讻ְּ讘讜ֹ讚 诪ַ诇ְ讻讜ּ转讜ֹ (讗, 讚), explains "R' Yosi the son of R' Chanina says that he (Achashveirosh) wore 讘ִּ讙ְ讚ֵ讬 讻ְּ讛ֻ谞ָּ讛", the same priestly garments described in this week's parsha, 讜ְ讗ֵ诇ֶּ讛 讛ַ讘ְּ讙ָ讚ִ讬诐 讗ֲ砖ֶׁ专 讬ַ注ֲ砖ׂ讜ּ 讞ֹ砖ֶׁ谉 讜ְ讗ֵ驻讜ֹ讚 讜ּ诪ְ注ִ讬诇 讜ּ讻ְ转ֹ谞ֶ转 转ַּ砖ְׁ讘ֵּ抓 诪ִ爪ְ谞ֶ驻ֶ转 讜ְ讗ַ讘ְ谞ֵ讟 讜ְ注ָ砖ׂ讜ּ 讘ִ讙ְ讚ֵ讬 拽ֹ讚ֶ砖ׁ 诇ְ讗ַ讛ֲ专ֹ谉 讗ָ讞ִ讬讱ָ 讜ּ诇ְ讘ָ谞ָ讬讜 诇ְ讻ַ讛ֲ谞讜ֹ 诇ִ讬 (砖诪讜转 讻讞, 讚).
In this shiur, I would like to talk about Purim and specifically – the close connection between Purim and the Beit HaMikdash.
In parshat Emor (讜讬拽专讗, 讻讙) the Torah lists all the chagim – Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot. Immediately following this, the Torah begins describing the oil for the Menorah, followed by the Lechem HaPanim. R' Eliezer of Germiza (专讜拽讞, 讛诇讻讜转 驻讜专讬诐, 住讬诪谉 专诪) asks why does the Torah follow the description of the chagim 诪ִ讚ְּ讗讜ֹ专ָ讬ְ转ָ讗 with the parshiyot of the Menorah and the Lechem HaPanim? He explains that these are hints in the Torah to the chagim 诪ִ讚ַּ专ְ讘ָּ谞ָ谉, i.e Channukah and Purim. The Menorah and the oil are hints to Channukah and the Lechem HaPanim is a hint to Purim.
Sefer Meir Panim (驻专拽 讬讚, 注诪' 拽诪讟) brings additional hints to the connection between Purim and the Lechem HaPanim from the passuk –
... 砖ְׁ谞ֵ讬诐 注ָ砖ָׂ专 讞ֹ讚ֶ砖ׁ 讻ִּ讬 讻ֵּ谉 讬ִ诪ְ诇ְ讗讜ּ 讬ְ诪ֵ讬 诪ְ专讜ּ拽ֵ讬讛ֶ谉 砖ִׁ砖ָּׁ讛 讞ֳ讚ָ砖ִׁ讬诐 讘ְּ砖ֶׁ诪ֶ谉 讛ַ诪ֹּ专 讜ְ砖ִׁ砖ָּׁ讛 讞ֳ讚ָ砖ִׁ讬诐 讘ַּ讘ְּ砖ָׂ诪ִ讬诐 讜ּ讘ְ转ַ诪ְ专讜ּ拽ֵ讬 讛ַ谞ָּ砖ִׁ讬诐 (讗住转专 讘, 讬讘)
The word 讘ַּ讘ְּ砖ָׂ诪ִ讬诐 in gematria is 砖ׁ讜ּ诇ְ讞ָ谉. The word 转ַ诪ְ专讜ּ拽ֵ讬 in gematria is 砖ׁ讜ּ诇ְ讞ָ谉 讘ֶּ谉 讚ָּ讜ִ讚 注ָ专讜ּ讱ְ. The words 砖ְׁ谞ֵ讬诐 注ָ砖ָׂ专 讞ֹ讚ֶ砖ׁ hint to the twelve loaves of Lechem HaPanim, in two stacks of six - 砖ִׁ砖ָּׁ讛 讞ֳ讚ָ砖ִׁ讬诐 ... 讜ְ砖ִׁ砖ָּׁ讛 讞ֳ讚ָ砖ִׁ讬诐. The shape of the Lechem HaPanim 住ְ驻ִ讬谞ָ讛 专讜ֹ拽ֶ讚ֶ转 in gematria (with the kolel) is 讗ֲ讞ַ砖ְׁ讜ֵ专讜ֹ砖ׁ 讛ָ诪ָ谉. The word 住ְ驻ִ讬谞ָ讛 in gematria is 讗ֲ讚ָ专.
In a previous shiur (Tetzaveh 2023) we discussed how Mordechai and Esther were in fact 讙ִּ诇ְ讙ּ讜ּ诇ִ讬诐 of Adam and Chava and came to atone for the sin of the 注ֵ抓 讛ַ讚ַּ注ַ转 (for which the Lechem HaPanim is also a tikun). The gematria of 砖ׁ讜ּ砖ָׁ谉 (with the kolel) is 讞ֵ讟ְ讗 注ֵ抓 讛ַ讚ַּ注ַ转. In today's shiur I would like to explore a completely different aspect of the connection between the Beit HaMikdash and Purim.
The story of Purim is seemingly all about the triumph of good over evil against all odds, but it has a hidden subtext that is emphasized throughout the megila – the Beit HaMikdash, or more accurately – rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash.
The first passuk in the megila says 讛讜ּ讗 讗ֲ讞ַ砖ְׁ讜ֵ专讜ֹ砖ׁ 讛ַ诪ֹּ诇ֵ讱ְ 诪ֵ讛ֹ讚ּ讜ּ 讜ְ注ַ讚 讻ּ讜ּ砖ׁ 砖ֶׁ讘ַ注 讜ְ注ֶ砖ְׂ专ִ讬诐 讜ּ诪ֵ讗ָ讛 诪ְ讚ִ讬谞ָ讛.
Firstly, who is the "king" in the megila? The truth is that there are two kings, the real, only King, HKB"H and the puppet human king – Achashveirosh. This is hinted to in his name. The letters 讗ֲ讞ַ砖ְׁ讜ֵ专讜ֹ砖ׁ rearranged make 砖ׂ讜ּ讞讜ּ 专ֹ讗砖ׁ – speak to the "Head", the Head-Honcho, HKB"H. They also make 讜ְ砖ָׂ讞讜ּ 专ֹ讗砖ׁ – the head is swimming, the confused, conflicted Persian monarch. Chazal tell us that when it says 讛ַ诪ֶּ诇ֶ讱ְ in the megila, it means both at the same time.
Who cares whether he ruled over 127 countries or 153? Why does the megila need to state this in the first passuk? The answer is very simple - the number 127 is the gematria of 讝ֶ讛 讗ֵ-诇ִ讬 讜ְ讗ַ谞ְ讜ֵ讛讜ּ (砖诪讜转 讟讜, 讘), which Onkelos says is referring to the Beit HaMikdash. The megila is telling us right from the get go – this is what this story is all about, it is all about the Beit HaMikdash!
The 3rd and 4th psukim in the megila tell us that Achashveirosh held a party for 180 days –
讘ִּ砖ְׁ谞ַ转 砖ָׁ诇讜ֹ砖ׁ 诇ְ诪ׇ诇ְ讻讜ֹ 注ָ砖ָׂ讛 诪ִ砖ְׁ转ֶּ讛 诇ְ讻ׇ诇 砖ָׂ专ָ讬讜 讜ַ注ֲ讘ָ讚ָ讬讜 讞ֵ讬诇 驻ָּ专ַ住 讜ּ诪ָ讚ַ讬 讛ַ驻ַּ专ְ转ְּ诪ִ讬诐 讜ְ砖ָׂ专ֵ讬 讛ַ诪ְּ讚ִ讬谞讜ֹ转 诇ְ驻ָ谞ָ讬讜. 讘ְּ讛ַ专ְ讗ֹ转讜ֹ 讗ֶ转 注ֹ砖ֶׁ专 讻ְּ讘讜ֹ讚 诪ַ诇ְ讻讜ּ转讜ֹ 讜ְ讗ֶ转 讬ְ拽ָ专 转ִּ驻ְ讗ֶ专ֶ转 讙ְּ讚讜ּ诇ָּ转讜ֹ 讬ָ诪ִ讬诐 专ַ讘ִּ讬诐 砖ְׁ诪讜ֹ谞ִ讬诐 讜ּ诪ְ讗ַ转 讬讜ֹ诐.
We already saw above in the reference to Masechet Megila 12a, that during the party Achashveirosh was wearing 讘ִּ讙ְ讚ֵ讬 讻ְּ讛ֻ谞ָּ讛.
The Midrash (讬诇拽讜讟 砖诪注讜谞讬 转转专诪"讞, 讜) says that the 讻ֵּ诇ִ讬诐 used in the party of Achashveirosh were vessels from the Beit HaMikdash. The Tanach specifies how many 讻ֵּ诇ִ讬诐 there were in the Mikdash – 5400 (注讝专讗 讗, 讬讗). The Midrash (讬诇拽讜讟 砖诪注讜谞讬 转转专诪״讜, 讛) says that each day Achashveirosh showed off 6 讗讜ֹ爪ָ专讜ֹ转 from the Mikdash. The Gemara (砖讘转 拽讻讜, 注"讘) defines an 讗讜ֹ爪ָ专 as 5 讻ֵּ诇ִ讬诐. Let's do the math. If Achashveirosh showed off 6 讗讜ֹ爪ָ专讜ֹ转 each day and each 讗讜ֹ爪ָ专 has 5 讻ֵּ诇ִ讬诐, and he did this for 180 days of the party, that is – 6X5X180=5400. Every word in the megila is 诪ְ讚ֻ讬ָּ拽.
How did these 讻ֵּ诇ִ讬诐 from the Mikdash end up with Achashveirosh?
One Midrash (讗住转专 专讘讛 讘, 讗) says that when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first Beit Mikdash, he took these 5400 讻ֵּ诇ִ讬诐 as spoils of war. When Nebuchadnezzar saw that his hated son 讗ֱ讜ִ讬诇 诪ְ专讜ּ讚ָ讱ְ would succeed him as king, he took all these treasures, loaded them all on large ships made from copper and sank these ships in the Euphrates River. To conceal this treasure, he temporarily rerouted the Euphrates River, buried these ships under sand and then restored the river to its original course. Many years later, part of the Euphrates River dried up. When Achashveirosh became king and began building his palace on the banks of the river, the excavations uncovered these ships.
Another Midrash (讗住转专 专讘讛 讝, 讛) tells a slightly different story. "R' Pinchas says – there were two exceedingly wealthy people in the world, one from Am Yisrael and the other from the goyim. For both of them, their wealth did them no good. The first was Korach, who uncovered the buried treasure of Yosef. The second was Haman, who uncovered the treasures of the Kings of Yehuda (from the Beit Mikdash, hidden by Nebuchadnezzar). When Achashveirosh saw Haman's wealth and that his 10 sons were following in his footsteps, he formed an alliance with Haman 讗ַ讞ַ专 讛ַ讚ְּ讘ָ专ִ讬诐 讛ָ讗ֵ诇ֶּ讛 讙ִּ讚ַּ诇 讛ַ诪ֶּ诇ֶ讱ְ 讗ֲ讞ַ砖ְׁ讜ֵ专讜ֹ砖ׁ 讗ֶ转 讛ָ诪ָ谉 讘ֶּ谉 讛ַ诪ְּ讚ָ转ָ讗 讛ָ讗ֲ讙ָ讙ִ讬 讜ַ讬ְ谞ַ砖ְּׂ讗ֵ讛讜ּ (讗住转专 讙, 讗)".
According to this second Midrash, the alliance between Achashveirosh and Haman took place before the 180-day party. It was an alliance between two people from similar humble backgrounds. Haman was once Mordechai's slave (讬诇拽讜讟 砖诪注讜谞讬 转转专谞״讜, 讬讞) and Achashveirosh was once a simple stable hand of Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar's daughter Vashti (great-granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar) fell in love with the stable hand and married him (讗住转专 专讘讛 讙, 讬讚). This is how Achashveirosh became king.
Fifty years following the destruction of the first Mikdash (585 BCE) Ezra Hasofer returned from 讘ָּ讘ֶ诇 to Eretz Yisrael after a beneficent decree passed by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great (who had conquered 讘ָּ讘ֶ诇 from the Babylonians) and together with Zerubavel they rebuilt the 诪ִ讝ְ讘ֵּ讞ַ and restored the 注ֲ讘讜ֹ讚ָ讛. In the 30 years that followed, a struggle ensued between those who sought to rebuild the Mikdash and those who opposed it.
Haman and his ten sons were active in trying to prevent rebuilding the Mikdash (专砖"讬, 讗住转专 讟, 讬). Achashveirosh too was opposed to rebuilding the Mikdash, but he was wily and did it in a surreptitious way, through Haman (讬诇拽讜讟 砖诪注讜谞讬 转转专谞״讙, 诇讜). Publicly he did not voice opposition to the enterprise.
It is against this backdrop that the story of Purim, related in the megila, takes place. This was not a simple case of venomous antisemitism by a single evil individual against the Jews, it was a political battle on a national scale that included the highest echelons of power, culminating with the king himself.
Achashveirosh was not the brightest bulb, he was not descended from royalty, but one thing he did know - how to remain in power. By maintaining his popularity rating, Achashveirosh guaranteed the support of the people. He held lavish, extended parties to which everyone was invited – free food and booze. Nothing makes you more popular than that. Achashveirosh did not openly speak out against the Jews, he did it behind the scenes through third parties. Despite his popularity, Achashveirosh still had enemies, who tried to assassinate him and stage a coup.
Spearheading the movement to rebuild the Mikdash was 诪ָ专ְ讚ְּ讻ַ讬 讛ַ讬ְּ讛讜ּ讚ִ讬. Mordechai was one of the heads of the Sanhedrin, who could speak 70 languages (诪谞讞讜转 住讛, 注"讗) – he was a bright bulb. Mordechai was not a separatist who secluded himself within the walls of his yeshiva, he was involved with current affairs and politics. Mordechai, as leader of Am Yisrael, represented them in the Persian court. He routinely sat at the gate of the palace and because he understood 70 languages was privy to all kinds of information that many thought was secret, like the assassination plot of Bigtan and Teresh.
If Mordechai knew that Achashveirosh was anti-Mikdash, why did he inform on the assassins and save him? The answer is because Mordechai saw with ruach hakodesh that Achashveirosh had a central role to play in achieving the rebuilding of the Mikdash. He adopted a policy of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer".
Mordechai had a slave named Haman (诪讙讬诇讛 讟讜, 注"讗-讘). In the time of king Cyrus, rebuilding of the Mikdash began. At the time in Eretz Yisrael, living in the area of Samaria, there was a sect of immigrants from Assyria who only partially accepted the Torah. They wanted to be partners with Am Yisrael in the new Mikdash, but Am Yisrael rejected them since they would not fully accept the Torah. In response, these Samaritans turned against the Jews and sent a representative (Haman) to the high court in Persia to accuse the Jews of rebelling against the empire. Am Yisrael sent a representative of their own – Mordechai.
While travelling through the desert on the way to Persia, Haman, who was greedy, ate his food too quickly and soon ran out. Starving, he begged Mordechai for a piece of bread, which Mordechai gave him on the condition that Haman become his slave. The contract was written on the sole of Mordechai's shoe (since there was no parchment around). The contract was never consummated, but Haman lived in constant dread that Mordechai would make it public. Haman hated Mordechai prior to this, but this hatred now mutated into something malignant.
The Samaritans had some knowledge of the Torah and Haman used this knowledge to spiritually harm Am Yisrael. Haman advised Achashveirosh to hold a party where the Jews would become intoxicated and would indulge in lewdness. Just as centuries before Bilam advised Balak 讗ֱ-诇ֹ拽ֵ讬讛ֶ诐 砖ֶׁ诇 讗ֵ诇ֶּ讛 砖ׂ讜ֹ谞ֵ讗 讝ִ诪ָּ讛 讛讜ּ讗 (讬专讜砖诇诪讬 住谞讛讚专讬谉 讬, 讘), so too did Haman plot the destruction of Am Yisrael. Haman donated a huge amount of money to Achashveirosh (10,000 talents of silver) to be used to give charity to poor Jews and thus arouse the prosecuting angel, that the Jews themselves were not supporting their own poor.
Mordechai, who was aware of Haman's diabolical plot, designed a counter plot of his own. He sent Esther into the lion's den as his secret, undercover agent where she succeeded in becoming Achashveirosh's queen. Obviously, Esther constantly concealed her true identity to protect the integrity of the operation. Similarly, Mordechai countered Haman's spiritual sabotage, by a spiritual initiative of his own, teaching his students Kodshim to keep the dream of the Mikdash alive and real.
When Haman encountered Mordechai's students studying 讛ִ诇ְ讻讜ֹ转 拽ְ诪ִ讬爪ָ讛 (which we recently studied in daf yomi) he asked them what it was. They responded that it was keeping in practice for bringing the Korban HaOmer on Pesach (this was around Pesach time) in the Mikdash. Haman said "What is in this handful?" thinking it must be something expensive. They replied – "barley flour worth a few pennies". Haman said 讗ֲ转ָ讗 诪ְ诇ֵ讬 拽ֻ诪ְ爪ֵ讬 拽ִ诪ְ讞ָ讗 讚ִּ讬讚ְ讻讜ּ 讜ְ讚ָ讞ֵ讬 注ַ砖ְׂ专ָ讛 讗ַ诇ְ驻ֵ讬 讻ַּ讻ְּ专ֵ讬 讻ַ住ְ驻ָּ讗 讚ִּ讬讚ִ讬 (诪讙讬诇讛 讟讝, 注"讘) "Your few pennies of barley flour have counteracted/cancelled my 10,000 kikar of silver".
The story in the megila is an intertwining of overt and covert political intrigue with covert spiritual intervention. Setting the arch-villain up to a position of seemingly unassailable power, only to bring him crashing down. Compelling the populistic monarch to embrace destiny over which he never truly had any control over at any stage.
Less than 30 years later 讚ָּ专ְ讬ָ讜ֶ砖ׁ, the son of Esther and Achashveirosh, assumed the leadership and gave the final approval to build the second Beit HaMikdash in the time of the prophets Zechariya and Chagai. The mission had been accomplished.
It is impossible to ignore the parallels between the above story in the "old" megila and the current events unfolding before us in the "new" megila. The eyes of the entire world are intently focused on the modern version of Shushan, Persia with the same modern versions of Haman, Mordechai and Achashveirosh. Before the ink is dry on this shiur, it is very possible that reality may change drastically in either direction. By the time you are reading this, the waiting may be over and the outcome known, or not.
Some of our enemies are plainly and openly visible in their venomous hatred towards us. Others are smarter and more surreptitious. They hide behind the veneer of civility and pretense, when in their hearts they seek the same as our visible enemies. They fund and fuel our visible enemies and are perhaps more dangerous than the visible enemies themselves.
As of the writing of this shiur, I have no idea whether we will be sitting in shul on Purim listening to the megila, sitting in bomb shelters or going up to Jerusalem to begin building the 3rd Beit HaMikdash. Instead of sitting glued to the TV and to our Youtube channels, listening to endless chatter by people who do not really know any more about what is going to happen than we do, we would be better advised to heed the rallying call of Esther 诇ֵ讱ְ 讻ְּ谞讜ֹ住 讗ֶ转 讻ׇּ诇 讛ַ讬ְּ讛讜ּ讚ִ讬诐 (讗住转专 讚, 讟讝). To put aside our petty differences and intensify our acts of charity and chessed. To reconnect to the core of our nation and our values, to accept kabalot upon ourselves and to daven, daven, daven. Making a concerted effort to counteract the diabolical plot of our arch-enemies on multiple continents, both spiritual and physical, both visible and hidden.
This is the only way you and I can truly influence the outcome in a favorable way.
We leave the rest up to HKB"H in perfect faith to fill in the invisible blanks between the visible lines. We pray that just as back then, in Shushan of old, He will redeem us once again in our time and that this will herald the age of the Geulah and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash speedily in our days.
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