Repeating The Message – Why?

 

 

  

 

Shalom,

 

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THE REPEATED MESSAGE
 

 

This post is based on what was said by Rabbi Amiel, who was the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv in the 1930s.

 

Shalom,

 

As the holiday of Purim approaches next week, we wanted to address one of the mandatory customs of Purim – reading the book of Esther twice during the holiday. 

 

 

The Talmud states:

 

A person is required to read Megillat Esther (The Book of Esther) by night and to repeat it by day.

 

חייב אדם לקרוא את המגילה בלילה ולשנותה ביום

 

“HAYAV ADAM LIKRO ET HA’MEGILLAH BALAYLA, V’LISHONTAH BAYOM”

 

 

A simple question here:

Why does the Talmud need to say “repeat“…?

It could have simply said:

A person is required to read Megillat Esther by night and by day.

 

Even more strange is the wording used in the Shulchan Aruch (The law tractate), which basically lifts this line out of the Talmud, but adds to it as follows:

 

A person is required to read Megillat Esther by night and to go back  (review) and repeat it by day.

 

חייב אדם לקרוא את המגילה בלילה ולחזור ולשנותה ביום

 

“HAYAV ADAM LIKRO ET HA’MEGILLAH BALAYLA, V’LACHZOR V’LISHONTAH BAYOM”.

 

Why does the Shulchan Aruch use double wording of the requirement to repeat the Megillah by day?

 

If you had to take one line out of the Megillah, and use it to summarize the message of the Megillah, what would it be?

 

I think it would be:

 

And Mordechai will not kneel and will not bow …

 

ומרדכי לא יכרע ולא ישתחווה

 

“U’MORDECHAI LO YIKHRA, V’LO YISHTAKHAVEH”

 

That no matter what the possible consequences, Mordechai is determined not to give in to what Haman wants to do to him and to all the Jewish people.

 

This is the message of the Megillah.

 

And Mordechai will not kneel and will not bow …

 

Painting by Paul Leroy – 1984 

 

 

No matter what the world wants to do to us, we must remain steadfast in our beliefs.

 

There are periods in Jewish history when things are terrible for all our people. There was the Temple destruction, the Inquisition, the Holocaust etc.

 

All these terrible times are symbolized by לילה “LA’ILAH” – night, darkness.

 

Then there are periods when things seem to be better and this is symbolized as יום “YOM“, day.

 

 

During these period things appear to be OK, but there are many who are trying to undermine everything we believe in.

 

And the difference is, that it is all done in a very subtle manner, which is hardly noticeable.

 

Therefore, says the Shulchan Aruch….

 

A person is required to read Megillat Esther by night

 

חייב אדם לקרוא את המגילה בלילה

 

“HAYAV ADAM LIKRO ET HA’MEGILLAH BALAYLA…”

 

When it is “LA’ILAH” night, and things are really bad for us, of course we must read the message:

 

And Mordechai will not kneel and will not bow …

 

“U’Mordechai lo yichra….” – Mordechai will not kneel…

 

We will never give in to our enemies…no matter what.

 

 

But when it is YOM – day, and things APPEAR to be going okay, then…

 

Velahzor V’Lishnota Bayom! – To go back and repeat by day!

 

ולחזור ולשנותה ביום

 

One has to repeat the message AGAIN AND AGAIN,

because it is hard to recognize the fact that during what appears to be “Good Times” the invisible danger to our spiritual and physical existence is still there…

 

Wishing you a very happy holiday of Purim. 

 

 

 

Yoel & Orly

 

 

 

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