ROSH HASHANAH

Vayovei Yaakov Sholeim… And Yaakov came complete, the Jews survived because they did not change their names, their mother tongue (language) and their mode of dress. 

In the last many generations our ancestors gave up their lives, just for being a YID. They weren’t going to bow down or give in to the ways of the anti-semites Yimach Shimum. 

Haman being a viceroy to the king was searching for any opportunity to take over the reins of the kingship. It started by convincing Achashveirosh to execute the queen. Using the king’s seal and having all bow down to him, this is called Morid B’malchus, degrading the king himself … worthy of execution. This was done for his own benefit at an expense and risk, in an exemplary fashion. He was a smooth talker. He had all the excuses proving to the king why it would be beneficial. 

Morid Bimalchus – Haman wanted everyone to be Morid so he should have Malchus

Today’s young and old do things similar. We find all the reasons or excuses to do or not to do what is right. When one is forced to eat a good piece of cake, all of a sudden they don’t like it or want to eat it. We find any valid reason, sensible only to ourselves, not to follow the requirements. A typical teenager will not bend to authority.  

Forced to bow down to Haman or even if it was just to bow and pick up Haman’s ring. This was something Mordechai was not going to do. An action, even if it only had a slight appearance of bowing down or giving in to Haman’s ego, that is something that Mordechai knew would be detrimental to the survival of the Jewish people. It was a ruling of “Yihoreg V’Al Yaavor”, let yourself be killed but do commit a sin.  

Just after Hashem took the Yidden out of Mitzrayim, while in the dessert, they were put in a predicament of forced submission. Hashem held the mountain over their heads and told them: If you don’t accept my Torah, you will be buried right there. 

The Medrash tells us: that the Yidden were in the 49thlevel of impurity. Had they remained in Egypt one more moment there would have never been a Jewish nation. This eventually became the Yom Tov of Pesach. 

They had a spiritual cleansing, received the Torah and eventually moved to Eretz Yisroel. Each Yom Tov we celebrate has its own significance. 

The Yom Tov of Chanukah and Purim are not written in the torah. They both happened while the Jews were in Galus (exile). Chanukah was a miracle for 8 days. Purim is a Yom Tov for 1 or 2 days depending on where you live and how big of a hangover you have. Chanukah happened while there was a renewal of the Beis Hamikdash. 

Purim on the other hand, is unique to all the other Yomim Tovim we celebrate. There was no Eretz Yisroel and no Beis Hamikdash for many years. It happened when the Jews were invited to the King’s parties and given the best wine and kosher food. There was no hard labor or torture as there was in Egypt. Purim was an attack on both the religion and the Jewish person. If they would not bend or bow down to Haman they faced execution. Bowing down is the attack on religion and execution is the attack on the man. 

Many were already caught up in the corruption of the land. Excusing joining the feast of Achasveirosh, after all the food was Kosher. Many of them in the heat of the moment or while under the influence of alcohol found reason to change their ways by joining the ways of their neighbors. Changing names to fit in. The clothes were changed in order not to stand out. Judaism was defaced so much that the clothes of the Kohein Gadol were worn by top brass.

The Jews were now at the 50th level of impurity which at the story of Passover was only at the 49th. Haman already had proven that the Yidden were at the 50th level of impurity by preparing gallows of 50 feet high. It was a time where the outlook was very bleak. The posters had already been scripted for the Jews to be killed using the King’s signet. How does one survive? 

Esther told Mordechai to institute a fast for 3 days. The young children fasted. The adults fasted. Even those with all the excuses fasted. This all came along with doing T’shuva and Davening. While Mordechai was in Shul with the young children the lights went black when guess who walks in… Haman himself. All thought that this was the beginning of the end. 

At the blink of an eye, in a split second the world changed to the benefit of the Jews.

Haman had orders from the King to accord Mordechai with the greatest honors and take him through town while on the king’s horse with all the adornments announcing Mordechai’s great achievements. 

Haman was ultimately hung on the 50th level of his own Tuma (impurity) his own gallows.

There are times when we must bend and there are times when we must not bend. 

When it comes to losing your name, your language, ability to communicate and your mode of traditional dress, you must not give in. When it is a fight of religion, we must not bend. When it becomes a question of joining a party with the nations of the world, we must not bend. 

Sometimes we come out as the winner if we bend or give in. When it is an issue between one Jew and the other, we must bend. When Jewish teenagers or adults don’t want to bend to the authority of the Torah, we must bend towards them so that they realize we are still with them. We still love them. 

My father ztz”l would say “Kaf Achas, Asarah Zahav” “Ein beig…” many times when one bends or nods his head it is worth 10 golden coins. 

On Purim we show that those same issues of changing our name, erasing the dividing line between Jewish groups and becoming one, the way we talk to each other and slightly changing the way we dress, can also create a Kosher outcome. The Pintele Yid within us is how we have become survivors. We mask our face to add to the Joy. Drink wine as was by Achashveirosh’s party, yet, all for a good cause, to create Happiness. May we serve Hashem only in Joy and Happiness.

May we be Zoche to Yishuas Hashem Kiheref Ayin (the blink of eye) and the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.

Rabbi Yisroel Chanowitz