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Parshat Tzav

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Spark Of Jewish Experience
 
 Tzav

March 17, 2011

11 Adar II, 5771

Dear Friend,

 

 

Let’s welcome the holiday of PURIM!!!!!

Purim

In This Issue
Pursuit of Honor
Importance of Eating a Meal and Drinking Wine on Purim

Pursuit of Honor

 

King Haman

 

          Our sages teach us, there are certain character flaws which one possesses that are so destructive ‘it could take you out of this world’. In other words, one can be thrown off course and lose any line of reasoning, any happiness, and any satisfaction, because of this deficiency.

A prime example is the wicked Haman who presumably had everything and yet felt he had nothing. Here is a man who was second in command to the king of the most powerful nation in the world and worshiped by all subjects of the vast super power Persian Empire; however, he was not satisfied with everything because one Jew, Mordechai, would not bow down to him. How could it be that Haman even noticed the lack of this miniscule amount of honor amidst the overwhelming flood of glory that was his? Perhaps, if not for the dangerous predicament our ancestors were in, the way he conducted himself through his obsession would have been observed as quite humorous.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l explains that one is never able to achieve satisfaction through honor. As much honor as you will receive, you will find yet more that you must have, and so your craving will never be satisfied. It’s like a cat chasing after his own tail.

One of the most wicked kings our People ever had was Yeravam ben Navat. Here was an individual who was quite charismatic, a tremendous orator and extremely knowledgeable in Torah; yet he brought our people to sin in a tremendous way. He was also one of the parties responsible for dividing the Jewish nation into two entities. The motives of his actions were purely for the pursuit of honor. He is one of the few individuals who will not have a share in the world to come. Once G-d approached him and pleaded to Yeravam, “Please repent and I’ll arrange for you, me, and Ben Yishai (King David) to stroll in Gan Eden (heaven)”. And he answered “Who’s first, me or Ben Yishai?” “Ben Yishai” G-d replied. “I’m not interested”, said Yeravam. Is it possible Yeravam would give up this great opportunity of eternal pleasure for not going before David? The sages note he was destined to be before Ben Yishai in Gan Eden but because he had the audacity to ask, he was put second. Our sages write, “Those who chase honor, honor will run away from them”. Rabbi Akiva Tatz teaches us an important lesson in human insights. He says, “As man gets older, his desire for physical pleasures for women decreases. However, as compensation, there is an increased desire for honor”.

There are many lessons one can learn from the story of Purim. But one lesson that is relevant to all of us is the unconscious pursuit of honor. Haman ruined his life and the life of others for that desire, and it’s frightening, because to some degree we are all prone to get tested by it at some time.

Importance of Eating a Meal and Drinking Wine on Purim
 Fried Whiting (fish)

Why is it important to have a meal on Purim? Perhaps one may ask an even stronger question. Why is it recommended to drink wine until the point of intoxication? This is uncharacteristic of the Jewish People. Jackie Mason had a funny line –  “Goyim like to drink and Jews like to eat”.  But Jews are not drinkers. Presumably, we may be knowledgeable in all the good and expensive scotches, and can rattle off a list of the fanciest wines at the most elegant restaurants. However, thank G-d for the most part, we talk more than we drink. We take pride in our traditions and try to connect and emulate with the generations before us. There is a famous concept; ‘The deeds of fathers are signs for children’. What’s important to note is that we also try to correct the flaws of our ancestors. And that’s the underlying reason why the meal takes place.

Mordechai, the leader of the Jewish People, decreed that absolutely no one should attend the party of King Achashverosh. But many Jews didn’t listen and accepted the invitation, angering G-d, and thus the Jewish troubles began. On Purim we try to correct ‘the meal’ by eating, drinking and rejoicing with the purest intentions, unlike our ancestors who ate and became intoxicated, drinking wine in a negative way.

There is another reason why we indulge in a lavish feast on Purim. One might wonder why there is no mention of a feast on Chanukah. After all, we were saved from the hands of the Greeks. (On Chanukah we actually get away cheap with latkes and jelly doughnuts!) So why not have the meat and the wine and the whole nine yards on Chanukah? The reason is that the Greeks’ intentions were to destroy us spiritually by abolishing our religion, but sparing the physical body. However, Haman wanted to destroy us both spiritually and physically. Therefore, we elevate our physicality with the finest foods the world can offer. The body and the soul are part and parcel, so eating and drinking with pleasure with all the proper brachot, is ideal.

Symbolism plays a major importance in our religion and that’s another reason why we have the Purim meal. The one moment in which the events turned in our favor, was at the meal at the end of the Megillah with Queen Esther, King Achashverosh, and Haman eating and drinking wine. Esther revealed her origin and accused Haman of trying to kill her People. The Jewish luck changed. Therefore, we commemorate the meal with the finest, hoping our luck will change for the better.

The simple explanation of the passage “When wine goes in, the secret comes out”, is, when people get drunk, they blurt out what is in their heart, which is often embarrassing. Rabbi Akiva Tatz has a different explanation quoting the mystics. “What’s the secret”? He explains, “When wine goes in, one sees life in a clearer picture. He becomes more spiritual, discovering deep ideas and a thinking pattern that can never be expressed with words. Words are limited; they are specific, and one who consumes wine can never express the feelings he experiences”.

One important note; there is a fine line between a spiritual high on wine and being drunk. When wine is being consumed, it has the uncanny ability to lift any fear and paranoia that exists, resulting in a tremendous bond between friends. Our sages mentioned that when we received the Torah, we were unified ‘as one nation like one heart’. G-d loves unity, thereby elevating us to a very high spiritual level. The one time this level was surpassed was on Purim. Wine is symbolic of unity.

 

Sincerely,
Rabbi Avi Matmon
Spark of Jewish Experience