Then, Mordechai, the gilgul of Adam HaRishon came along. He recalled what the "nachash hakadmoni" had done to him in the previous incarnation. Now, the nachash was attempting to repeat its evil deeds in the guise of Haman, a descendant of Amalek. Therefore, he retaliated with all of his powers in an attempt to convince Yisrael to perform teshuvah for their simchah of debauchery—as it is written (Esther 4, 1): "ומרדכי ידע את כל אשר נעשה ויקרע מרדכי את בגדיו וילבש שק ואפר ויצא בתוך העיר ויזעק זעקה גדולה ומרה"—Mordechai learned of all that had been done; and Mordechai tore his clothes and donned sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the midst of the city, and cried a loud and bitter cry.
Scriptures does not inform us what Mordechai cried out; however, based on the Midrash just cited, we can imagine the content of his intense rebuke directed toward the Jews of Shushan:
Dear fellow Jews, children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, I admonished you not to participate in Achashveirosh’s wine festival. For, licentious simchah results in misery and death. Yet, you could not withstand the temptation of the "nachash hakadmoni" disguised as Haman and Achashveirosh. Consequently, he once again stole the simchah of kedushah from you and brought grief and suffering upon you. Nevertheless, it is still not too late to return to Hashem by means of "teshuvah sheleimah"—regretting and renouncing the past and agreeing to make amends in the future.
This explains why Esther advised Mordechai (ibid. 16): "לך כנוס את כל היהודים הנמצאים בשושן וצומו עלי ואל תאכלו ואל תשתו שלשת ימים לילה ויום"—go, assemble all the Jews that are to be found in Shushan, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. She intended that the suffering associated with the fast would atone for the fact that they derived pleasure and delighted in the simchah of debauchery. By means of this act of teshuvah, Mordechai and Esther successfully turned the tables on their adversaries. They successfully regained possession of the simchah of kedushah that Haman and his advisors had stolen.
The start of this turnabout is indicated by the passuk: "הדבר יצא מפי המלך ופני המן חפו". The successful conclusion of the turnabout is indicated by the passuk (ibid. 7, 10): "ויתלו את המן על העץ"—they hung Haman on the tree. This was the retribution for causing Adam HaRishon and all of creation to sin with the Eitz HaDa’as. As a result, the simchah associated with the performance of a mitzvah returned to Yisrael, as it states: "ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר"--the Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.
We can now rejoice for we have gained a better appreciation of how Mordechai influenced Yisrael to accept the Torah out of ahavah, in keeping with the elucidation: "קימו וקיבלו - קיימו מה שקיבלו כבר". First, Mordechai successfully retrieved the simchah of kedushah from the clutches of Haman and Achashveirosh—the agents of the klipah. Then he returned it to the realm of kedushah by helping Yisrael understand that the only genuine simchah—that endures and lasts forever—is the simchah of Torah that stems from "ahavat Hashem."
For this reason, the days of Purim were established as days of "משתה ושמחה"—feasting and joy. They represent the tikun for the "cheit Eitz HaDa’as," when they drank wine on a weekday. Now, on Purim, wine is consumed to celebrate the simchah of mitzvah—commemorating that they confirmed and accepted the Torah out of ahavah. They extracted the simchah of mitzvah from the "nachash hakadmoni," who stole it during the "cheit Eitz HaDa’as." They restored it as the simchah celebrating the acceptance of the Torah out of ahavah.
This provides us with a very nice understanding of Rava’s profound pronouncement: "מיחייב איניש לבסומי בפוריא"—a Jew is obligated to get drunk and rejoice on Purim by drinking wine: "עד דלא ידע בין ארור המן לברוך מרדכי"—to the point that one cannot differentiate between the illusory simchah experienced by the reshaim indulging in the delights of Olam HaZeh—characterized as "ארור המן"—and the delight and simchah a Jew experiences by studying Torah and serving Hashem—characterized as "ברוך מרדכי".
Let us elaborate. Only when we experience the delight and simchah associated with the service of Hashem to the same degree that the reshaim enjoy the nonsensical whims of Olam HaZeh; that is the telltale sign that we have succeeded in retrieving the simchah that the klipah stole and have returned it to the domain of kedushah. That represents the fulfillment of the passuk: "ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר". In this merit, we will merit the true simchah, as expressed by the prophet (Yeshayah 35, 10): "ופדויי ה’ ישובון ובאו ציון ברנה ושמחת עולם על ראשם, ששון ושמחה ישיגו ונסו יגון ואנחה"—then the redeemed of Hashem will return and come to Tziyon with glad song, with eternal simchah on their heads. They will attain joy and simchah, and sadness and sighing will flee—swiftly, in our times. Amen.
