Seventh Reading: The Oral Torah Within the Written Torah
Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai, better known as the Chida, writes that the story of the Book of Esther marks the inception of the Oral Torah. The Written Torah was given in the wilderness, and the Oral Torah was given in Shushan, where the events of Purim occur. He offers a numerical allusion to support this: the gematria of Shushan (ןָׁוּשׁש) is equal to that of “The Mishnah” (הָנְׁשִמַּה), plus “Zeman-Nakat” (זמן נקט), the acronym for the six order of the Mishnah: Zeraim, Moed, and Nashim, Nezikin, Kodashim, and Tahorot.
The secret of Purim is that it is essentially the point of transition, which in Kabbalah is the point of non-being (ayin) between one state of being (yesh) and another state of being. The events related in Esther mark the end of all the Writings section of the Bible, the end of all the miracles, the end of prophecy; it is the conclusion of everything that has been until now. But when you reach the very end, something new must begin. When something new begins, it doesn't mean that it never existed at all—it was simply hidden until now that its time has come to be revealed.
This in fact is related to the question asked in the Talmud, which is seemingly bewildering, "Where is Esther in the Torah?” And the answer provided is no less confusing, “And I will surely hide My face on that day.” But the explanation is that "My face" refers to the Oral Torah, which is completely hidden within the Written Torah. This is the secret of the concealment, and the Scroll of Esther symbolizes that the time has come to reveal the inner essence of the Written Torah—the Oral Torah, which is Esther the Queen herself. She is the Ayelet Hashachar—the dawn—now rising on the horizon. Esther serves as the inspiration for this revelation, and the one who begins to actually reveal it is Mordechai.
The Torah of Mashiach
Chasidut defines two types of concealment, when one thing is concealed within another. There is “concealment that exists in reality” (הֶ עְ לֵםְֹנוֶׁשֶּיׁש בִּ מְ צִ יאו ּת) meaning that that which is concealed does exist already within that which conceals it. The classic example of this type is the flame hidden within glowing embers. The second type is known as “concealment that does not exist in reality” (הֶ עְ לֵםֶֹ אֵ ינוׁש בִּ מְ צִ יאו ּת), the classic example of which is the spark within the flint-stone.
While the Oral Torah is included in the Written Torah as a "concealment that exists in reality," the Torah of Mashiach is included in the Written Torah only as a "concealment that does not exist in reality." Both aspects of concealment and hiding are part of the secret of "I will surely hide," and the Scroll of Esther comes to reveal everything.
Thus, the verse that follows "And I will surely hide My face on that day" is, "And now, write for yourselves this song and teach it to the children of Israel, put it in their mouths." This verse clearly symbolizes the connection and union between the Written Torah ("write for yourselves") and the Oral Torah ("put it in their mouths").
The power to unite the two Torahs—the Written and the Oral, and particularly the Torah of Mashiach—comes from "this song," which alludes to the Torah’s melody captured in the cantillation marks; they are the root of the Oral Torah within the Written Torah. When the Written Torah is sung, the Oral Torah is revealed. This is why there are two different interpretations of what "this song" actually refers to: either to the Song of Ha'azinu, which immediately follows our parashah, or to the entire Torah, which Moses gave to us on the last day of his life.
