“Mishenichnas Adar Marbim b’simcha” – as the month of Adar begins, we increase our happiness. We all know this, yet why specifically in the month of Adar are we told to increase our happiness and not in the month of Nisan? After all, it is in the month of Nisan that Hashem performed open miracles for us!
In Adar, the miracles were hidden, and when Hashem sends His salvation at a time of hester panim, the joy is so much greater. That’s because we realize that even at a time that Hashem is “hiding” from us, He is guiding our every step and weaving miracles for us. When we left Mitzrayim, on the other hand, the miracles were open and clear and therefore the joy is not as great. (The Elya Raba derives from a Rashi in Taanis 29 that that even in Nisan there is a concept of “marbim b’simcha”, an increase of happiness.)
The mishna in Megillah says that the megillah can be read on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th of Adar; “lo pachos v’lo yoser”, meaning not before the 11th and not after the 15th. Asks the Turei, the words of “lo pachos v’lo yoser” seems to be extra - once the mishna says that you can only read the megillah on those specific days, why do we need those extra words of “not before and not after”?
We know that Hashem leads the world in one of two ways - either openly, which is referred to by the hanhaga of “yud keh vav keh”, or in a hidden manner, which is the hanhaga of the name “Adni”. The megillah can be read on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th of Adar - those numbers are gematria 65, which is the same numerical value as the name of “Adni”. This is teaching us that even at a time of hester panim, Hashem controls everything. Then the mishna says “lo pachos” - not less than day 11, which would be day 10, and “v’lo yoser” – not more, which would be day 16; those two numbers add up to 26, which is the numerical value of the name of havaya. This is hinting to us that the megillah is not read on days that equal 26, the shem havaya, which is when Hashem leads the world with perfect clarity. Rather, the megillah is read on days that equal Hashem’s name of hester panim, when His leadership is hidden. Indeed, the story of the megillah occurred at a time of hester panim, when Hashem was so to speak “hiding His face” from us.
There was once a Rav who went over to the grandson of the Vilna Gaon and asked, “Please tell me the gadlus of the Gaon”. The grandson said over that the Gaon was asked the following question when he was a young child: The megillah can be read on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th of Adar, “lo pachos v’lo yoser”. In Masechta Shabbos there is a very similar gemora that says that a child can have a bris mila on day 8, and sometimes on day 9, 10, 11, 12, but it doesn’t say “lo pachos v’lo yoser” like by megillah. Why? Before the grandson told him what the Gaon answered, the Rav said, “I’ll tell you peshat”, and he started with a whole discourse. The grandson was impressed, but said that the Gaon’s answer was better. The Rav said, “Give me a few days and I will think of another answer”. And sure enough after he came back, the grandson said the Gaon’s answer was still better. Nu, what was it? He said, “By my grandfather, when he was just a child, he didn’t think for a second! He immediately said, “In masechta Shabbos it says ‘lo pachos v’lo yoser’ as well!”. (Penini Rabeinu Yechezkal)
The gemora asks, why don’t we say halel on Purim? The gemora answers that the reading of the megillah is the halel of Purim. The Meiri says that if for some reason you don’t have a megillah on Purim, then you would be obligated to say halel. It seems that everyone argues on the Meiri that you wouldn’t say halel. Why? Says Rav Hutner that the regular halel is said on a nes that is on an open miracle, that Hashem’s hand is obvious and well-known, like by Pesach, Chanukah etc. Halel is a public celebration that mirrors the nature of the miracle that took place. On Purim, however, the miracle took place in a hidden form. That’s why Hashem’s name is not mentioned in the megillah. Purim is a miracle that only a knowledgeable and perceptive person would recognize as a miracle. An open miracle calls for halel, but a hidden miracle needs a hidden halel, and that’s the megillah. Halel cannot replace reading the megillah.
That is peshat in “Chayav adam...” – a person is obligated to become intoxicated until he can’t differentiate between “Arur Haman” and “Baruch Mordechai”. It’s not really about Haman and Mordechai – it’s all Hashem pulling the strings and setting His plan into motion. Our avodah on Purim is to see beyond the mask of natural occurrences and realize that it’s all yad Hashem. May we be zoche to see the clarity of Hashem’s miracles always and experience the true joy that comes along with it.
