It is written in the sefer Imrei Noam that the essence of the kelipah of Amalek/Haman is to make us forget that the Ribbono shel Olam loves us regardless of anything we may have done. Amalek fights the idea that Hashem conducts himself with us with a measure of מתנת חינם, unconditional gifts. No matter what Yidden do, Hashem continues to love us and give to us—for His love for us is eternal and unconditional.
Haman couldn’t abide this love, which is why he offered to place a price of 10,000 silver coins on the heads of Klal Yisrael in the hopes that it would influence Hashem’s attitude, as it were, as well—so that the Yidden would receive Hashem’s benevolence only if they are worthy of it.
But the Ribbono shel Olam, in His great mercy and kindness, destroyed Haman’s plan. As it says in the Megillah, ויאמר המלך להמן הכסף נתון לך, the King [referring to Hashem] said to Haman that he can keep his money. My love for My children is unconditional, and there’s no price you can place on them.
The Light of Purim Accompanies Us All Year
Chazal tell us that Esther HaMalkah—who corresponds to Knesses Yisrael—was green as a myrtle branch, and this is why she is called הדסה. Nevertheless, she was given great Divine favor, and thus found favor in the eyes of Achashveirosh. Thus, even when Klal Yisrael is—according to the typical rules—unbefitting for the King of all kings, we nevertheless always find חן, favor, in His eyes.
The greatest chein, the greatest favorable attribute that makes us beloved in Hashem’s eyes, is a broken heart before Hashem. The Ribbono shel Olam desires a humble Yid. This Yid knows very well his own failures and shortcomings, but instead of running away from Hashem, he runs to Him! He speaks to Hashem. He unburdens his challenges. And he knows that Hashem will help him do teshuvah despite the fact that he is sullied by aveiros.
For this reason, say tzaddikim, the mitzvos hayom of Purim entail giving to others unconditionally—כל הפושט יד נותנים לו—so to evoke Hashem’s unconditional love, and He too will give to us unconditionally.
Reflections to Reliance
The concept of כל הפושט יד doesn’t mean only that Hashems gives us gifts and we merit yeshuos above the order of nature. This is, of course, true, but there’s a much deeper point here: The conduct of כל הפושט יד נותנים לו illustrates that we receive these gifts out of Hashem’s deep love for His children.
When we appreciate this eternal love, it tethers and connects us to the Ribbono shel Olam. It instills in us feelings of yearning, of regret and contrition for our aveiros, and it is very beneficial for bitachon—because we reflect, “Wait, He hasn’t abandoned me even when I sinned? If so, I can truly always rely on him, because I know that He will never reject or abandon me.”
Who’s Left?
Imagine a Yid who was very wealthy, and of course, with this came many friends and associates. When he married off his children, the place was packed with hundreds of these friends—and many people even flew in from overseas.
But then, he lost everything. And not only did he lose his fortune—he also went into deep debt to people in the community, and this did not bolster his reputation.
As he’s about to marry off his next child, he says to himself, “Who’s still with me? Who plans to attend the wedding? Who hasn’t abandoned me, even though I have nothing to give them in return... and it even costs them something to be my friend?”
If He Is Still with Me, I Can Rely on Him
When he sees a close friend who hasn’t abandoned him and who rejoices in his simchah... he experiences a feeling of trust and reliance in this friend.
This formerly wealthy person has weighty secrets that he won’t divulge even to those who are helping him through his ordeal. But to this friend, who has displayed true loyalty and friendship, he feels like he can tell everything. “He didn’t abandon me, even when it was embarrassing to be my friend. If so, I can trust him implicitly. I can tell him all my secrets, and I can be truthful with him, because he will continue to love me. His love and friendship aren’t dependent on what I do. It’s something deeper.”
The Megillah Tells Our Own Story
When a Yid feels that Hashem has never abandoned him, it awakens within him a great feeling of trust and reliance. However, this feeling cannot be properly internalized unless we carry out the mitzvos that Hashem has commanded us to do. It’s not enough to hear the idea of Hashem’s unconditional love; we must hear the Megillah and thereby absorb the story it is telling us.
Tzaddikim spoke about this extensively. We must listen to and internalize the story of the Megillah—for it tells us our very own story: The Yidden sinned and sullied themselves. Then came the tzarah, and it became worse and worse. But if we think that things are just too dire, that it’s too late...it is what it is... the tzarah is just too complex for there to be a way out—wait! Stay until the end of the narrative! Yes, the decree had been sealed—but through teshuvah, it was nevertheless overturned in the most spectacular way.
This Yid asks in wonder, “What?! The Ribbono shel Olam overturned my tzarah into salvation?! But I have done terrible things!” Yes, it’s true that you have sinned, but you also did teshuvah. “But what happened prior to my teshuvah?” The answer is that even before your teshuvah, the Ribbono shel Olam loved you, and He helped you and enabled you to do teshuvah. In fact, the very reason He has placed you into this dilemma is precisely because He wanted to help you do teshuvah and come closer to Him.
