The Name "Purim"
Purim is named for the פור, for the lots that Haman drew. As it states (9:26), קראו כן על הפור שם על פורים האלו הימים, "Therefore they called these days Purim, because of the goral..."
The goral was a painful moment for the Jewish nation. It was when Haman was planning their destruction. Shouldn't Purim be named for the salvation, not the devastating gorel?
The Bnei Yissaschar answers that Haman's goral was extremely beneficial for the Jewish nation. It was the root of their salvation. The Bnei Yissaschar explains:
"When one chooses an object from among others...he has a reason for his choice. But when one chooses through a goral, the choice can't be explained rationally. His choice is whatever the goral dictates, and there's no logic behind it. When Hashem created the world, He chose the Jewish people to be the purpose of Creation. It wasn't because of our mitzvos and good deeds, because klal Yisrael didn't exist yet. We don't know why Hashem chose us. It is simply because this was His will..."
The Baal HaTanya zt’l explains that on Yom Kippur, a korban was chosen through a goral — a choice without reason — to beseech Hashem to remember the time He chose us without reason – just because He desired us.
The Bnei Yissaschar explains that this also happened when Haman drew lots. Haman thought the lots were a tragedy for the Jewish nation, but it was the underlying reason for their salvation. Haman's choosing a date by a gorel, without using logic, roused Hashem to remember that He chose us without logic and reason. Therefore, even if we sinned by bowing down to Nevuchadnezzar's idol or participating in Achashveirosh's feast, and even if we didn't deserve salvation, Hashem saved us.
As we say after reading the megillah on Purim night, לפורינו נהפך המן פור כי, "Haman's goral, turned out to be our good fortune."
