13. The ל"מהרי לקוטי explains this from the pasuk (Esther 8:16) וִיקָר וְשָׂשֹׂן וְשִׂמְחָה אוֹרָה ה ָיְתָה לַיְּהוּדִים, "The Yidden had light and joy, and gladness, and honor." This pasuk alludes to ומזוני חיי בני, children, life, and parnassah. This is because Chazal (Megillah 16b) tell us that אוֹרָה is Torah, וְשָׂשֹׂן is milah, and וִיקָר is tefillin. The ל"מהרי לקוטי writes, "We can explain b'derech remez that אוֹרָה alludes to parnassah, because תורה אין קמח אין אם, one can't have Torah without parnassah. ֹׂןוְשָׂש is milah, this means that there will be children. ָרוִיק is tefillin, this alludes to life, because Chazal (Menachos 44a) say that when one is cautious with tefillin, he lives long. So, from reading the megillah, one can be zocheh to ומזוני חיי בני, children, life, and parnassah, and along with these, all other good hashpaos."
Tzaddikim said that when the megillah is read, those who don't have children can have a salvation and bear children (also, included is if someone has בנים גידול צער, that his children aren't going on the proper path, he can attain his salvation on Purim). Therefore, the megillah begins with בִּימֵי וַיְהִי, and Chazal tell us that ֵיבִּימ וַיְהִי is an expression of distress, and the final words of the megillah are זַרְעוֹ לְכָל שָׁלוֹם וְדֹבֵר. This means that everything can turn around (הוא ונהפוך), and instead of the tzaar, he will have children, and they will bring him nachas. He will merit seeing children studying Torah and performing mitzvos.
A person came to Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt"l on Purim to ask for a brachah for children. Rebbe Aharon told him, "Purim is mesugal for bearing healthy children, קיימא של זרע." This is as the Chozeh of Lublin zt'l said, Hakadosh Baruch Hu performs the mitzvah of לרעהו איש מנות משלוח. i איש means children לרעהו, means to Klal Yisrael. This means Hashem gives children to the Jewish people.
We can explain that the Gemara is telling us that just as we don't understand how the aron didn't take up room in the Kodesh Kadoshim, similarly, it is impossible for us to fathom the miracles and the holiness of Purim. Purim is a day beyond time and place, a day of miracles, a day of wonders.
The Megillah
It states (Esther 8:16) וְשִׂמְחָה אוֹרָה ה ָיְתָה לַיְּהוּדִים וִיקָר וְשָׂשֹׂן, "The Yidden had light and gladness and joy and honor." ל"מהרי לקוטי (a student of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk zt'l) writes, "From reading the megillah, one can receive חיי בני ומזוני, children, life, and parnassah, and together with these, one can receive all other good hashpaos."
It states in Shulchan Aruch (693:1, see Mishnah Berurah) that after reading the Megillah, one says kaddish תתקבל, the kaddish that is said after tefillos. This tells us that reading the megillah is like a tefillah before Hashem. Another hint to this concept is the Gemara (Megillah 4a) "A person is obligated to read the megillah at night and to repeat it by day, as it states (Tehillim 22:3) וְל ַיְלָה תַע ֲנֶה וְלֹא יוֹמָם אֶקְרָא א ֱלֹקַי לִי דוּמ ִיָּה וְלֹא, "Hashem, I call out by day, but you answer not; and by night, but there is no respite for me."
The Gemara (Shabbos 88.) says that at Har Sinai, Hashem placed Har Sinai over their heads, and told them that if they don't receive the Torah, they will be buried under the mountain. So, they were forced to receive the Torah. However, after the Purim miracle, the nation accepted the Torah again, this time with love. The Chasam Sofer (Drashos p.164.) writes, "Therefore, the megillah is more honored, and greater than the Torah itself." There's an aspect of the megillah that is greater than the Torah itself, because the Jewish nation accepted the megillah with love.
Since the megillah is so holy, one should listen to its reading with awe and passion. The Kedushas Levi (Kedushah Rishonah) writes, “One should listen to the megillah with a fiery passion in his heart. He should think he is now accepting the yoke of Torah and mitzvos. He should think, 'What was, was. From now on, I will keep Hashem's mitzvos. The best time for teshuvah is during the reading of the megillah because, at that time, Hakadosh Baruch Hu purifies Bnei Yisrael from Above.”
Shei’eris Yisrael of Valednik zt’l (Shaar HaZmanim 2, Purim אף ה"ד) teaches that reading the megillah atones for עריות גילוי, adultery, and is therefore called מגילה from the word גילוי. Beis Aharon (66:) writes, "Tzaddikim say that they see in the megillah everything that will happen that year."
The Satmar Rebbe zt’l said that it is worthwhile for a person to live seventy years if only to hear the megillah just once. And fortunate are those who had the merit to hear the Satmar Rebbe read the megillah with an outpouring of his soul. When he came to the words (4:11), נקראתי לא ואני המלך אל לבוא, “I have not been summoned to come to the king for thirty days," he cried profusely, and it was hard to hear the words. He also cried copiously when he read (3:2), ישתחווה ולא יכרע לא ומרדכי, “But Mordechai would not bow and would not prostrate himself.”
Reb Yonoson Eibshitz zt'l (Yaaras Dvash 1:3) writes, “Please listen, wise nation, whom Hashem chose from all other nations. Please, don’t think Megillas Esther is a history book containing stories of what happened to our forefathers. If that is all the megillah is about, why must we read it twice on Purim? Baruch Hashem, we all know the story. Children make plays, acting out what happened. Rather, it is for the benefits that we get from the megillah. Additionally, there are many Torah secrets in the megillah, upon which the masters of kabbalah elaborate. It is called אסתר מגלת (which can be translated as "the hidden megillah") because it contains many hidden secrets of Creation. Furthermore, the megillah can be studied as a mashal, discussing the battle and struggle between Bnei Yisrael and the yetzer hara. There are many mussar lessons in the megillah, teaching us how to live.”
The end of the megillah states (10:2), וכל כתובים הם הלוא ...מרדכי גדולת ופרשת וגבורתו תקפו מעשה ופרס מדי למלכי הימים דברי ספר על, “All his mighty and powerful acts, and the account of the greatness of Mordechai, whom the king had promoted, are recorded in the book of chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia." Reb Yechezkel Abramsky zt'l explains this closing statement: If you want to study history, there are chronicles on the subject. They talk about Mordechai and his accomplishments in the government. But that isn't the purpose of the megillah. The purpose of the megillah is to teach us so much more.
The Gemara (Megillah 7.) provides several proofs that Megillas Esther was written with ruach hakodesh. We understand from this that every word of the megillah is precious.
Although we cannot perceive the depth of this story, we see the immense holiness that lies within the holy words of the megillah.
