Rabbotai, on Yom Kippur at Ne'ilah, the Aron HaKodesh is opened from the beginning of the Tefillah until the end. On Purim, the heavens are open from the beginning of the day until the end; כָּל הַפּוֹשֵׁט יָד לִטּוֹל נוֹתְנִים לוֹ – To all who stretch out a hand, it is given. On this day, the pasuk of Tehillim (22:2) is declared: אֵ-לִי אֵ-לִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי, רָחוֹק מִישׁוּעָתִי דִּבְרֵי שַׁאֲגָתִי: My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me – far from my salvation, the words of my roaring.
This is what Esther cried out when the Shechinah suddenly departed from her. How many Jews feel: "My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me"? One feels abandoned in his livelihood, one in his health, one in finding a shidduch, one in having children – each one cries out: “My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me?” This is Purim!
Rabbotai, know the order of Tefillah for Purim. Do not let this day pass without completing at least one Sefer Tehillim. Two is even better – the gematria of כְּפַר (atonement). Rise at three in the morning, recite Tehillim until sunrise – by five-thirty Netz begins, two and a half hours and you have completed a Sefer. Return home at seven-thirty, the door is closed, everyone is still asleep – two hours of learning with the children before the Mishloach Manot begin. Finish two Sefarim of Tehillim.
When you stand in Tefillah before Hakadosh Baruch Hu on the day of Purim, remember this: Esther fell at the feet of the king and wept and implored him to avert the evil of Haman. And as the Arizal HaKadosh teaches – every place in the Megillah where it says הַמֶּלֶךְ – the king, it refers to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. She fell before the King – Hakadosh Baruch Hu – and said: “Avert the evil of the wicked Haman.” And what happened in the end? The king extended to Esther the golden scepter.
Rabbotai, this great day is a day that is entirely emunah – faith. We must strengthen ourselves in faith. The Be'er Moshe of Ozharov writes on the Pasuk וַיְהִי אֹמֵן אֶת הֲדַסָּה – And he raised Hadassah, he instilled emunah within her. He imbued her with faith. The entire concept of hester panim – the hiding of the Divine face, is expressed in Esther.
The Gemara (Chulin 139b) asks: אֶסְתֵּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה מִנַּיִן – Where is Esther hinted at in the Torah? It answers that Esther is found in the pasuk וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי – And I will surely hide My face. The Be’er Moshe explains that even in the double concealment – הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר – a person must know that behind the concealment stands אָנֹכִי – I, meaning Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּהַסְתָּרָה שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַהַסְתָּרָה בְּוַדַּאי גַּם שָׁם נִמְצָא הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
And even in the concealment within the concealment, certainly, even there, the Blessed Name is found. Even within the concealment that is within the concealment, He is present. This is what we saw at Purim. Everything appeared closed – no way out, a decree to destroy, kill, and annihilate. And then came Tefillah and emunah.
The Vilna Gaon explains on the Pasuk: כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה בְּאָמְנָה אִתּוֹ
