LESSONS OF PURIM
Those Who Don’t Mind Bizayon Win, And Those Who Are Worried About Their Kavod, Lose
R’ Chaim Mordechai Wainkrantz Zatzal pointed out that if Vashti would have accepted the Bizayon that Achashveirosh was giving her, it would have been a Kapara for her, and she would have been saved. Not being able to tolerate killed her! Some say she was decapitated, and some say she was burned alive. **
And Achashverosh’s love for being a show-off, lost him his wife. And Haman’s inability to tolerate the Bizayon that Mordechai was causing him, by not bowing down to him, eventually caused his death by hanging. ***
Mordechai doesn’t mind screaming in public and wearing sackcloth in front of: ש ע רַ ה מּ ל ךְ the royal gate, and having the entire Klal Yisroel hating him. (Gemara). His approval rating was down among the Sanhedrin, as it says: וְּרָ צוּיַ לְּ רֹבַַ א חָ יוַַאסתרַ יַ ג he had the approval of (only) MOST of his brothers. (Gemara). And Esther doesn’t mind being looked at by everyone as a person without any Yichus, like the lowliest: יפִַּסוַּא ַ “abandoned baby” found in the street. She doesn’t feel the urge of having to reveal her royal lineage (Shaul HaMelech). ****
She doesn’t have to need to impress and to look beautiful, despite her incredible beauty. She asks for no perfumes or jewelry. She hates the Kavod of being a queen, and she hid as long as she could. She doesn’t mind having Klal Yisroel suspecting her that she’s against them, and is on Haman’s side! (Gemara). *****
Not Needing Kavod Is True Malchus, And Running After Kavod Is True Avdus
Look how: מִּ ןַהָ עוֹלָ םַמוֹצִּ יאַַה כָבוֹדַַ the pursuit of Kavod takes a person out of the world, and how those who run away from Kavod, are Zoche to save Klal Yisroel and become the leaders of 127 Me’dinos (countries); major Malchus! Because not needing Kavod is true Malchus, and running after Kavod is true Avdus! ******
How important it is to work on these Inyanim. It is known that BMG was built on the Bizyonos of R' Ahron Kotler Zatzal. His greatness in Torah was so extraordinary, that the entire Yeshivas Slabodka knew that even their biggest Iluy'im (geniuses) had no Shaychus with R' Ahron’s Madrega in learning. But in the area of having Mesirus Nefesh for the Klal, with all the Bizyonos involved, his son R' Shneur Zatzal was Zoche to inherit. *******
We all owe everything to our beloved R' Shneur and his selflessness. After his Petira (passing), R' Shalom Schwadron Zatzal noted that R' Shneur served as Rosh Yeshiva exactly the same amount of time (to the day) as his father, R' Ahron (19 years, 7 months, and 1 day). A clear message from Shamayim: How valuable are all those selfless Mordechai and Esther’s, who don’t mind Bizyonos (especially in order to help Klal Yisroel). ********
Worrying about your Kavod can stunt your growth in a big way. It’s a disaster when a person could have accomplished much more in Olam HaZeh, and he didn’t because of his fears over: י ֹאמ רוּ הַ ב רִּ יוֹתמַ ה What will people say?? The Velt says: If you want to avoid criticism, then say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.
Wow! Look At That Dignitary! STORY
A friend of mine became a M’chutan to a world-famous personality (his child became engaged to their child) and he was quite intimidated by him. He felt plenty of fear and concern to make a good impression. Sometimes these fears can sour all the “fun” and Geshmak of so many Simchos in your life! מ הַי ֹאמְּ רוַּה בְּ רִּ יוֹתַ (What will people say??) is always dominating your mind 24/7, and unless you work on it, or become distracted by loftier concerns, like Zikkui HaRabbim, you can have loads of suffering in your life. **
The more my friend got to know his M’chutan, the more the scary personality “let down his hair”, and he became less fearsome. And the day the M’chutan opened up to him, and told him about his depressive issues and weaknesses, he became total “mush” for the rest of his life. ***
There are so many “gods” in your life, whom you simply don’t know. All your fears are built on air, and they hamper your ability to grow and to do more for Klal Yisroel. You can be rest assured that all those special “Malachim” in your life have “issues” just like you do, so don’t get carried away by the great impression they are giving you. ****
Some people are simply good at making impressions. Many don’t even realize this Ma'ala that they have, and they don’t appreciate it. Only you appreciate their Ma'ala, and you live in awe and fear of a simple Basar V'dam that you don’t really understand. Many, many, of these good-impression-types suffer much worse than most people. *****
It’s all a fake show, and the Yetzer Hara is very good at getting everyone afraid of each other, and wasting so much unnecessary nervous energy for no reason whatsoever. The tricky thing is that this person may be comfortable while you aren’t, but he has other weaknesses that you don’t have. ******
People are often Nis'pael from “confident” and “comfortable” people, and are full of jealousy. If the other person is truly a total “winner”, in Gashmiyus and/or in Ruchaniyus, then he for sure has a much more serious issue, called Ga'ava (Ga’ava = Gehinom) no matter how Ois’ge’arbet (refined) and humble he appears on the outside.
