The month of Adar this year, תשפ״ו, has been an incredible month. As I am writing this article, the American and Israeli armies are engaged in a major conflict with Iran, and hopefully, the war will be finished very soon.
But this war is not just another war. With the news surrounding the Ayatollah Chumaini ימח שמו and the timing of Purim, there is a striking alignment between the past and the present—between Haman and those who seek, חס ושלום, to destroy the Jewish people today.
The threat of destroying all of Israel certainly woke the Jewish people up to teshuvah, and one can feel the potential of this coming month of Nissan being the month of geulah. Chazal teach:
בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל - “In Nissan we were redeemed, and in Nissan we will be redeemed in the future.”
In my daily videos, I mentioned several incredible insights from the Bnei Yissaschar and other Chassidishe sefarim that give us perspective on how to view what is happening and what we need to do to ensure that this is the final stage.
THE WAR BETWEEN PURIM AND PESACH
Firstly, in Maamar 4 in Chodesh Adar, the Bnei Yissaschar reveals that the final war will begin on Purim and end on Erev Pesach. This idea is based on the Zohar.
Furthermore, he explains that there are 720 hours from Purim to Pesach. This is connected to the halachah that thirty days before the chag we begin studying the halachos of Pesach.
The number 720 is equal to the numerical value of Amalek three times, and throughout these thirty days, we are knocking down the קומת הסיטרא אחרא, the negative obstruction represented by Amalek.
WHY PURIM WILL REMAIN IN THE FUTURE
This connects to another incredible idea that the Bnei Yissaschar relates, which addresses a question my daughter asked.
In school, they mentioned that in the future, all the holidays will cease except Purim. This idea is based on Chazal and is quoted by the Rambam.
But what does this mean? After all, the Rambam himself writes:
התורה הזאת לא תהא מוחלפת — The Torah will never be changed.
The answer is based on the Gemara in Berachos, which explains that when Mashiach comes, it is not that we will stop celebrating the holidays. Rather, the miracles of the future redemption will be of such a magnitude that the miracles of Yetziyas Mitzrayim will pale in comparison.
Purim, however, will remain prominent because Purim is not primarily about Yetziyas Mitzrayim but rather about the ultimate eradication of Amalek, a process that culminates in the times of Mashiach.
COMPLETING HASHEM’S NAME
Amalek’s mission is to block the completion of Hashem’s Name.
The Ben Ish Chai, based on the Arizal, explains that in the future, Hashem’s Name will not only be complete but will appear in a different form: from י־ה־ו־ה to י־ה י־ה, as hinted in the verse we say daily in Aleinu:
ביום ההוא יהיה ה׳ אחד ושמו אחד.
There is also a fascinating connection between Adar and Nissan.
In Nissan, the letters of Hashem’s Name appear in their proper order, representing complete chessed. In Adar, the order is not aligned, representing hiddenness.
Returning to the Bnei Yissaschar’s idea: 720 hours = 72 × 10. The number 72 corresponds to chessed, and multiplying by ten represents the ten Sefiros.
This reveals something remarkable. On the one hand, Purim is about hidden miracles and preparation for Pesach. On the other hand, Purim ultimately reaches an even higher level, when Hashem’s Name will be fully revealed.
THE MESSAGE OF PARSHAS ZACHOR
This idea connects beautifully with the four parshiyos, and this Shabbos, we read the final one that completes the letter ה in Hashem’s Name.
As we explained in shul before the kriyah of Parshas Zachor, there are actually three mitzvos regarding Amalek:
- To remember what Amalek did
- Not to forget what they did
- To erase their name
Amalek attacked us by surprise and “cooled off” the awe that the nations had toward the Jewish people.
The Sefer HaChinuch famously writes that women are exempt from the mitzvah of remembering Amalek because they are exempt from war. However, the Minchas Chinuch and others question this, since in a milchemes mitzvah, even a kallah leaves her chuppah to participate. See also Rav Ovadia Yosef, who has a lengthy discussion about these opinions.
WHEN DOES THE WAR AGAINST AMALEK APPLY?
While preparing the reading, I thought of a possible chiddush, and I was happy to see a similar idea in the Ibn Ezra.
The Ibn Ezra explains that the mitzvah of physically erasing Amalek does not apply until we have peace in the Land of Israel. This is based on the pasuk והיה בהניח ה׳ אלוקיך לך מכל אויביך מסביב.
First, we must have security and rest from our enemies, and only then do we complete the eradication of Amalek. This also seems to align with the opinion of the Rambam.
Until that point, the first two mitzvos certainly apply, to remember and not to forget.
WHAT WAS SO EVIL ABOUT AMALEK?
Why exactly were they so bad?
I saw in the sefer חזון למועד, which quotes Rav Elchanan Wasserman, that Amalek is described as a מומר להכעיס.
Amalek did not deny the existence of G-d. They knew there was a G-d, but they rebelled against Him deliberately. The Torah describes them as ולא ירא אלוקים. They were people who simply did not fear consequences.
THE KEY TO THE FINAL REDEMPTION
As we prepare for Pesach and the final redemption, we can focus on the idea of יראת שמים — seeing Hashem as real and recognizing that there are consequences, both positive and negative, eternal ones.
Chazal teach: בזכות נשים צדקניות נגאלו ישראל ממצרים וכן לעתיד לבוא.
In the merit of the righteous women, we were redeemed from Egypt, and in their merit, we will be redeemed in the future.
It was the emunah of the women that sustained the Jewish people in Mitzrayim. They never gave up hope — and the same will happen in our time.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PURIM AND PESACH
All of this also explains why Purim and Pesach are so deeply connected.
In fact, the miracle of Purim began during Pesach. It is even brought down in halachah that we make a reminder of Purim during the second day meal of Pesach.
May we merit to see the complete geulah today.
RABBI DANIEL COREN
