Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah on Purim;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

G-d instructs Moshe to command Aaron and his sons regarding their duties and rights as kohanim (“priests”) who offer the korbanot (animal and meal offerings) in the Sanctuary.

 

The fire on the Altar must be kept burning at all times. In it are burned and consumed all kinds of offerings; peace, sin and guilt, and meal offerings. The kohanim eat the meat of the sin and guilt offerings, and the remainder of the meal offering. The peace offering is eaten by the one who brought it, except for specified portions given to the kohen. The holy meat of the offerings must be eaten by ritually pure persons, in their designated holy place and within their specified time.

 

Aaron and his sons remain within the Sanctuary compound for seven days, during which Moshe prepares them into the priesthood.

“ Festival of Purim “

Every Jewish Festival or Holiday, has a theme to it and comes with a “message”. For example, Pesach is all about eating Matzot and remembering the Exodus. Its’ message: Be grateful to Hashem who has freed us from slavery and brought us out of Egypt to be his Chosen People.

Sukkot, is all about leaving the comfort of our homes and going to live in a temporary “Hut”, so that we realize that our comfortable houses and all of our belongings that we own, are all because of Hashem’s generosity and not because of our own intelligence.

Shavuot, is all about receiving the Torah and realizing that we are Hashem’s chosen people and we need to follow his commandments.

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is all about repentance. Once a year we have to ask for forgiveness from Hashem for all the sins that we have committed, and try our best not to repeat them again.

Chanukkah is the festival of lights. Its message is to show us that even at the darkest point in our lives, Hashem does not abandon us, and there is always a light at the end of a tunnel.

 

So, what is the theme for Purim and what message does it carry with it? Some people may think that it’s a Festival just for the children. They put on costumes on them and send out baskets of candies to their friends. Others might think it’s a Holiday to get wild. To party, dance and get drunk for some unknown reason?!

 

But the Chachamim say that the true message of Purim lies in the Megillah itself!

When Haman wanted to kill all the Jews, he came to King Achashverosh with the following argument: ” There is ONE nation scattered among your people in all of your provinces. They have their own laws, and they don’t even obey the King’s law.”

 

The Chachamim say that the same argument Haman used for asking to kill the Jews, is also the reason for their salvation. The key word here is “ONE”! The Jews were scattered across the 127 provinces of King Achashverosh jurisdiction which was almost the whole world of the time, but they were all united as ONE nation. They all prayed together, they all fasted together and they really cared about each other. Queen Esther was even ready to give up her life, in order to save the lives of the other Jews!! And because of the unity and the love that they had for one another, Hashem saved them from the wicked hands of Haman and his followers.

 

Yes my friends, the message of Purim is quite clear! Purim is a Festival of unity and friendship!! When we are united, there are no kings or leaders in the world that could defeat us. Hashem is always with us when we are united.

The Festival of Purim is the time to bring us closer to each other. It is the time to show our love for one another and to show that we care about ALL the Jews across the world and not just the ones in our own community! In the whole Megillah, there is no mention of Hashem’s name, not even once! Maybe its because during this Festival, Hashem wants us to get closer to each other, rather than to get closer to Him! It’s a Holiday for us Jews to bond together!! That’s why the main Mitzvot of this Holiday is to give gifts, preferably to a distance friend, and give charity to the people in need. It’s the time to get rid of all the grudges and find the way to become close to those people we have distance ourselves from!! It’s a time to find a way to people’s heart and love everyone we know! And that’s what Purim is all about!

 

So my friends, now that we know what Purim is all about, let’s celebrate it together with joy. Let’s drink, dance and party together, not because we just want to have fun; but since we love each other so much!

Shabbat Shalom, Purim Sameyach & Regards;

 

Martin