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others or exchange meals with those who do not need them? Clearly, the emphasis is upon theact of giving, irrespective of the need of the recipient. Halacha requires that on Purim wehabituate to the act of giving; this commandment ennobles the giver. Hence, both of theseMitzvot reflect our theme of giving. Yet, we are left to wonder: what about the original holidayof Purim mandates a response of giving?A Definition of DeathIt was taught: 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses prophesied tothe Jewish people, and they did not expand or take away fromwhat was written in the Torah, except for [the mitzvah of]reading the Megilla. How did they extrapolate this? RebbiChiyah the son of Abin said in the name of Rebbi Yehoshuaben Karcha, [going] from slavery to freedom warrants singing,and so from death to life all the more so.Megillah 14aתנו רבנן:‏ ארבעים ושמונה נביאיםושבע נביאות נתנבאו להם לישראל,‏ולא פחתו ולא הותירו על מה שכתובבתורה,‏ חוץ ממקרא מגילה.‏ מאי דרוש?‏אמר רבי חייא בר אבין אמר רבי יהושעבן קרחה:‏ ומה מעבדות לחירות אמרינןשירה - ממיתה לחיים לא כל שכן?‏מגילה דף יד.‏The Gemara presents a rationale for the basis of the institution of Purim founded on intuitivereason; this holiday is a celebration of our transition from death to life. It would seem from thelanguage of the Gemara that in the case of Purim we were in fact considered dead, much as wewere actually slaves when we were in Egypt. Although the simple understanding of the commentis that we were faced with death, and not in fact dead, why did the Talmud describe it in this way?In addition, the cause of this "death" is puzzling. The Gemara in Megillah suggests at firstRebbi Shimon ben Yochai was asked by his students, whywere the Jews liable for death in that generation? Heresponded, say the answer yourselves! They said, becausethey derived benefit from the banquet of that evil one(Achashverosh.)Megillah 12aשאלו תלמידיו את רבי שמעון בן יוחאי:‏מפני מה נתחייבו שונאיהן של ישראלשבאותו הדור כליה?‏ אמר להם:‏ אמרואתם!‏ אמרו לו:‏ מפני שנהנו מסעודתושל אותו רשע.‏מגילה דף יב.‏While this reason does not seem to be accepted at the conclusion of the Gemara, the glaringquestion remains. How did the Gemara even consider for a moment that the enjoyment ofAchashveirosh's meal would be a cause for the destruction of the Jewish people? 1Finally, in attempting to understand the "death" of Purim, we should consider another definitionof death: poverty. The Talmud (Nedarim 64b) states that a pauper is considered dead. Here,too, we wonder, why is poverty synonymous with death?Understanding lifeTo appreciate a definition of death, one must consider an understanding of life. From a Jewishperspective, life is not defined biologically. Rather, it can be viewed as the ongoing presence of a-1See Maharsha, Megillah 12a s.v. Laasot who suggests that the food and drink at the meal were Kosher, infulfillment of the Talmud’s observation that the meal was to “the wishes of Mordechai.”19YESHIVA UNIVERSITY • PURIM TO-GO • ADAR 5771
connection with Hashem, the source of all life in this world. Organic virility does not define life,as the Talmud teaches:“And the dead know nothing” refers to the wicked who intheir lifetime are called dead, as it says “And you wicked onewho is to be slain, the prince of Israel” or perhaps from here,“on the word of two or three witnesses shall the dead one beput to death.” Is he not yet alive? Rather he is alreadyconsidered dead from the start.Berachot 18bוהמתים אינם יודעים מאומהרשעים שבחייהן קרויין מתים,‏שנאמר:‏ ‏(יחזקאל כ"א)‏ ואתה חלל רשענשיא ישראל.‏ ואי בעית אימא,‏ מהכא:‏‏(דברים י"ז)‏ על פי שנים עדים או ‏(עלפי)‏ שלשה עדים יומת המת.‏ חי הוא!‏אלא:‏ המת מעיקרא.‏ברכות דף יח:‏Hence, as long as one is spiritually disconnected, although they may appear alive, they are notconsidered to be truly living. Every person is endowed with this ongoing, spiritual connectionwith G-d at birth, just like the world was endowed with life when Hashem created it. This sparkof creation and life is explored by Rav Eliyahu Dessler (Israel, 1892- 1953), who examines theorigins of life and explains how we can imitate and connect with Hashem, our source of life:When God created man He made him a giver and a taker.The power to give is the greatest attribute of the Creator ofthe World, for He is merciful and bestows goodness and giveswithout receiving anything in return… And this is how manwas created, as it says “Man was created in the image ofGod” for he can be merciful, to do good and to give. But thepower to take is what man desires to draw close everything inhis reach. This urge is what is called “self-love” and is theroot of all evil.Kuntrus Hachesed Chap 1 p. 32- אלוכאשר ברא אלהים את האדם עשהו לנותןונוטל.‏ כח הנתינה הוא כח עליון ממדותיוצר הכל ברוך הוא שהוא מרחם ומטיבונותן מבלי קבל דבר תמורה.‏ ... וככהעשה את האדם ככתוב ‏"בצלם אלהיםעשה את האדם"‏ כי יוכל לרחם ולהטיבוליתן.‏ אבל כח הנטילה הוא אשר יתאוההאדם למשוך אליו את כל הבא בתחומו.‏כח זה הוא אשר יקראוהו בני אדם ‏"אהבתעצמו"‏ והוא שורש כל הרעות.‏קונטרס החסד פרק אAccording to Rav Dessler, truly imitating and connecting with G-d is achieved through the Divineattribute of giving. In this way, he explains the verse in Mishlei (15:27): מתנות יחיה“‏ ‏”,שונא (onewho despises receiving gifts will live) to mean that one will have life if they give and do not take.According to this view, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz (Israel, 1902- 1979, Sichat Mussar 63) explainswhy an indigent person is not considered alive according to the Talmud. It is not because thepauper does not have that they are not alive. Rather it is because such a person is unable to givethat precludes them from being truly alive. One’s inability to imitate the Divinely creative, lifegiving attribute of giving means that one is tantamount to deceased.The story of PurimWhile there is a lack of clarity in the Megillah itself as to why the Jewish people were deserving ofdestruction, perhaps we can now piece together several clues.He that separates himself seeks his own desire, and snarlsagainst all sound wisdom.Mishlei 18:1לְתַאֲוָה יְבַקֵּשׁ נִפְרָד בְּכָל תּוּשִׁיָּה יִתְגַּלָּע :משלי יח:א20YESHIVA UNIVERSITY • PURIM TO-GO • ADAR 5771
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