214 —עידוד בהפצת חסידות ותובנות על הגורל של פורים

B"H, Shushan Purim, 5706.

Kavod haVavac"h iy"a nu"m chov"b etc. Mohari Shochet u'Bodek

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was happy to hear about your good involvement in strengthening Torah and mitzvos in general, and especially in spreading printed materials published according to the instructions of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe shlita. Surely you are increasing your strength from time to time in all these matters. It can be explained based on what is written in Iggeres HaKodesh (section 14) that each year a new higher light is drawn down from an even loftier level that had never shone before since the beginning of time. And man, who is called "adamah la'elyon" (earthly counterpart to the supernal), must also be this way—that is, he must make vessels capable of receiving this new light. This is especially true regarding spreading Chassidus, as there are few in your country who can engage in this work.

Surely if you are able to find people even in other towns of your country who can join with you regarding our publications (in Hebrew, Yiddish, English), you will not refrain from drawing them close to this cause; please also inform us about this. For you and for those like you, lengthy explanations are unnecessary.

I will conclude with matters related to Purim: The word "Purim" is plural; simply because Haman cast a lot (pur) for days and a lot for months. Regarding "pur for days," Rashi on Megillah explains that it means only which day within a month. However, if so, it should have been written differently: "from month to month and from day to day," not the reverse. But in Esther Rabbah and Targum Sheni it is explained that first he cast lots for days of the week and then for months. (And perhaps just as according to Midrash we must say that he later also cast lots for days of the month—since he fixed a specific day in Adar—so too according to Rashi he cast lots for days generally, i.e., days of the week; thus it is written first. Though this explanation is forced.)

It seems unclear why Haman would cast lots for days of the week at all since what matters most is fixing the month and day within the month. And if you say he wanted extra confirmation by having all lots align (as we find with Nevuchadnezzar when going up to Jerusalem), still he should have started with the main lot—the months.

It can be explained: Haman used a lottery specifically because he wanted to draw influence from above rational order—from a place where darkness and light are equal—the external aspect of makif (encompassing light), which is where non-Jews draw their sustenance as they count by the sun which has no rises or falls. In contrast, Jews count by the moon whose influence comes specifically through calculation (this is discussed at length in Kuntres U'Maayan). His evil intent was that his drawing down would prevail.

Days depend on counting by the sun; months depend on counting by the moon; and counting days within a month combines both systems. Therefore, Haman began his lottery with days of the week—because that was his source of influence—and only afterward moved to months.

The Jews through self-sacrifice at that time reached into the inner aspect of makif—where there is absolutely no place for non-Jews at all and no sin of Jews has any effect: "He did not look at wrongdoing in Yaakov... because Hashem his G-d is with him" (see Likkutei Torah BeYarach LeVavtani sec. 2 and VeLo Ava). Even though on a lower level this was only realized after their self-sacrifice, on a higher level where everything is revealed and known this was already apparent at the time Haman cast his lot.

This also clarifies another question: In Midrash it says that Haman's lottery for days of the week did not succeed at all while with months there was room for error. Seemingly based on what was said above about counting by the sun etc., it should be reversed! But as explained above—regarding lotteries for days of the week whose system does not pertain at all to human action (makif)—and within its inner aspect where everything is revealed—there can be no error whatsoever. In contrast, with lotteries for months or specific days within a month where human involvement exists there can be confusion.

Similarly afterward there were differences between towns: walled cities celebrated later while villages celebrated earlier etc.

This corresponds as well to three aspects found in Purim itself: personally one must reach "ad delo yada" (until one does not know), "the head that cannot be known," and what becomes clothed within him (see Likkutei Torah end of discourses on Yom Kippur—like Purim); below that stands Achashverosh whose end and beginning are one.

For others—in terms of spiritual order—there are two aspects: "ish l're'eihu" (gifts between friends) even when one lacks nothing—sovev kol almin (encompassing light)—which corresponds to "medi"; while gifts to poor people correspond to memale kol almin (pervading light)—which corresponds to "paras," divided among those who hunger (see additions to Torah Or discourse Lehavin Seder Sason v'Simchah).

Blessings for immediate teshuvah and immediate redemption; wishing you a kosher and joyous Pesach holiday.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that each year brings new spiritual opportunities requiring us to create vessels for higher Divine light. He connects this idea with Purim’s deeper meaning—the interplay between fate and Divine providence—and encourages active involvement in spreading Chassidus everywhere possible.