216 —פירוש עמוק של פורים, מסירות נפש, והפצת תורה באוסטרליה

B"H, Shushan Purim, 5706.

Shparton, Victoria, Australia.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Your letter from February 19 was gratefully received. We were pleased to hear about the money transfer because, naturally, the need here is very great. Besides supporting 25 girls’ schools (Beis Sarah and Beis Rivkah), the expenses for publications are also very large since they are not printed for profit, and large shipments are sent to Europe, etc. (The "Merkaz L'Inyanei Chinuch," "Machane Yisrael," and "Kehot" work hand-in-hand.) Therefore it is self-evident that every bit of help is timely.

Our Sages said regarding the mitzvos of Purim: "U'Mishloach Manos Ish L'Rei'eihu—two portions to one person; U'Matanos LaEvyonim—two gifts to two people" (Megillah 7a). According to Chassidus, this can be understood as follows: It is known that the miracle of Purim was that Jews were saved both physically and spiritually (unlike Chanukah which was only a spiritual salvation—see Torah Or at the beginning of Inyan Chanukah. See also Levush quoted in Taz Orach Chaim siman 670 s.k. 3). And Jews merited this through their mesirus nefesh al kiddush Hashem (self-sacrifice for sanctifying G-d’s Name) because they clung to the Almighty with simple will that stands above intellect and understanding. For if they had only been willing to give up their faith, Haman would have done nothing to them since his decree was only against Jews—as explained at length in Chassidus in discourses on Purim.

The purpose of mesirus nefesh is that it should influence a Jew’s daily life—that is, that only his G-dly soul should rule over his body and animal soul. The intermediary between them is the intellectual soul—as explained in the discourse Raba Chazia (from 5690 by my father-in-law when he was in America for the first time), among other places. We know that "there is no poor person except in knowledge and no rich person except in knowledge." Therefore one cannot truly call the intellectual soul (and certainly not the G-dly soul) a pauper; but one can call the body and animal soul so. This is the meaning of Purim’s mitzvos: after their then-mesirus nefesh they received such mitzvos which allude to this—that the G-dly soul must draw down its mesirus nefesh into even the animal soul and body as well—these are Matanos LaEvyonim (and specifically two paupers).

U'Mishloach Manos Ish L'Rei'eihu—the intellectual soul is called a friend (rei'a) to the G-dly soul; therefore it can serve as an intermediary as explained in that discourse (specifically two portions because intellect is only true intellect when it arrives at a conclusion after weighing both an idea and its opposite—kindness and severity, question and answer—which is what intellect is about as explained in many places).

Just as all these distinctions exist within a person himself, so too there are similar distinctions among people: There are those who concern themselves only with material matters; some have a natural feeling for others or at least for their own; some also reflect on their actions intellectually but always according to human intellect—not Torah or Divine intellect which they do not yet wish to know about. Here comes our holy obligation: each person according to his ability must bring all these aforementioned aspects toward truth—Torah and mitzvos: Mishloach Manos and Matanos LaEvyonim—to many people as above.

This is your great merit: that in a desolate land where there are currently so few Torah- and mitzvah-observant Jews according to your letter—you should be one who spreads and strengthens Torah and Judaism through your own example and words, as well as by bringing them Torah’s light through various books, pamphlets, journals, and essays. The merit of many depends on you.

Being certain that you will continue your above-mentioned work with even greater energy in future—with help from your family—I sign off with blessings for a kosher and joyous Pesach festival; immediate teshuvah; immediate redemption.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches how Purim’s mitzvos reflect deep spiritual processes within each Jew’s soul faculties. He encourages using personal example and outreach—even in remote places—to spread Torah observance widely.