Q&A: Purim Torah
Purim Torah
Question
Hello Rabbi, below are a few humorous "Torah thoughts" that I wrote:
Everything Is Healed Through It
Lift Up the Gates
A New Light
For your enjoyment,
Wishing you a happy month of Adar and a joyous Purim!!!
Answer
Excellent, excellent indeed. Credit is due to the gentleman, who has delighted me as every year, fed me from his bread and given me to drink from his wine—the perfumer's wine and the juice of his pomegranates—even before I have come to savor, as substance itself, the vintage of Purim, where what is permitted was absorbed and the lower force prevailed.
And so as not to leave the page blank, I shall add some little grain of my own, and may it be God's will that I say something acceptable. For I was wondering just now whether reading this gentleman's Torah insights is a positive commandment of Purim eve, like eating on the eve of Yom Kippur, or perhaps it serves as a prerequisite permitting the reading of the Megillah—such that there is actually a prohibition against reading the Megillah without first reading his words, may he live long, beforehand. And one could bring a proof from the fact that if it were a prerequisite, then we would be casting aspersions on the earlier generations, before this gentleman's wellsprings spread outward—for how did our holy forefathers, of blessed rest, read the Megillah without that prerequisite? Let such a thing be buried and not spoken. We are therefore forced to conclude that it is a positive commandment, and not a permit removing a prohibition.
However, one can also take an axe to that side too—that it is a positive commandment—for behold, the earliest of the early ones, in the First Temple period, how did they fulfill their obligation of the Megillah before the institution of the Megillah reading had even been enacted (as is evident from Lot's commandments, and these matters are ancient)? It is thus clear that we are not concerned about casting aspersions when it comes to a positive commandment, and from there infer and apply it to our case.
And with this we conclude that it is indeed a positive commandment, and it follows that the gentleman is among those who bring merit to the many, shining like the radiance of the firmament and like the very heavens in purity; and he has even merited to violate "do not add," like Jeroboam's calves, having invented a commandment out of his own heart.
And I shall conclude with a layman's blessing, which should not be lightly dismissed. May it be God's will that his domain increase through students; may his house be a gathering place for sages; and may he enjoy abundant holy satisfaction from all that is his, and from his wife—"among women in the tent may she be blessed"—whose signature has scarcely departed from beside his own signature (though this requires further analysis regarding the second booklet, and perhaps it escaped his notice). And through this, with God's help, may they merit to publish their words in these pamphlets called Tehumin, HaMaayan, or Asif, and the rest of the writings mentioned earlier that save from fire—those who are careful, in accordance with the custom of our holy rabbis, not to publish a woman's Torah thoughts without her husband, and who are not concerned with the dictum that "a wife is like her husband," but are stringent in accordance with the view that "a husband is like his wife"—examine this carefully.
(-) The One Signing Here
Discussion on Answer
The site needs a like mechanism for posts like these; I chuckled with a full beard and mustache.
Read this aloud at the Sabbath table near Purim, at the third meal. If you do it in synagogue, everyone will enjoy some words of humor! And you'll get real-life likes!
Excellent! Tremendous more power to you!
The sages also said: do not read it as Megillah, but rather "reveal—give it to her," and some say it should be read as "what did he reveal?" And it need hardly be said what is correct, for all is sound and clear. According to everyone, one who reads in the Megillah sees that the word of God was revealed; and why indeed do we not find the Divine Name in it? Because it hints at disguise—He disguised Himself, and therefore we do not find Him.
Then came the one who openly declared at the outset, "until one does not know"; Haman rushed through all the streets and wept a weeping for generations. And how many beams was his body hung on? On this the sages disagreed. In what case are these words said? Scripture says fifty cubits, until his cubit stretched out; the verse therefore teaches, "you shall surely bury him"—after death. It is further written in the pamphlets, works of mischief:
Why did they not publish a woman's Torah thoughts? Because of the concern that "they shall become one flesh"? That is what is meant by "And Deborah judged under the palm tree"—because she was single, and there was no concern!
Do not read it as Mordechai, but rather "rebel alive"—meaning, he rebelled and lived.
Those who are meticulous should read the Megillah a month before its proper time, but should prepare the gift packages close to the time of distribution, lest the mishloach manot spoil. And one who has nothing should prepare a package with stones and cover it with decorated pages. And if he has none, let him put in newspapers. He has also fulfilled the obligation of sending a package.
One who reads "gila" must read every single word calmly, and when they reach Haman—everyone should eat hamantaschen. It is finished and complete, and we thank the Creator of the world for the great miracle He performed, saving many from destruction; for this we celebrate every year, endlessly, until one does not know.
It is a commandment to drink distilled water, provided it was not left soaking overnight. But if it was left soaking and he did not know—one may be lenient.