Finding the Light

The Talmud (Megillah 16b) comments on a verse in Megillas Esther. The Megillah says ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר, To the Jews there was light and joy, rejoicing and glory. The Talmud defines each of these things:

• Light is Torah


• Joy is the Holiday of Purim


• Rejoicing is the commandment of Milah


• Glory is Tefillin

What is the deeper meaning of this? How are these connected to Purim?

Finding the Light

The Radziner Rebbe offers the following explanation. He explains that when Hashem created the world He hid himself within it. Our task is to find Hashem where He is hidden. In order to facilitate that search, He gave us the Torah to direct us to finding Him. Through the true understanding of Torah and genuine Mitzvah performance, the Hidden Light can be found. Amalek denied this. Amalek took the position that if God wished for us to find Him, He would have made His presence clear to us. God his Himself because he did not wish to be found. So who are you to try to find him. In overcoming Amalek we have pushed away a bit of that philosophy and revealed a bit more of the light from within the darkness.

The Joy of Intimacy

On the Holidays we have an opportunity to greet Hashem face to face. It is our chance to find out directly from the source what it is that we need to be doing with our lives. We can connect in an intimate way and find our souls opening up to Him. Amalek denied this as well. It was their belief that no person can have a direct line to God.

Recieving the Milah

The Mitzvah of Bris Milah is meant to instill in a person the concept that if he is careful where and how he bestows upon others, then he will also be perfecting his own ability to receive from Hashem. Amalek rejected the Mitzvah of Milah. When they attacked the Jews in desert they cut the Milah off of their victims and tossed them aside derisively. No human can do anything to affect his or her ability to receive from God.

The essence of the relationship

Tefillin represent the relationship between the Jewish Nation and God. Our Tefillin speak of our feelings towards Him. God has Tefillin too. They speak of His feelings for us. Amalek, denying that their can be a relationship of any meaning, surely denies the Mitzva of Tefillin as well.