Reaching teshuvah through joy on Purim

בפורים הוא עת תשובה כמו דאיתא שיוה"כ ופורים הוא ענין אחד ע"ש בתקונים.

On Purim it is a time of teshuvah, as it is brought that Yom Kippur and Purim are one matter — see there in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar).

The Sefas Emes opens by establishing that Purim is a time for teshuvah, citing the teaching of the Tikkunei Zohar that Yom Kippur (Yom Ki-Purim, "a day like Purim") and Purim are essentially one.

כי הנה כל הנסים שנעשו לבנ"י.

For behold, all the miracles that were done for Bnei Yisrael...

He begins to draw a distinction regarding all the miracles performed for Bnei Yisrael throughout history.

הי' מצד זכות מעשיהם הטובים שהם מוכנים לנסים.

...were on account of the merit of their good deeds, which made them fit for miracles.

In most cases, the miracles came as a reward for Bnei Yisrael's good deeds, which had already prepared them to be worthy of supernatural salvation.

אבל בפורים הי' באמת גזירה בשמים כו' רק ע"י תשובה זכו לנס.

But on Purim there was truly a decree in Heaven... only through teshuvah did they merit the miracle.

Purim was different: a harsh decree had already been sealed in Heaven, and Bnei Yisrael were not deserving on the basis of prior merit. It was specifically their teshuvah that earned them the miracle of salvation.

לכן איתא שכל המועדות בטלין ופורים לא יתבטל.

Therefore it is brought that all the festivals will be nullified, but Purim will not be nullified.

This is why Chazal teach that in the future all the Yamim Tovim will, in a sense, be nullified, yet Purim alone will never be nullified.

כענין במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדין כו'.

Like the matter of "In the place where baalei teshuvah stand..." (Berachos 34b).

Just as baalei teshuvah stand in a place that even complete tzaddikim cannot reach, so the festival rooted in teshuvah possesses an indestructible, eternal quality.

ועתה על ידי שמחה יכולין לבוא לבחי' תשובה.

And now, through joy, one is able to come to the aspect of teshuvah.

On Purim there is a unique path: through the avenue of simcha — joy — one can arrive at genuine teshuvah.

מה שבאים ביוהכ"פ על ידי העינוים:

That which on Yom Kippur one arrives at through the afflictions.

The teshuvah that Yom Kippur achieves through fasting and affliction, Purim achieves through joy — two opposite paths leading to the very same place.

Summary: Purim is a time of teshuvah, deeply bound up with Yom Kippur. Unlike other miracles that came as reward for good deeds, the Purim miracle came despite a sealed heavenly decree, earned purely through teshuvah — which is why Purim, like the unshakable standing of baalei teshuvah, will never be nullified. And whereas Yom Kippur reaches teshuvah through affliction, Purim reaches the very same teshuvah through joy.