Purim unity and the Oral Torah

מה שתקנו משתה ושמחה משלוח מנות ומתנות כו'.

Regarding that which [the Sages] instituted — feasting and rejoicing, mishloach manos (sending portions) and matanos [la'evyonim, gifts to the poor], etc.

The Sefas Emes asks about the nature of the mitzvos of Purim, which all center on bonds of unity among Jews — sharing food and gifts with one another and with the poor.

כי הנה ענין מגילה הזאת היא שורש ומפתח בנין בית שני.

For behold, the matter of this Megillah is the root and the key of the building of the Second Bais Hamikdash.

The events of the Megillah are the foundation and gateway to the building of the Second Temple, which arose in the aftermath of the Purim story.

והנה ביהמ"ק ראשון הי' ענין תורה שבכתב.

Now, the first Bais Hamikdash was the matter of Torah Shebichsav (the Written Torah).

The First Temple corresponded to the dimension of the Written Torah — the revealed, fixed word of Hashem.

לכן אמרו חכמים שנחרב ע"י ע"ז ג"ע ש"ד כו'.

Therefore the Sages said that it was destroyed because of avodah zarah (idolatry), gilui arayos (immorality), and shefichus damim (bloodshed), etc.

Its destruction came through the three cardinal sins — failures that are open and explicit, corresponding to the revealed nature of the Written Torah.

אבל ביהמ"ק שני היה ענין תורה שבע"פ לכן אמרו שנחרב ע"י שנאת חנם.

But the Second Bais Hamikdash was the matter of Torah Sheba'al Peh (the Oral Torah); therefore they said that it was destroyed because of sinas chinam (baseless hatred).

The Second Temple corresponded to the Oral Torah, whose root is the bond between Jews; hence its undoing came through baseless hatred, a breaking of that very bond.

ומגילה זאת היא ענין חיבור תורה שבכתב ותורה שבע"פ.

And this Megillah is the matter of the joining of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.

The Megillah unites the two Torahs, bridging the written word with the oral tradition.

לכן נקראת ספר ונקראת אגרת.

Therefore it is called both a "sefer" (book) and an "iggeres" (letter).

The Megillah's double name reflects its double nature: "sefer" like the fixed Written Torah, and "iggeres" like the living, transmitted Oral Torah.

וענין תורה שבע"פ הוא באמת כללות המדות טובות שנטבעו בלבות בני ישראל בנפשותיהם.

And the matter of the Oral Torah is, in truth, the totality of the good middos (character traits) that are implanted within the hearts of Bnei Yisrael, within their souls.

The Oral Torah is bound up with the good qualities innately rooted in the Jewish soul — for it lives within the people themselves, not only on parchment.

שהיא נמשכת משורש דביקות בני ישראל למעלה.

For it is drawn from the root of the deveikus (attachment) of Bnei Yisrael Above.

These good traits flow from the deep root by which the souls of Bnei Yisrael are bound to Hashem on High.

ולכן ע"י אהבת בנ"י והתאחדם אין שום חסרון.

Therefore, through the love of Bnei Yisrael and their unification, there is no lack at all.

When Jews love one another and unite, the resulting wholeness leaves no deficiency — together they form a complete entity.

כי בכלל נמצא שלימות בכל הענינים כמ"ש ממנו פנה ממנו יתד כו'.

For in the klal (the collective whole) there is found perfection in all matters, as it says, "From it [comes] the cornerstone, from it the tent-peg" (Zechariah 10:4).

The collective body of Klal Yisrael contains every needed quality; whatever any individual lacks is supplied within the whole, like a structure built of complementary parts.

והימים האלה מסוגלים לזאת ההתאחדות כמ"ש נקהלו כו'.

And these days [of Purim] are uniquely suited to this unification, as it says, "they gathered (nikhalu)," etc. (Esther 9:2).

The days of Purim carry a special power for unity, recalling how the Jews gathered together as one to defend themselves.

ועל ידי הקיבוץ שכתיב כנוס כו' כל היהודים גברו נגד עמלק.

And through the gathering, as it is written, "Gather [all the Jews]" (Esther 4:16), all the Jews prevailed against Amalek.

It was specifically by gathering together as a unified body — at Esther's command — that all the Jews were able to overcome Amalek.

כי בהכלל אין לו כח כמ"ש הנחשלים אחריך כו'.

For against the klal he has no power, as it says, "[Amalek attacked] the stragglers behind you" (Devarim 25:18).

Amalek has no grip on the united whole of Yisrael; he can seize only the "stragglers" — those who have separated themselves from the collective.

שיצאו מן הכלל.

Who went out from the klal (the collective).

The "stragglers" are precisely those individuals who detached themselves from the unity of the people, leaving themselves exposed.

כמ"ש ברפידים שהוא הריסות החיבור.

As it says regarding Refidim, which signifies the breakdown of the bond.

Amalek's attack at Refidim represents a state of "rifyon yadayim" — a slackening of hands, a collapse of the unity and connection among the people.

לכן אמרו בגמ' הדר קבלוה בימי אחשורוש.

Therefore the Gemara said: they re-accepted [the Torah] in the days of Achashverosh (Shabbos 88a).

The Gemara teaches that in the days of Achashverosh, at the time of the Purim miracle, Bnei Yisrael re-accepted the Torah anew.

דבמד' תנחומא פ' נח פי' מ"ש מודעא רבה לאורייתא והלא הקדימו נעשה לנשמע ומפרש דקאי על תורה שבעל פה שקשה לקיימה ביותר ע"ש.

For in the Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Noach, it explains the statement "a great protest against the Torah" — but did they not place "na'aseh" before "nishma" (Shemos 24:7)? — and it explains that this refers to the Oral Torah, which is exceedingly difficult to fulfill; see there.

The Midrash resolves how there could be any "protest" about accepting the Torah after Bnei Yisrael had so willingly declared "we will do and we will hear" at Sinai: the original wholehearted acceptance was of the Written Torah, while the Oral Torah, far harder to keep, had not yet been fully embraced.

נמצא דבימי אחשורוש קיבלו ברנון גם התורה שבע"פ כמ"ש:

It emerges that in the days of Achashverosh they accepted with joy also the Oral Torah, as explained.

The renewed acceptance at the time of Purim was specifically of the Oral Torah — and it was accepted willingly and with joy, through the very unity and love among Jews that Purim awakens.

Summary: The mitzvos of Purim — feasting, mishloach manos, and gifts to the poor — all foster unity, because the Megillah is the root of the Second Bais Hamikdash, which embodied the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah lives within the good traits implanted in the Jewish soul and is rooted in the bond of Bnei Yisrael to Hashem; therefore it depends on the love and unity of Jews. Amalek can grip only those who separate from the collective, but when the Jews gather as one they prevail — and it was through this unity that, in the days of Achashverosh, they joyfully re-accepted the Oral Torah.