Blotting Amalek Reveals the Torah

איתא בגמ' הדר קבלוה בימי אחשורוש כו'.

It is brought in the Gemara: "They re-accepted it [the Torah] in the days of Achashverosh..." (Shabbos 88a).

The Sefas Emes begins with the teaching that in the Purim story Bnei Yisrael willingly re-accepted the Torah, completing what had been accepted under coercion at Sinai.

דכל מקום שיש מחיית עמלק יש התגלות התורה.

For wherever there is the blotting out of Amalek, there is a revelation of the Torah.

The erasure of Amalek and the revelation of Torah go together: destroying Amalek clears the way for Torah to shine forth.

והוא בחי' להט החרב כו' לשמור את דרך עץ החיים שהיא התורה.

And this is the aspect of "the flame of the ever-turning sword... to guard the way to the Tree of Life" (Bereishis 3:24) — which is the Torah.

The turning sword that guards the path to the Eitz HaChaim represents the barrier one must pass to reach the Torah, the true Tree of Life.

שעלי' נאמר על חרבך תחי'.

About which it is said: "By your sword you shall live" (Bereishis 27:40).

There is a "sword" of holiness — but the phrase "by your sword you shall live" was spoken to Esav, raising the question of who truly wields the sword.

אבל אין זה עיקר החרב שבנ"י יש להם עיקר החרב.

But this [Esav's sword] is not the essential sword, for Bnei Yisrael possess the essential sword.

Esav's sword is only a secondary, outer form; the real, essential "sword" belongs to Bnei Yisrael.

ולכן כתיב לפי חרב.

And therefore it is written "to the mouth of the sword" (l'fi cherev).

The Torah's expression "l'fi cherev" — literally "to the mouth of the sword" — hints that the true sword is a sword of the mouth, of speech and Torah.

וכתיב חרב פיפיות בידם.

And it is written: "a double-edged (pifiyos) sword in their hand" (Tehillim 149:6).

The "double-mouthed sword" in the hands of Bnei Yisrael is the power of their mouths — praise of Hashem and words of Torah.

אבל להט החרב המתהפכת היא ביד עשו והיא הערלה המכסה את הברית.

But the flame of the ever-turning sword is in the hand of Esav, and it is the orlah (foreskin) that covers the bris (covenant).

The "turning sword" that blocks the way belongs to Esav/Amalek; it is like the orlah that conceals and covers over the holy bris, the inner covenant.

ולכן חרב נוקמת נקם ברית מעמלק.

And therefore "a sword that avenges the vengeance of the covenant" (Vayikra 26:25) is from Amalek.

The avenging sword is directed against Amalek precisely because Amalek is the force that covers and obstructs the bris.

וזה שרמזו חז"ל בזכור כו' אשר עשה כו'.

And this is what Chazal hinted regarding "Remember... what he did..." (Devarim 25:17).

The author points to a Midrashic hint in the mitzvah to remember what Amalek did.

המשל מכלב השומר את הפרדס ע"ש.

The parable of the dog that guards the orchard (pardes) — see there.

The Midrash compares Amalek to a dog set to guard an orchard; like such a guard, Amalek's antagonism paradoxically prompts a person to draw closer to the King.

וע"י שנתחדש עתה מקרא מגילה כמ"ש חז"ל מ"ח נביאים כו' לא הותירו אלא מקרא מגילה.

And through the fact that the reading of the Megillah was now newly instituted, as Chazal said: "Forty-eight prophets... added nothing [to the Torah] except the reading of the Megillah" (Megillah 14a).

The one lasting addition the prophets made to Torah was the Megillah of Purim — a genuine new revelation of Torah.

הי' צריכין מקודם ללחום עם עמלק.

[Therefore] they first had to wage war with Amalek.

Since every new revelation of Torah requires the prior blotting out of Amalek, the new "mikra Megillah" had to be preceded by the war against Haman the Amalekite.

וז"ש ליהודים היתה אורה זו תורה.

And this is the meaning of "the Jews had light (orah)" — "this is Torah" (Megillah 16b).

Chazal interpret the "light" the Jews experienced after the Purim victory as the light of Torah itself.

כי תורה אור.

For "Torah is light" (Mishlei 6:23).

The equation of light with Torah is rooted in the pasuk "Torah ohr."

ואורה זו שהוסיפו מקרא מגילה.

And this "light" is the addition of the reading of the Megillah.

The specific new "light" of Purim is the added Torah of reading the Megillah.

וזה כח התורה שנטע הקב"ה בתוכינו ולא היו יכולין להוציאו מכח אל הפועל עד שגברו על עמלק.

And this is the power of Torah that the Holy One, blessed is He, planted within us, which they could not bring forth from potential to actuality until they overpowered Amalek.

Hashem implants the power of Torah within Bnei Yisrael, but this latent power can be actualized only once Amalek — the force of concealment — has been overcome.

ובאמת כל הגזירה הי' רק כדי שיבואו בני ישראל לתשובה ולזכות לתורה.

And in truth the entire decree was only so that Bnei Yisrael should come to teshuvah and merit Torah.

Haman's terrible decree was, at its root, orchestrated by Hashem entirely for Bnei Yisrael's benefit — to bring them to repentance and to a renewed merit of Torah.

רק שהחטא גרם שהוצרך להיות ע"י הסתר.

Only that the sin caused it to have to come about through concealment (hester).

Because of the people's sins, this benefit had to arrive disguised within hester panim, the hiddenness of the threatening decree.

וז"ש חז"ל בפסוק לא מאסתים כו' לכלותם בימי המן.

And this is what Chazal said on the pasuk: "I did not despise them... to destroy them" (Vayikra 26:44) — in the days of Haman.

Chazal apply "I did not despise them to destroy them" to the time of Haman, showing Hashem never truly intended annihilation.

כי לא הי' הכוונה לכלותם.

For the intention was not to destroy them.

The real Divine purpose was never destruction at all.

רק לטובתם.

But rather for their good.

The entire episode was directed solely toward Bnei Yisrael's benefit.

וכשבנ"י זכאין.

And when Bnei Yisrael are meritorious —

When Bnei Yisrael are worthy, the dynamic of how good comes to them changes.

הטובה בהתגלות.

The good [comes] in revelation.

When they are deserving, the good arrives openly and revealed.

וכשאין זכאין.

And when they are not meritorious —

When they are lacking in merit, the manner shifts.

צריך להיות בהסתר.

It must be in concealment.

The very same good must then come hidden inside apparent danger and darkness, as in the Purim story.

וז"ש כאשר שש כו' כן ישיש כו' להרע.

And this is the meaning of: "Just as [Hashem] rejoiced... so will He rejoice... to bring harm" (Devarim 28:63).

Even the verse that speaks of Hashem "rejoicing to harm" must be understood in this light.

פי' שיבוא הישועה ע"י סיבת הרע.

The meaning is that the salvation comes by means of the cause of evil.

The "harm" is only the outer channel; the salvation itself comes precisely through what appears as evil.

אבל הרצון הי' לטובה.

But the [true] will was for good.

Hashem's underlying ratzon throughout was entirely for good.

רגע באפו חיים ברצונו.

"His anger lasts but a moment; life is in His will" (Tehillim 30:6).

The apparent "anger" is fleeting, while the enduring reality is the life found in Hashem's good will.

רג"ע ר"ת "ראשית "גוים "עמלק.

"Rega" (moment) is an acronym: Reishis Goyim Amalek — "Amalek is the first of the nations" (Bamidbar 24:20).

The word "rega" (moment) hints at Amalek, "Reishis Goyim Amalek" — Amalek is the fleeting "moment" of Divine anger that quickly passes into good will.

וכשנקמו מהמן כתיב וחמת המלך שככ"ה.

And when they took vengeance on Haman, it is written: "and the wrath of the king subsided" (Esther 7:10), [the word] "shachacha."

After Haman's downfall, the king's wrath "subsided" — and the numerical value of that word carries a hint.

גי' רצו"ן.

Its gematria equals "ratzon" (will/favor).

"Shachacha" (subsided) has the same numerical value as "ratzon," showing that the subsiding of anger is the emergence of favor.

שנתהפך הכעס לרצון.

For the anger was transformed into favor (ratzon).

The wrath itself flipped over into Divine favor once Amalek was avenged.

כי כשיש מחיית עמלק נעשה עת רצון בשמים.

For when there is the blotting out of Amalek, an eis ratzon (time of favor) is created in Heaven.

Wiping out Amalek opens a heavenly time of favor, the concealment lifting to reveal Hashem's loving will.

ועל זה יסוד כל המזמור שדרשוהו חז"ל על מרדכי ואסתר.

And upon this is founded the entire mizmor (psalm) that Chazal expounded concerning Mordechai and Esther.

This theme underlies the whole psalm that Chazal read as referring to Mordechai and Esther.

בערב ילין בכי כ"ז שלא היה מבורר המכוון.

"In the evening weeping may tarry" (Tehillim 30:6) — as long as the [Divine] intention was not yet clarified.

The "evening of weeping" is the period of hester, when the good purpose hidden within the decree was not yet apparent.

ולבקר רנה:

"But in the morning, joyous song (rinah)" (Tehillim 30:6).

When the concealment lifts and the good is revealed — as at Purim — the night of weeping turns into the morning of joyous song.

Summary: Wherever Amalek is blotted out, the Torah is revealed, for Amalek is the "turning sword" and the orlah that covers the inner bris and blocks the way to the Tree of Life. The true sword of Bnei Yisrael is the sword of the mouth — Torah and praise. The new Torah-light of Purim, the reading of the Megillah, could be drawn from potential into actuality only after defeating Haman the Amalekite. The whole decree was in truth entirely for Bnei Yisrael's good, brought through concealment because of their sins; once Amalek was avenged the "anger" turned to "favor" (shachacha = ratzon), the eis ratzon dawned, and the evening of weeping became the morning of joyous song.