Purim's New Light: The Hidden and Revealed Torah

ובענין המגילה דנק' ספר ונקראת אגרת דאיתא בגמרא פלוגתא אי תורה חתומה ניתנה.

Concerning the Megillah, which is called a "sefer" (scroll/book) and is also called an "iggeres" (letter) — for there is in the Gemara a dispute as to whether the Torah was given sealed (chasumah).

The Megillah carries two names — "book" and "letter" — which the Sefas Emes links to a machlokes in the Gemara about whether the Torah was given as one sealed whole.

או מגילה מגילה ניתנה.

Or whether it was given scroll by scroll (megillah megillah), section by section.

The other view holds the Torah was given piecemeal, in separate scrolls, over time.

וקי"ל דמשום עת לעשות לה' נכתבת מגילה ע"ש בגיטין.

And we hold (according to the conclusion) that it is "because it is a time to act for Hashem" (Tehillim 119:126) that it was written as a megillah — see there in Gittin.

The halachic resolution is that the Torah is essentially one sealed whole, but the principle "a time to act for Hashem" permitted writing it down in separate scrolls.

והענין יש לבאר ע"פ מ"ש בזוה"ק דאורייתא סתים וגליא.

And the matter can be explained according to what is written in the Zohar HaKadosh, that the Torah is "concealed and revealed" (sasim ve'galya).

The Zohar teaches the Torah has two dimensions — a hidden, sealed inner aspect and a revealed, manifest outer aspect.

ובוודאי התורה סתומה שהיא שמותיו של הקב"ה היא חתומה והיא אחדות אחד.

And certainly the concealed Torah — which is the Names of the Holy One, Blessed is He — is sealed, and it is an absolute unity.

In its hidden essence the Torah is nothing but the Names of Hashem, an indivisible oneness that cannot be broken into parts.

והוא שם אחד ובבחי' זו חתומה ניתנה.

And it is one Name; and in this aspect it was given sealed.

As the hidden, unified Name of Hashem, the Torah was indeed given as one sealed whole.

ומגילה ניתנה הוא דרך הנגלה.

And "it was given scroll by scroll" refers to the revealed aspect.

The view that it was given in separate scrolls describes the Torah's revealed dimension, where it unfolds into distinct parts.

אבל באמת סתים וגליא הכל אחד.

But in truth, the concealed and the revealed are all one.

The two dimensions are not two Torahs — the hidden and the manifest are ultimately a single, seamless reality.

ואין להפריד בין הדביקים.

And one must not separate things that are joined (ein lehafrid bein ha'deveikim).

Because the inner and outer Torah are essentially bound together, one may not, in principle, tear them apart.

ולכן א"א לכתוב מגילה.

And therefore it should be impossible to write [the Torah as] a separate megillah.

Since the revealed cannot be divorced from the concealed unity, writing the Torah down in fragments should not be permitted.

שלא להפריד מתורה סתומה.

So as not to separate it from the concealed Torah.

To write it in pieces risks cutting the revealed Torah off from its hidden, unified source.

אבל לפי שעה משום עת לעשות לה' כאן בפורים נכתבה המגילה.

But temporarily, "because it is a time to act for Hashem," here on Purim the Megillah was written.

The same dispensation that allowed writing the Torah in scrolls allowed, at the hour of need, the writing of Megillas Esther.

ונתפשט הארת התורה בהתגלות יותר מסדר הנסתר אשר לא כדת.

And the illumination of the Torah spread out in revelation more than the order of the hidden [Torah] would dictate — "not according to the law (asher lo k'das)."

On Purim the light of the Torah broke out into the revealed world beyond its normal concealed measure — echoing Esther's words "asher lo k'das," that which is "against the rule."

וכמ"ש עת לעשות כו' הפרו תורתך דייקא.

As it is written: "It is a time to act for Hashem; they have violated Your Torah" (Tehillim 119:126) — precisely "Your Torah."

The verse pointedly says "Your Torah" — the higher, concealed Torah of Hashem — hinting that at such a time even that elevated Torah is drawn down into revelation.

תורה דלעילא.

The supernal Torah (Torah d'le'eila).

"Your Torah" refers to the lofty, hidden Torah of the upper worlds.

ויתכן לרמוז זה במ"ש היתה אורה זו תורה.

And one may hint at this in what is written: "The Yehudim had light (orah)" (Esther 8:16) — "this is Torah" (Megillah 16b).

Chazal interpret the "light" that the Jews received at the time of Purim as a reference to Torah itself.

ולמה לא כתיב אור.

And why is it not written "or" (light, masculine form)?

The Sefas Emes asks why the verse uses the unusual form "orah" rather than the standard word "or."

כמ"ש תורה אור.

As it is written: "Torah is light (Torah or)" (Mishlei 6:23).

Elsewhere Torah is called simply "or," so why the change here to "orah"?

וגם לשון היתה.

And also the expression "haysah" (it was / there came to be).

He further questions the past-tense word "haysah," "there came to be," which implies something newly arising.

הלא מעולם התורה ניתנה ליהודים.

For surely the Torah was given to the Yehudim from of old.

The Torah was already theirs since Har Sinai — so what new "light" came to be at Purim?

אך שנתחדש הארה חדשה מן התורה בכללות בני ישראל מה שלא הי' מקודם.

Rather, a new illumination of the Torah was renewed within the entire community of Bnei Yisrael, something that had not existed before.

The word "haysah" signals a genuinely new light of Torah that came into being for the klal of Bnei Yisrael at Purim, beyond what was there at the original giving.

והיינו דאמרו שלא חידשו הנביאים אחר מרע"ה זולת מגילת אסתר.

And this is what they said, that the prophets after Moshe Rabbeinu introduced nothing new except Megillas Esther.

Chazal teach that the only addition to the canon after Moshe was the Megillah — itself the expression of this new illumination.

והוא מעין תורה שבע"פ.

And it is akin to Torah she'be'al peh (the Oral Torah).

This new light, drawn from Bnei Yisrael's own avodah, is of the character of the Oral Torah, which Israel themselves bring forth.

לכן כתיב היתה אורה.

Therefore it is written "there came to be light (haysah orah)."

The newly-arising feminine "orah" expresses this fresh revelation that came into being through Bnei Yisrael, like the receptive Oral Torah.

והי' עתה אחיזה לבנ"י בתורה מצד עצמותם.

And now there came to be a grasp (achizah) for Bnei Yisrael in the Torah from their own essence.

At Purim, Bnei Yisrael gained a hold on the Torah rooted in their very selves, not merely received from above.

ואח"כ קיימו למעלה מה שקבלו למטה.

And afterward, "they fulfilled above (kiymu) what they had accepted below" (cf. Esther 9:27, "kiymu ve'kiblu").

Chazal read "the Jews confirmed and accepted" as: at Sinai they accepted under duress, but at Purim they confirmed it freely from below, which was ratified above.

ולכן עתה שתיה מרובה מאכילה.

And therefore now [on Purim] drinking exceeds eating.

This is why the Purim feast emphasizes drinking over eating — a hint to the nature of the new Torah-light that was revealed.

כי תורה שבכתב נקרא לחם ושבע"פ מים ויין:

For the Written Torah is called "bread," and the Oral Torah is called "water and wine."

Since Purim's new illumination is of the Oral Torah — symbolized by water and wine — drinking is increased; the festive wine corresponds to the revelation Bnei Yisrael drew from their own essence.

Summary: The Sefas Emes explains that the Torah has a concealed aspect (its essence as the unified Name of Hashem, "given sealed") and a revealed aspect ("given scroll by scroll"); though they are truly one and should not be separated, the principle "a time to act for Hashem" permitted writing the revealed Torah — and likewise the Megillah. At Purim a genuinely new illumination of Torah, akin to Torah she'be'al peh, came into being from within Bnei Yisrael's own essence (hence "haysah orah"), as they freely confirmed below what was ratified above. This is why Purim's drinking, corresponding to the Oral Torah's "water and wine," exceeds its eating.