Erasing Amalek reveals Torah's inner light

ליהודים היתה אורה זו תורה.

"For the Yehudim there was light (orah)" (Esther 8:16) — this is Torah.

Chazal interpret the "light" that came to the Jews at Purim as the light of Torah.

דאיתא נשבע הקב"ה שאין שמו שלם עד שימחה זרעו של עמלק.

For it is brought: the Holy One swore that His Name is not complete until the seed of Amalek is blotted out.

So long as Amalek endures, Hashem's Name — and thus His revealed presence in the world — remains incomplete.

והתורה כולה שמותיו של הקב"ה.

And the entire Torah is the Names of the Holy One.

The whole Torah is, in its inner reality, woven of Hashem's Names.

ובכל מקום שיש מחיית עמלק מאיר אור התורה דאורייתא סתים וגליא.

And in every place where there is a blotting out of Amalek, the light of Torah shines, for the Torah is "concealed and revealed" (sasim ve-galya).

Wherever Amalek is erased, the hidden light of Torah breaks through — for Torah has both a concealed inner dimension and a revealed outer one.

ולעתיד תצא חמה מנרתיקה ויתגלה סתרי תורה.

And in the future the sun will come forth from its sheath, and the secrets of the Torah will be revealed.

In the time to come the concealment will be removed entirely and the inner secrets of Torah will shine openly.

ועכשיו מחמת אותו הרשע עמלק ימ"ש נסתם הפנימיות וכשיש מחיית עמלק יש גילוי הפנימיות.

And now, because of that wicked Amalek — may his name be blotted out — the penimiyus (inner dimension) is sealed off; and when there is a blotting out of Amalek, there is a revelation of the penimiyus.

Amalek is the force that seals up the inner light; erasing Amalek is what opens it back up.

וזה קריאת המגילה.

And this is the reading of the Megillah.

Reading the Megillah — which recounts Amalek's downfall — is itself this revelation of the inner light.

לכן הדר קבלוה בימי אחשורוש אחר מפלת המן הרשע.

Therefore "they accepted it anew (hadar kibluha) in the days of Achashverosh" — after the downfall of the wicked Haman.

The renewed acceptance of the Torah at Purim came specifically after Haman, of Amalek's seed, was defeated, since his fall reopened the inner light.

וכן איתא בברכת אהבה.

And so it is found in the blessing of "Ahavah" (the berachah of love before Shema).

The same theme is hinted in the wording of the berachah of "Ahavas Olam / Ahavah Rabbah."

וקרבתנו מלכנו רומז לזכירת מתן תורה.

"And You drew us near, our King" alludes to the remembrance of Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah).

The phrase "You drew us near" recalls Hashem bringing us close at the giving of the Torah.

לשמך הגדול רומז לזכירת עמלק.

"To Your great Name" alludes to the remembrance of Amalek.

The mention of Hashem's "great Name" hints at the mitzvah to remember Amalek — since the Name is made complete only through Amalek's erasure.

שכפי מה שנמחה שם עמלק מתעורר כח מתן תורה שהוא שמו הגדול:

For according to the measure that the name of Amalek is blotted out, the power of Matan Torah is awakened — which is His great Name.

Erasing Amalek and awakening the power of Torah are one and the same: as Amalek's name is wiped away, Hashem's great Name, the light of Torah, shines forth.

Summary: The "light" the Jews received at Purim is the light of Torah, whose inner dimension (penimiyus) is sealed off by Amalek and revealed precisely when Amalek is blotted out — for Hashem's Name, and the whole Torah which is His Names, is incomplete while Amalek endures. This is why the Megillah reading and the renewed acceptance of Torah came after Haman's fall, and why the berachah before Shema joins "drawing us near" (Matan Torah) with "Your great Name" (remembering Amalek): the more Amalek's name is erased, the more the light of Torah, Hashem's great Name, shines forth.