Purim 5782 – An Unspoken Topic of Purim
In Honor of our Parents Alfred & Esther Harary by their Children & Grandchildren
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Shiur presented in 5777
In Honor of our Parents Alfred & Esther Harary by their Children & Grandchildren
Visit YTATorah.org
Shiur presented in 5777
The passuk opens by saying that Hashem called to Moshe – ויקרא אל משה (Vayikra 1:1). The Ba’al Haturim discusses why the last letter alef in the word ויקרא is written small. In a sefer Torah most letters are written uniformly, the same size. The alef in ויקרא is written smaller than the other letters. The Ba’al Haturim says that the reason for that is because Moshe Rabeinu was exceedingly humble. He was the ענו מכל אדם, the most humble of people. In spite of his immense brachos, in spite of all the greatness that Hashem bestowed upon him, Moshe was the humblest of all people.
The Torah relates an episode that took place in the midbar where a nasi of Shevet Shimon faced a tremendous challenge and he publicly did an act that shouldn’t have been done. We have to understand that he did it with a cheshbon. It wasn’t that he just fell into a ta’avah. You have to know this man, Zimri, was 250 years old. He was past the ta’avah stage. But Pinchas came along and took his life. Pinchas performed a ma’aseh kanaus, an act of zealotry and he speared them both with a spear.
In the beginning of the Parshah, Hashem is talking to Moshe and tells him to come to Pharaoh “…For I have hardened his heart…” My Rebbi pointed out that this pasuk says that Hashem hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to bring upon him all these miraculous blows. Based on this, if Hashem would not have hardened Pharaoh’s heart, He would not have been able to bring these miraculous blows on Pharaoh. My Rebbi said, “What’s the p’shat in that?”
Now, this principle of Creation and Control is such an important principle because everything about life for every individual, Jew, and non-Jew, is built upon these two things. It refers to the fact that I’m created and the fact that somebody exerts control over the world and over my life.
Yesterday, we spoke about the power of the yetzer hara, where he comes and he challenges each and every one of us, and presents us with new things. He has innovations. He offers us opportunities for new, imaginary horizons. And people succumb to his tricks. He gets into our minds, and messes with us, and we fall for it hook, line, and sinker.
These parshiyos deal with the development of our Avos, and the common theme between all the challenges that Hashem put our Avos through is Emunah. Throughout our lifetime, challenges never cease. You should know that each one of us, in some form or fashion, endures the ten nisyonos of Avraham Avinu.