Why Read the Whole Megila?

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

The sages (Megila 19a) differ as to where a person must begin reading Megilas Esther in order to fulfill this mitzva on Purim. One opinion is to start at the beginning of the Megila, another is from the first mention of Mordechai, still another from the first mention of Haman, and the last opinion is that the obligation begins with the words: “On that night, the king could not sleep.” The final opinion is because this is when the main miracle of Purim actually began. The previous opinions agree that this is the main miracle, but hold that more details need to be added.

Rav Shlomo Brevda notes that all the sages agree that the Megila must be read until the end, which raises a question: If the reason for reading the Megila is to appreciate the miracle that happened then, why read the Megila until the end? The Megila ends with the Jews’ acceptance of the festival of Purim and details about how to fulfill it (mishloach manos, matanos l’evyonim, seudas Purim and the Megila reading). This is not part of the miracle; why must it be read?

Rav Brevda answers that it is not enough simply to appreciate the miracle and thank Hashem for it. Were that enough, we would be able to stop reading the Megila after the description of the killing of Haman and the enemies of the Jews. However, we must keep reading, because we need to learn about how the miracle affected the nation: We merited a new festival, replete with mitzvos, each of them bringing us closer to Hashem.

Also, toward the end of the Megila is a verse (9:27) that alludes to the fact that the Jews made a new acceptance of the Torah at this time. Rashi (Shabbos 88a) explains that when they beheld the miracle of Purim, the Jews accepted the Torah out of love. At Har Sinai, Hashem forced them to accept the Torah, and the Midrash (Tanchuma Noach 3) explains that the Torah shebe’al peh especially needed to be forced, because it is very hard to learn, and an intent student has to overcome physical desires in order to learn. At the time of the Purim miracle, the Jews were so full of inspiration after seeing how much Hashem loved them, that they accepted all the Torah willingly, even the Torah shebe’al peh. Therefore, we must read the entire Megila.

Still, Rav Brevda asks: the last verse of the Megila (10:3) praises Mordechai as being the viceroy and a great benefactor to the Jews, and that he was liked by “most of his brothers.” Why must we read this verse? What does it have to do with either the Purim miracle or the effect the miracle had on us? Moreover, the sages (Megila 16b) ask: Why only to “most” of his brothers? Why shouldn’t everyone have lauded Mordechai?

Rather, the sages explain that some of the chachamim actually drew away from Mordechai because his appointment into Achashverosh’s government took him away from Torah study somewhat. Of course, Mordechai reasoned that accepting this position was necessary for Klal Yisrael, and he surely continued learning. Nevertheless, these chachamim  felt that at a time when the entire nation accepted the Torah out of love, it was incumbent upon the leader to learn Torah exclusively, without making any outside considerations.

We see that the majority of the people, and the chachamim of that time, did not share this minority opinion, but the Megila relates this in order to show how enthusiastic the nation was then over Torah.

Derech Hashem (4:8) states that every year on Purim, we have to put ourselves back into this experience, and renew our own acceptance of Torah out of love. Of course, one should learn as much as he can on Purim. At night, we can surely learn, and even during the day, when we are busy with the mitzvos of the day, giving out matanos l’evyonim and mishloach manos, and preparing the seuda — still, a person should try to learn as much as he can. The Yesod V’Shoresh Ha’Avoda says that one shouldn’t leave the shul after Shacharis on Purim until he has learned something. This way, he is sure to accomplish some learning, and hopefully, later in the day he will find more time to learn. I knew a man who learned the entire Maseches Megila every Purim. The Yerushalmi (Megila 2:4) hints that on Purim, it is fitting to engage in this Masechta.

One should make a resolution on Purim that from now on, I’ll learn Torah even if difficulties arise. Whatever comes my way, nothing will take me away from my learning seder. If one is lucky enough to be in a yeshiva or kollel, he should resolve to learn for the rest of the winter zman b’hasmada, even though some of the people around him may be losing steam.

Even when bein hazemanim comes and we’re busy preparing for Pesach, spending time with the family and resting from the zman, still, make sure that the Torah is an essential part of every day. We should reserve a fixed time for learning each day, ideally in a beis medrash where we are in the company of others who are learning. Rav Yerucham Brodiansky would advise that whenever one has spare time during bein hazemanim, he should either have a sefer on hand, or have some Torah idea in mind, so that he can plunge right away into learning.

Bein Hazemanim should also be used as a time for taking stock of the previous zman. At the beginning of Vayikra, Rashi (1:1) explains that Hashem paused between various prophecies that he revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu “in order to give time [for Moshe] to reflect on what he had learned.” I once heard from a great Rav that bein hazemanim is similar to this: It is a chance for us to look back on the past zman and see what we accomplished, what needs perfecting, and to prepare ourselves for the next zman.

Rav Moshe Chadash, Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Elchanan, once related to his talmidim: “When I was a young bachur learning in Chevron, once, toward the end of a zman, I realized that I was not satisfied with what I had accomplished. I felt I had not utilized the zman enough and I wanted more. I went into a corner and resolved to learn until the end of the zman b’hasmada, and to continue in bein hazemanim and straight through until the next zman. During bein hazemanim, I went to Meron, where I said the entire Sefer Tehilim and cried and cried at the tziyun of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, resolving that the next zman, I would learn the entire Maseches of the yeshiva until the end, with Rashi, Tosafos, Maharsha, etc. Even if I would be without a chavrusa, I would still to do this. I kept crying there and praying that Hashem give me the will and the wherewithal to carry out this resolution.  The next zman I succeeded in doing this, and it was a big step forward for me.”

May we make a proper kabalas HaTorah on Purim!