Rav Goldvicht: Purim

The 7th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht, founder (1952) and rosh yeshiva, Kerem B’Yavne  (1994). Born in Yerushalayim, he attended Yeshiva Etz Chaim under Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer. Thereafter, he learned under the guidance of Rav Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav. After marrying his wife, Miriam, he moved to Bnei

Brak where he studied under the Chazon Ish and was also close to Rav Isaac Sher.

Chazal teach: “Just as when the month of Av enters we decrease our joy, so when Adar enters we increase our joy.” In what way is our increased joy in Adar tied to our decreased joy in Av? Rav Goldvicht asks.

The bet hamikdash was destroyed on the ninth of Av because on thatdate the spies returned from Eretz Yisrael with their bad report. Why didn’t the spies want to settle in the Land of Israel?  Chazal say that they preferred staying in the desert, where serving Hashem came naturally, to leading mundane lives in Eretz Yisrael, where they would face many spiritual challenges.

The Jews of the Purim story did the opposite.  Chazal teach that until the time of Mordechai and Esther, Torah observance was not completely binding.  However, the Jews of that period not only accepted the Torah as a binding obligation, they added the new mitzvot of Purim.  Thus, they mitigated somewhat the sorrow of Av.

Rashi writes that Adar is joyous because it ushers  in Purim and Pesach.  But Pesach existed long before Purim, notes Rav Goldvicht.

Why should it be mentioned here?  The answer is that before the Purim miracle, Pesach itself was less joyous, indeed it was slightly embarrassing.  The Jews did not deserve to be taken out of Egypt; Hashem took them out only because they were destined to accept the Torah.  Thus, only after the Purim miracle, when the Jews had fully accepted the Torah could they truly rejoice on Pesach.  (Arba’ah Ma’amarim B’aggadah)