Bending and Bowing
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Fascinating Insights—The Sefer (in English)
Bending and Bowing
Why did Binyomin merit to
have the Beis Hamikdash in his portion?
We are taught that Mordechai
is a גלגל, reincarnation, of Yaakov and Haman of Esav.[1]
This is hinted to in that which it states by Yaakov and Esav,הצילני נא מיד...עשו, which contain the
initials המן.[2]
The Chida[3]
explains this is what Yaakov requested from Hashem when he said הצילני נא מיד...עשו, now it is Esav but in the future when I am Mordechai it will
be Haman, save me!
Since Yaakov bowed to Esav,
Mordechai doesn’t bow to Haman as a rectification. Where did Mordechai get this
strength from? He is a descendant from Binyomin.[4]
Binyomin was the only one not born when Yaakov bowed to Esav.[5]
As a result he wasn’t affected by Yaakov’s bowing. Therefore, Mordechai had the
power to withstand and refrain from bowing to Haman.
In light of what we mentioned we can grasp
why the Beis Hamikdash is in the portion of Binyomin as it is the place of
completely nullifying oneself to Hashem. Since Binyomin did not bow to Esav, he
merited to have the portion of land where bowing takes place, the Beis
Hamikdash. The Pasuk in the Megila teaches that it is called פורים ע"ש הפור because of the lottery, גרל.[6]
Reversing these letters, we notice it spells רגל, foot, that which
represents bowing, nullifying oneself.[7]
The following is some of that
which we do on Purim which comes from what occurred when Yaakov received the
Brachos:
1) How did Yaakov receive the Brachos? Through
dressing like Esav. This is one of the reasons given as to why we wear a mask,
costume, on Purim.
2) Just as receiving the Brachos was done
through a meal, we too have Seudas Purim.[8]
3) Just as by the Brachos it says ויבא לו יין וישת, he drank wine, so too on Purim we drink wine.[9]
[1] Corresponding to what it
says in the Megila והמן נופל על המטה, Haman
had fallen onto the bed (Esther 7:8), it says by Yaakov ויתחזק ישראל וישב על המטה, Yaakov
exerted himself and sat up on the bed (Breishis 48:2).
[2] Breishis 32:12. Also, Haman
said וכל זה איננו שוה לי.
Similarly, Esav said in regard to the Bechor, הנה אנכי
הולך למות ולמה זה לי בכרה, look, I will die, why do
I need this birthright (Breishis 25:32).
[3] Pninai Hachida, Breishis
33:3.
[4] Esther 2:5. We know Esav,
the ancestor of Haman, excelled in honoring his parents as Rabban Shimon Ben
Gamliel said no one honored his father more than him besides Esav (Devarim
Rabba 1:15). So who is the one who brings about the miracle of Purim? Esther,
the one who doesn’t have parents and therefore has no deficiency in כבוד אב ואם.
[5] It is because Yaakov bowed
to Esav that throughout history we needed to ‘bow’ to the nations of the world
in that we please them and the like.
[6] Esther 9:26, 24.
[7] Similarly, it is called שלש רגלים as we submit ourselves to
Hashem by the Beis Hamikdash at that time.
[8] This is in contrast to
Chanuka (see Mishna Brura 670:6). Breishis 27:19, 25.
[9] Breishis 27:25. Although
most women don’t drink wine on Purim (as is the opinion of R’ Chaim Pinchas
Sheinberg. see Shevet Halevi 10:18:2), there are those who say they should. But
only a little, not a lot since that would be a disgrace as in Kesubos 65a
(Chazon Ovadia, Purim, p. 176. Also see Orchos Rabbanu volume 3, p. 96, שו"ת רבבות אפרים, 4:173:10,53).
Incidentally, if we add the Gematria of יין (70) toנקבה (157) we arrive at a total which equals זכר (227). This symbolizes
that if she drinks she becomes like a male in that she becomes an extrovert
(see Kidushin 2b). This is contrary to the ideal way of a woman as in כל כבודה...פנחמה (see Tehillim 45:14).
