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Laws of Purim
And the general principle [introduced there] is: when the blemish of emunah [pegam ha'emunah] is repaired, converts [gairim] are thereby produced. And the gairim bring ga'avah [arrogance] into Israel; and through arrogance, a blemish of licentiousness [pegam niyuf] comes about, G‑d forbid. And the detractors [slanderers] of the generation draw up [elevate] the blemish of the lust for licentiousness, and from it comes the bechinas mochin-tefillin [the higher mind-states associated with the tefillin] — the bechinas a seal of holiness [chosom dikedushah]. And then it is the bechinas a dream through an angel — which is the bechinas [the level of] man — rather than a dream through a shade [demon], G‑d forbid, which is the bechinas [the level of] animal. However, foods have a share in [shaping the nature of] dreams. For this [rectification] one requires simchah [joy], which is the strengthening of the angel; and the essential strengthening of the angel is in Nisan. And at that time it would have been fitting for the blemish of that impurity to be annulled. However, there are cases where [the blemish] comes about through the corruption of justice [kilkul hamishpat], and the corruption of justice comes about through the raising up of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael [i.e., drawing impure elements up into the brain]. And then, through the corruption of the thrones of justice [kis'os lamishpat], the "loves" fall from the [Divine] Chariot [Merkavah], etc. For this [rectification] one requires the binding of the Chariot — the bechinas "His chariot was woven of purple [argaman], etc." [Shir HaShirim 3:10]. [See there the entire ma'amar well.]
Section 1. Now, Haman the wicked — being of the seed of Amalek, who is appointed over this blemish of impurity — wished to overpower Israel during the time of the seventy-year Babylonian exile, which is the bechinas shainah [sleep], [as is cited in the sefarim]. And his overpowering of Israel was through the blemish of foods, as our Sages of blessed memory said: "For what reason were the enemies of Israel [a euphemistic term for Israel itself] in that generation deserving of destruction? Because they derived pleasure from the feast of that wicked one" [Megillah 12a]. For impure foods are the bechina of the blemish of Adam's eating from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil — through which he blemished the drops of the brain [tipei hamoyach]. And through this he was cursed: "b'itzavon tochlena" — "in sorrow shall you eat it" [Bereishis 3:17]. And therefore the essential rectification is through simchah [joy] — the opposite of "in sorrow shall you eat it." But one cannot achieve rectification except through pure [kosher] foods, whose rectification is when one merits to eat them with joy, as is explained there. However, impure foods that the Torah has forbidden have no rectification whatsoever — and therefore one who derives pleasure from them is drawn toward, G‑d forbid, the aforementioned "in sorrow" — which is the blemish of the sin of Adam the first [Adam harishon], from which is drawn, G‑d forbid, the aforementioned impurity, over which Haman-Amalek is appointed. And through this the enemies of Israel [i.e., Israel itself] in that generation became deserving of destruction, G‑d forbid — for regarding this blemish it is said: "On the day you eat from it, you shall surely die" [Bereishis 2:17]. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory further said: "Because they bowed to the idol, etc." [Megillah 12a] — and this is the very same thing; they do not disagree, for the one is dependent on the other. For bowing to idol-worship is a blemish of emunah — which is the beginning of the blemish. And from this pegam ha'emunah, the aforementioned blemish of impurity then follows, [as is explained there in the aforementioned ma'amar, see there]. And our Sages of blessed memory also said concerning Adam harishon that he blemished emunah — as they said: he denied the fundamental principle [of faith] — for all the aforementioned bechinos [aspects] are bound together: the blemish of emunah, and the blemish of the aforementioned impurity, and the blemish of foods, G‑d forbid, [as is explained there, see there well]. For Haman's hold was from the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge [aytz hada'as], as our Sages of blessed memory said: "From where [is Haman alluded to] in the Torah? As it is said: 'Ha'min ha'aytz' [Genesis 3:11]" [Chullin 139b] — which is as stated above. And therefore he wished to overpower [Israel] in the month of Adar, in which Moshe died — for the death of Moshe is the bechina of the withdrawal of da'as, the bechinas shainah. And then is the time of his [Haman's] overpowering, G‑d forbid — when there is no rectification in all the aforementioned bechinos.
Section 2. Also, the essential strengthening of the angel is in Nisan, [as is explained there] — for at that time the appointments of all the angels are given, and at that time the [Divine] will is renewed, and it is then their time of joy. And Haman calculated to overpower them in the month of Adar, which is at the furthest possible remove from Nisan — for he reasoned that the further a given month is from Nisan, the more the strength of the angel weakens within it. Therefore he wished to overpower [Israel] specifically in Adar, which is at the furthest extreme from Nisan. And this is why the verse is precise: "He cast the Pur, that is the lot, from day to day, and from month to month — the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar" [Esther 3:7]. "To the twelfth month" — specifically — for this was precisely his evil intention: since it is the twelfth month from Nisan, which is the furthest possible remove from it, no other month being more distant from Nisan than Adar, which is the last month. Therefore he wished to overpower them in it, G‑d forbid — for he calculated that in it the strengthening of the angel had already weakened the most, since the essential strengthening is in Nisan, as stated. And this is what is written: "Yeshno am echad — there is one people" [Esther 3:8]. And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: Yeshno am echad — the word yeshno implies the language of shainah [sleep] [Megillah 13b] — for the main force of his power is at the time of shainah, as stated.
Section 3. And the rectification came about through the fast, as it is written: "And fast on my behalf, etc." [Esther 4:16] — for fasting is a rectification of the blemish of eating [pegam hama'achalim]. For through fasting, simchah is produced — which is the bechinas a ta'anis chalom [a fast for a troubling dream], [as is well explained there, see there]. And therefore Purim was established as simchah, feasting [mishteh], and a yom tov — for the essential rectification is through the bechinas simchah, which is the rectification of foods in the bechina of the strengthening of the power of the angel, as stated. And this is the bechina of the Purim feast — for one must specifically increase in feasting on Purim, since one has merited rectifying the foods. Therefore it is a great mitzvah at that time to rejoice and greatly increase the se'udah, to fulfill: "Go, eat your bread with simchah" [Koheles 9:7] — which is the bechina of the rectification of shainah, the rectification of the aforementioned blemish of impurity, [as is explained there, see there]. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: "When Adar enters, simchah is increased" [Ta'anis 29a]. For the essential rectification is simchah — which is the strengthening of the angel, as stated. And this is why they were precise: "When Adar enters, etc." — for in truth the essential simchah should rightfully have begun in Nisan, for that is when the essential renewal of the [Divine] will occurs and it is then the time of simchah, [as is explained there]. But since the wicked Haman planned to overpower us in Adar through the blemish of foods, as stated — and after we merited to overpower him through the rectification of simchah, as stated — therefore we now begin simchah from Adar. And this is: "When Adar enters, simchah is increased" — namely, because as soon as Adar enters we begin in simchah, which is the strengthening of the angel, in order to subdue and break the power of the wicked Haman through this, as stated. For in truth, although the essential strengthening of the angel is in Nisan, nevertheless we are able to strengthen the power of the angel throughout the year — and this is accomplished through simchah, for through simchah the power of the angel is strengthened as though the [Divine] will had been renewed at that very moment, [as is explained there]. And therefore we now begin simchah from Adar, which is the strengthening of the angel, as stated. And therefore the essential defeat [of Haman] took place in Nisan, for that is when the essential strengthening of the angel occurs, as stated.
Section 4. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: "What did Esther see [as her reason] for inviting Haman to the feast? To fulfill: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread, etc., for you heap coals upon his head'" [Mishlei 25:21–22; Megillah 15b]. "Coals" [gachalim] — specifically — for Haman's overpowering was through the blemish of foods, as stated. And the essential overpowering, G‑d forbid, works as follows: when there is no strengthening of the angel, the shaidim [demons] receive and draw great sustenance from foods, and the power of the shade [demon] becomes mixed into the foods. And since the shaidim receive, G‑d forbid, the power of the angel — and the appearance of the angels is "like torches, like coals of fire" [Daniel 10:6] — therefore when [the shaidim] receive, G‑d forbid, the angelic force, they thereby overheat with the aforementioned impurity through this, G‑d forbid. And this was Esther's intention when she invited him to the feast — so that she would give him bread to eat. She — specifically — for this is the rectification of foods: when we give them bread to eat. For when there is no strengthening of the angel, they draw much from the abundance [shefa], and we are nourished from the residue, G‑d forbid — since the shaidim receive much of the livelihood and the power of the shade becomes mixed into the foods. And therefore livelihood flows to the idol-worshippers, G‑d forbid, abundantly. But when there is a strengthening of the angel — so that the shaidim receive from the livelihood only enough for bare subsistence [k'dei chiyuno b'tzimtzum] — then all the abundance is ours, and they are nourished from the residue, and it is then we who give livelihood to them. And this is a great rectification — when we distribute livelihood to them — for in truth, they need to receive bare subsistence in a contracted measure, as is cited. It follows: when we give and distribute livelihood to them, this is the bechina of the rectification of foods. And therefore Esther invited Haman, to fulfill what is said: "If your enemy is hungry, etc." — for in truth one must give them enough for their [bare] life in a contracted measure. But this itself is a great rectification, since we are the ones giving to them. And this is: "for you heap coals upon his head." For now it is reversed — when they seize the abundance on their own and draw greatly from it, G‑d forbid — that is, when there is no strengthening of the angel — then they receive the power of the angel, which is the bechinas fiery coals, and they thereby overheat and are strengthened, G‑d forbid. But now, after [Israel] merited the rectification of foods through the fast, as stated — therefore Esther at that time invited Haman, to show that he no longer has the power to draw from the abundance; rather, she must be the one to give it to him, as stated. And it is well known that when abundance from holiness is drawn to them intentionally, it serves to subdue and humble them. And therefore now, when Esther distributes the abundance to Haman — who is the Sitra Achra — then it is certainly coals she is heaping upon his head. "Coals" — specifically — namely, the aforementioned fiery coals, the bechina of the power of the angels whose appearance is like coals of fire — for now, when they receive the power of the angel in a contracted measure sufficient only for bare subsistence, which is the bechinas their subjugation — then the coals of the angels blaze against them and burn them away, for from fire they issued forth and fire shall consume them. For this is the rule: when they receive much of the abundance, they are thereby strengthened, G‑d forbid, and they receive the power of the angel, which is the bechinas fiery coals, etc., as stated. But when they cannot receive much — only what is given to them in a contracted measure sufficient for subsistence — which is the bechinas their subjugation — then, on the contrary, the coals of the angels fall upon their heads and burn and consume them. And this is the bechinas: "for you heap coals upon his head" — "coals" specifically, as stated.
Section 5. And this is the bechinas mishloach manos ish l're'aihu [sending portions, one man to his fellow] — manos [portions] — specifically the bechinas man [manna], for the man descended from shechakiim [the Heavenly sphere where the manna is ground], and shechakiim is the dwelling-place of the angels — and it is the bechina of the strengthening of the angel in the bechinas play and simchah [sechoik v'simchah], [as is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar, see there]. And therefore the man that descended from there was an exceedingly holy food, for the Sitra Achra had no hold over it whatsoever, since it descended from shechakiim — which is the strengthening of the angel, as stated. And therefore the man was like something enclosed in a box — to show that the Sitra Achra had no hold over it, just as a thing placed in a box cannot be accessed by a stranger — for the man was without chaff [motz] and without straw [teven], for the Sitra Achra had no hold over it. And this is the bechinas mishloach manos on Purim — to show that now the rectification of foods has been achieved. And therefore now the shefa [abundance] flows generously from one person to his fellow, for now we have no fear whatsoever of the Sitra Achra — for the Sitra Achra has no hold over the foods of Purim, since now is the strengthening of the angel through the simchah of Purim, as stated. And therefore it is called mishloach manos — the bechina of the man that descended from shechakiim, where the play and simchah [reside], which is the strengthening of the angel, as stated. And this is the reason why it is customary to cover the mishloach manos with a cloth when sending it — this is an allusion to the man that was like something enclosed in a box. And just as it is written in the Shulchan Aruch that Shabbos loaves are covered with a cloth as a remembrance of the man, etc. — for mishloach manos is likewise the bechina of the man that was like something enclosed in a box — for the Sitra Achra has no hold over the foods of Purim, for then is the strengthening of the angel, as stated.
Laws of Purim
Section 6. Also, the wicked Haman wished to overpower Israel, G‑d forbid, through the bechina of the corruption of justice [pegam hamishpat] that is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar — see there well the matter of the corruption of justice that comes about through evil tefillin [i.e., through the drawing up of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael into the brain]. For this [rectification] one requires the binding of the Chariot [kishur haMerkavah], which is the bechina of the thrones of justice [kis'os lamishpat], etc. [See there well.] Now, Haman the wicked — may his name be erased — was of the seed of Agag, and he gained power over Israel through the blemish of Shaul [the King], who had blemished [the commandment] in the war against Amalek — in that he left Agag alive and showed mercy on the best of the sheep, etc. And this is the bechina of the corruption of justice that comes through evil tefillin — through drawing the drop of Eisav and Yishmael up to the brain, [as is explained there]. For "Amalek is the first of the nations" [Bamidbar 24:20] — for he is composed of Eisav and Yishmael, who together represent all the nations — for he is the first of the nations and is composed of all of them, and he is the essential contamination of the serpent [zuhamas hanachash] — the bechina of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael, which has no rectification whatsoever. Therefore Shaul was commanded to utterly destroy them — from ox to lamb, from camel to donkey [Shmuel I 15:3] — to eradicate all trace of them from the world entirely. For all things in the world require rectification, since all of them were blemished through the sin of Adam harishon, who blemished the drops of the brain [tipei hamoyach] — which is the bechinas "he sealed his flesh, etc." [an allusion in the sources to the blemish of the bris]. And through this, all things fell into the klipah [husk of impurity], and we are constantly engaged in rectifying all things in the world — to elevate them and sort them out from the klipah — [elevating them] from the bechinas "he sealed his flesh" to the brain [moyach], where all the sparks [nitzotzos] are rectified, for they are all rectified within thought [machashavah]. For this is the essential rectification — to raise up all the nitzotzos that fell into the klipah and spread throughout all things in the world — in the [categories of] inanimate, vegetable, animal, and human [domem, tzomayach, chai, medaber] — through the sin of Adam harishon, as stated — to elevate them to the moyach, which is the bechinas raising them from "he sealed his flesh" to the bechinas mochin tefillin, as is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar. However, there are things that we are forbidden to rectify — for they are the bechina of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael, which has no rectification whatsoever. And this is the bechinas all the prohibitions [isurim] of the Torah — for they are the bechina of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael, the bechina of the contamination of the serpent, which has no rectification — and moreover, when one raises them up, G‑d forbid, to the moyach, the moyach is blemished and the corruption of justice results — from which the aforementioned impurity is further strengthened, G‑d forbid. Therefore Amalek, who is the contamination of the serpent — the bechina of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael mentioned above — therefore it is forbidden to leave any trace of him in the world. And therefore [Shaul] was commanded to kill even the animals — from ox to lamb, etc. — for all of them are the bechina of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael, which has no rectification, and it is forbidden to engage with them to rectify them and raise them to the moyach — for the moyach is blemished by them when they are raised, as stated. And King Shaul, peace be upon him, blemished in this by leaving Agag the king of Amalek alive and showing mercy on him and on the best of the sheep, etc., to sacrifice to Hashem. And this is a very grave blemish — the bechina of the blemish of the tefillin mentioned above — for he wished to raise the animals of Amalek as offerings. For the essential nature of an offering is the aforementioned bechinas raising and rectifying the animal force [ko'ach habehamiyus] — which is the imaginative faculty [ko'ach hamedameh] — and rectifying it in the bechinas [the level of] man, as it is written: "Adam ki yakriv mikem korban l'Hashem min habehaimah... takrivu es korbanechem — When a person from among you brings an offering to Hashem from the animals... you shall bring your offering" [Vayikra 1:2]. For the essential nature of the offering is to raise [what is] from the level of animal to the level of man — which is the bechinas raising from "he sealed his flesh" to the bechinas mochin tefillin, [as is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar, see there well]. And Shaul who wished to raise the animals of Amalek — which are the bechina of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael — as offerings, thereby blemished the tefillin. For when the drop of Eisav and Yishmael is raised [to the moyach], the mochin and the tefillin are thereby blemished, and the corruption of justice results, G‑d forbid, as stated. And likewise he blemished in the fact that he showed mercy on Agag — for it is forbidden to have mercy on them. For mercy is da'as, [as is cited in the words of Rabbainu of blessed memory]. It follows: when one has mercy on someone, one draws da'as down upon him. Therefore when [Shaul] had mercy on Agag the king of Amalek, he blemished the tefillin — for he raised up, G‑d forbid, Amalek, who is the bechina of the drop of Eisav and Yishmael, to [the level of] mercy and da'as. And through this the corruption of justice came about. Therefore he erred in several matters, for he judged Dovid and the city of Nov, the Kohanim's city, as rebels against the monarchy, and he judged and ruled against them with a death sentence against the law. And similarly our Sages of blessed memory said that Shaul did not merit "lasukay shemasʾtesa aliba dehilchesa" — to bring the legal ruling to its definitive conclusion in accord with the halacha [Yevamos 77a] — namely, the bechina of the corruption of justice through the aforementioned blemish, as stated. And therefore he was deposed from the kingship — for the essential [quality of] sacred kingship [malchus dikedushah] depends on this: on the obliteration of Amalek, which is the bechina of the rectification of the bris, as stated. For sacred kingship is the bechinas "a woman who fears Hashem" [Mishlei 31:30], whose essential sustenance is through the rectification of the bris, which depends on the obliteration of Amalek, as stated. And this is what Shmuel said to Shaul: "Hashem sent me to anoint you as king over Israel, and now go and smite, etc." [Shmuel I 15:1–3]. For the rectification of his kingship — which is sacred kingship — depended on this, as stated. And therefore when he blemished in this, he was deposed from the kingship, as it is written: "Because you have despised the word of Hashem, He has despised you from being king, etc." [Shmuel I 15:23], as stated.
Section 7. For in truth Shaul was chosen as the first king over Israel, because he was the bechina of the binding of the Chariot [kishur haMerkavah], which is the bechina of the rectification of justice — for Shaul was from the tribe of Binyamin, and the essential binding of the Chariot is the bechinas Binyamin. For Yaakov our forefather's "bed was whole" [mitas shleimah] — since the drop of Eisav and Yishmael had already been sorted out [separated] to the outside — [and see all of this in the Laws of Chelev and Blood, where we explained it there]. And therefore Yaakov was the bechina of the rectification of justice, as it is written: "Justice and righteousness in Yaakov — You have performed them" [Tehillim 99:4]. And as it is written: "Justice to the G‑d of Yaakov" [Tehillim 81:2]. And therefore he merited the complete rectification of the bris and was entirely guarded from the bechinas "he sealed his flesh," as it is written: "My strength and the first of my vigor" [Bereishis 49:3]. And therefore he merited a whole bed and fathered the twelve tribes of G‑d [shneim asar shivtei Kah], who are the bechina of the rectification and binding of the sacred Chariot — for the twelve tribes are four banners [arba'ah degalim], corresponding to the four sacred camps [arba'ah machanot dikedushah], which are the bechinas "his chariot woven of purple" [merkavo argaman], as is cited. And the essential binding of the Chariot is Binyamin — for he is the one who completes Yaakov's whole bed. And as it is written in the holy Zohar, that for this reason Binyamin was born in the Land of Israel and not near Lavan — so that the bed [of Yaakov], which is the bechina of the sacred Chariot, should not be completed while at Lavan's — in the Diaspora — see there. It follows: the essential wholeness of the sacred bed is Binyamin, who was born last and completed the sacred bed. And when Binyamin was born, the bed was perfectly completed — which is the bechina of the binding of the Chariot. And therefore Binyamin merited that the Bais HaMikdash [Holy Temple] should be built in his portion — for the Bais HaMikdash is the bechina of the binding of the Chariot, for there the sacred Chariot was rectified and bound. For there was the Shechinah's [Divine Presence's] dwelling and the entire matter of the Chariot spoken of in Shir HaShirim, as it is written: "A litter did King Shlomo make for himself... its pillars... his chariot [was woven of] purple, its interior, etc." [Shir HaShirim 3:9–10] — all of this referring to the Mishkan and the Bais HaMikdash, as Rashi explained there. And therefore the essential rectification of justice was in the Bais HaMikdash — for in the Bais HaMikdash was the Lishkas HaGazis [Chamber of Hewn Stone], where halachic rulings were decided, and from there the essential true judgment went forth to all Israel, for the Great Sanhedrin sat there, etc. And therefore Binyamin, who is the bechina of the binding of the Chariot, merited that the Bais HaMikdash should be built in his portion — which is the bechina of the sacred Chariot, the bechina of the rectification of justice, as stated. And therefore he merited that the first king should come from his descendants — for the essential sacred kingship is through the bechina of the binding of the Chariot, which is the bechina of the rectification of justice, the bechina of the rectification of the bris, as stated. And therefore it was fitting that his descendants should carry out the cherem [utter destruction] of Amalek — who is the complete opposite of the bechina of the binding of the Chariot and the bechina of the rectification of justice, as stated. And therefore Shaul, who blemished in this, was deposed from the kingship — for the essential sacred kingship depends on the obliteration of Amalek, as stated. And through this blemish — namely, the corruption of justice, as stated, which Shaul caused by sparing Agag and the best of the sheep, etc. — through this came Haman-Amalek, who wished to overpower Israel, G‑d forbid. It follows: Amalek is both the beginning and the end of the corruption — for even the beginning of the corruption — namely, the corruption of justice — came about through Amalek: through Shaul the King's mercy on him. And through that very same blemish came Haman-Amalek — for through the mercy he showed [Agag], the corruption of justice came about, as stated, through which Haman-Amalek had, G‑d forbid, the power to overpower [Israel] with the known impurity, [as is explained there].
Section 8. And therefore the wicked Haman cast the Pur — that is, the lot [goral] — etc. For a lot is the bechinas justice [mishpat] — it clarifies matters by specifying the judgment and ruling of each person — as Rashi explained in several places. And similarly the lot is also the bechina of the clarification of matters. And as it is written: "A lot settles disputes" [Mishlei 18:18]. For the sacred lot clarifies true judgment. And therefore the division of the Land of Israel was done through the lot — by the Kohen Gadol wearing the Choshen HaMishpat [Breastplate of Judgment], as Rashi explained — for the lot is the bechinas justice that determines the judgment and portion of each person. And therefore the wicked Haman — may his name be erased — whose sustenance came from the bechina of the corruption of justice — therefore cast the Pur, that is the lot, in order to corrupt the sacred lot — which is the bechina of the corruption of justice, as stated. And the lot fell for him in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar — for he calculated that, since his sustenance comes from the corruption of justice — namely, the corruption of the binding of the Chariot, which was blemished through the blemish of Shaul who was from the tribe of Binyamin — who is the last of the tribes, upon whom the essential binding of the Chariot depends, as stated — and through Shaul's blemish the bechinas Binyamin was corrupted — the bechina of the binding of the Chariot, as stated — therefore he wished to overpower Israel, G‑d forbid, in the last month of the twelve months. For the twelve months of the year correspond to the twelve tribes, as is cited. And there are among them four seasons corresponding to the four banners [arba'ah degalim], which are the bechina of the binding of the Chariot. And therefore he wished to overpower, G‑d forbid, in the month of Adar — which is the last of the twelve months — because his sustenance came from the blemish of the Chariot, which was blemished through [the tribe of] Binyamin — who is the last of the twelve tribes, upon whom the essential binding of the Chariot depends, as stated.
Section 9. "And Mordechai knew all that had been done, and Mordechai tore his garments and wore sackcloth and ashes, etc." [Esther 4:1]. For Mordechai was the bechina of the rectification of all the bechinos explained in the aforementioned ma'amar — for Mordechai was a true Rebbe with disciples, for he had a yeshivah of students, [as is explained in the words of our Sages of blessed memory]. And through a true Rebbe with disciples, all the aforementioned bechinos are rectified. And the rectification of justice through the true Rebbe is through his casting himself into mire and mud [refesh vatiṭ] for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He, and removing all [worldly] wisdom from himself — which is the bechinas shainah. And through this he merits that the bechinas "a tzaddik to whom evil [befalls], a wicked person to whom good [befalls]" is revealed to him — which is the bechina of the rectification of justice, [as is well explained in the words of Rabbainu there, see there well].
And therefore, when Mordechai knew all of the above — that Haman's hold was through the corruption of justice — he therefore wore sackcloth and ashes, etc. — which is the bechinas casting himself into mire and mud for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He. For he removed all wisdom from himself and performed simple acts without any [display of] wisdom: he went out into the city and cried out with a great cry, and wore sackcloth and ashes — and through this itself the rectification of justice was accomplished, as stated. For through casting off all wisdom and throwing oneself into mire and mud for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He — which is the bechinas wearing sackcloth and ashes — one merits that the bechinas "a tzaddik to whom evil [befalls], a wicked person to whom good [befalls]" is revealed to him — which is the bechina of the rectification of justice, as stated. And this is the bechinas: "And Mordechai knew all that had been done" — for through wearing sackcloth and ashes, etc., the bechinas "and Mordechai knew all that had been done" was accomplished — that he merited knowing all that transpires in the world, for "there is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are tzaddikim who are treated as though they had done the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people, etc." [Koheles 8:14] — namely, the bechinas "a tzaddik to whom evil [befalls], a wicked person to whom good [befalls]." And Mordechai knew all of this — the bechinas: "and Mordechai knew all that had been done" — namely, all that takes place on earth, even [the enigma of] a tzaddik to whom evil [befalls] and a wicked person to whom good [befalls] — even this he merited to know and to comprehend. And this was accomplished through his removing all wisdom and casting himself into mire and mud for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He — the bechinas "and he wore sackcloth and ashes, etc."
Section 10. For Mordechai is mar dror [מָר דְּרוֹר] — dror meaning the language of freedom [chairus] — the bechinas Yoivail [the Jubilee year], which is the fiftieth year — the bechina of the fifty gates of Binah [Understanding]. And "Binah mekanena b'kursaya" — [Aramaic:] "Understanding nests upon the Throne" [Zohar] — which is the bechina of the thrones of justice [kis'os lamishpat]. And therefore Mordechai merited to rectify the thrones of justice, as stated — for Mordechai's attachment was to a very exalted level, which is the secret of the revelation of hidden wisdom [Chochmah stima'ah], which is revealed specifically at the time of shainah and deep slumber [durmita] — for precisely at the time of shainah — namely, when all [worldly] wisdom is removed, which is the bechinas shainah — then the illumination of Mordechai is revealed: the revelation of Chochmah stima'ah — meaning, the wisdom hidden and concealed from all eyes is revealed — namely, the comprehension of the enigma of "a tzaddik to whom evil [befalls] and a wicked person to whom good [befalls]." And through this the bechina of the thrones of justice is rectified — for this is the bechina of the rectification of justice, as stated. [And see well in Pri Aytz Chaim, in the kavanos [meditations] of Purim, and in the words of Rabbainu mentioned above, well.]
And the wicked Haman who wished to overpower Mordechai through the corruption of justice — namely, the corruption of the thrones of justice, G‑d forbid — therefore devised the plan to make a tree fifty cubits high on which to hang Mordechai — for he wished to corrupt the bechina of the fifty gates of Binah, which are the bechina of the thrones of justice — from the blemish of which his hold derived, as stated. And this is the secret of the goral [lot] he cast — for there is the root of the goral: namely, within Binah, which is the bechina of the thrones of justice, lies the secret of the goral — for from there judgment goes forth to all who come into the world, and each person is given according to his goral and judgment. And this is the bechina of the goral of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur — for Yom Kippur is in the secret of Yoivail, the bechina of the fifty gates of Binah, as is cited — and then the thrones of justice are rectified — and then the Kohen Gadol entered the innermost sanctum [lifnai velifnim]. And then the Kohen Gadol would cast the goral over the two goats — one goral for Hashem and one goral for Azazel — for from there and below begins the hold of strict judgment [din], from which the Sitra Achra in the bechinas Azazel draws its sustenance. And one must, on Yom Kippur — when the thrones of justice are rectified — repair the sacred goral in the bechinas sacred justice. And the essential rectification is through expelling from there the hold of the Sitra Achra and giving it its portion — namely, one goat for Azazel — which is the bechinas not wishing to raise the drop of Eisav and Yishmael — which is the power of the Sitra Achra, the contamination of the serpent — to the sacred [level], that is, to the moyach, G‑d forbid. Rather, on the contrary, we ourselves expel it outward — for we ourselves give it its portion — namely, one goat for Azazel — so that it should not remain attached to us, so that the justice should not be corrupted, G‑d forbid, through this. And therefore Haman — who was attached through the corruption of justice, through the corruption of the goral, by virtue of Shaul's blemish, who wished to raise the drop of Eisav and Yishmael to the moyach — therefore cast the Pur, that is the goral — for he wished to overturn the goral and the justice against Israel for evil, G‑d forbid — through the corruption of justice and the goral, as stated. And therefore he made a tree fifty cubits high — for he wished to rule over Mordechai through the corruption of justice — which is the bechinas Yoivail, the bechina of the fifty gates of Binah, as stated. For through the corruption of justice, G‑d forbid, Amalek is aroused, as stated. And afterwards, when [Israel] merited — through Hashem's mercies — the rectification of justice through Mordechai, as stated, his evil intention was turned back upon his own head, and they hanged him on the tree which he had prepared for Mordechai — for the bechina of the thrones of justice was rectified, and what had been blemished was repaired. And then Haman-Amalek was uprooted from the very root of his hold and was hanged on the fifty-cubit-high tree — for from there itself came his downfall: he was uprooted from there and fell to the lowest depths [she'ol tachtiyos]. For the justice was rectified, and Haman-Amalek was expelled and separated from there — which is the bechina of the hanging: they raise him to the top of the tree and from there specifically drop and fell him — in order to uproot him from his source entirely — namely, from the bechina of the fifty gates of Binah clothed in the thrones of justice — from which he wished to draw sustenance through the corruption of justice — and against which he made a tree fifty cubits high. And now, since [Israel] merited the rectification of justice, from there itself came his downfall — for he was uprooted from there and brought down to the lowest depths — which is the bechina of the hanging: they raise him to the top of the tree and from there drop him and fell him, in order to uproot him from his root entirely, as stated. And similarly the goral and the justice were overturned for evil against the seed of Amalek — all through the rectification of justice, which is the bechina of the goral. And then they were uprooted and obliterated through that very goral — for the goral was rectified, which is the bechina of the rectification of justice, as stated.
Section 11. And this is the bechinas matanos la'evyonim [gifts to the poor] that are given on Purim — for tzedakah is the bechina of the rectification of justice, in the bechinas: "Justice and righteousness in Yaakov — You have performed them." And as is cited in the words of Rabbainu, may his light shine, elsewhere — in the ma'amar "Emor el hakohanim" [Likutay Moharan I, §2] — that tzedakah is the bechinas mishpat, the bechinas: "for G‑d is the Judge: He humbles one and exalts another" [Tehillim 75:8] — see there. And therefore Haman wished to corrupt the tzedakah of Israel, and wished to weigh ten thousand kikar of silver against the shekalim of Israel, as our Sages of blessed memory said [Megillah 13b] — for his entire evil intention was to increase, G‑d forbid, the corruption of justice, as stated. And therefore, when [Israel] merited to defeat him and topple him, they instituted matanos la'evyonim — namely, tzedakah — which is the bechina of the rectification of justice, as stated. And therefore tzedakah is the rectification of the bris, as is cited — for the rectification of justice is the rectification of the bris, as stated. And then the shefa [abundance] flows to sacred kingship [malchus dikedushah] — which is the bechinas Shemini Atzeres, [as is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar] — which is itself the bechinas tzedakah: causing abundance to flow to the poor and needy, who are the bechina of the feminine [nukva] — the bechinas malchus dikedushah, which "lais lah m'garma klum" — [Aramaic:] "has nothing of its own" [Zohar] — which is the essential rectification of the bris, [as is cited elsewhere].
Section 12. And this is the bechina of the omer of barley. "For the Jews there was light and simchah and gladness and honor" [Esther 8:16] — "these [refer to] tefillin" [Megillah 16b]. And this is the bechina of the reading of the Megilah. "They fulfilled and accepted" [Esther 9:27] — "they re-affirmed what they had [originally] accepted in the days of Achashverosh" [Shabbos 88a]. "The Torah was not given except [to those who ate the manna], etc." [a related tradition]. "Write this as a memorial in the book" [Shemos 17:14]. "There He [G‑d] set for them a statute and a judgment, and there He tested them" [Shemos 15:25] — namely, through the water — which is the bechinas mishpat. "Tziyon will be redeemed through mishpat, and those who return to her through righteousness" [Yeshayahu 1:27]. "And He shall judge the poor with righteousness" [Yeshayahu 11:4]. "And the days of Purim shall not pass away" [Esther 9:28]. And therefore they called these days Purim, after the name of the Pur [lot] — for this is the essential power of the miracle: that justice was rectified — which is the bechina of the rectification of the goral, as stated. And this is the bechinas: "A person is obligated to become intoxicated [livsumai] on Purim until he cannot distinguish between 'cursed is Haman' and 'blessed is Mordechai'" [Megillah 7b].
📜 Translator's Summary — Purim Halacha 3
- Central Theme: Based on Likutay Moharan II:5 (beginning from emunah), this halacha traces how Haman's power flows from the corruption of justice (pegam hamishpat), which in turn stems from the blemish in tefillin — drawing the drop of Eisav and Yishmael (impure seed) into the moyach (brain), corrupting the higher faculties.
- Shaul's Root Blemish: Shaul's sparing of Agag and the best of Amalek's flocks was a form of mercy — which draws da'as — wrongly extended to Amalek. This corrupted the thrones of justice, giving Haman-Amalek his opening.
- Binyamin and the Chariot: Binyamin completed Yaakov's "whole bed" — the sacred Chariot of holiness. The Bais HaMikdash was built in his portion. Shaul, from Binyamin's tribe, was uniquely suited to eradicate Amalek — the polar opposite of the Chariot.
- The Goral (Lot) = Justice: The goral is a form of divine justice — it sorts and assigns each thing to its true place. Haman's casting the Pur was an attempt to corrupt sacred justice. Yom Kippur's gorals (for Hashem and for Azazel) operate on the same mystical axis.
- Mordechai = Freedom (Mar Dror): Mordechai's name encodes dror — freedom / Yoivail — fifty gates of Binah — the thrones of justice. By casting himself into "mire and mud" (removing worldly wisdom / wearing sackcloth and ashes), he rectified the thrones of justice and accessed Chochmah stima'ah (hidden wisdom).
- Haman's Fifty-Cubit Tree: Haman's tree was precisely fifty cubits — aimed at dominating the fifty gates of Binah. When justice was rectified, he was uprooted from that very level — hanged on the tree he built, cast from holiness to the abyss.
- Matanos La'evyonim = Tzedakah = Justice: The mitzvah of giving to the poor rectifies the very justice Haman sought to corrupt — and thereby rectifies the bris and channels shefa to malchus dikedushah.
- Simchah from Adar: Although the angel's primary strengthening is in Nisan, Adar is when we begin — because that is when Haman chose to attack. Our simchah is a pre-emptive counter-force, strengthening the angel in Haman's own chosen battleground.
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