"Purim Katan" (the date of Purim in Adar I) provides a good opportunity to take a look at a Purim story told by the sages, according to the surprising interpretation by the Rebbe of Lubavitch.
Rabba and Rav Zeira both got drunk on Purim. "Rabba rose up and slaughtered Rav Zeira." The next morning, Rabba asked G-d for mercy, and he was able to bring Rav Zeira back to life. The following year, Rabba again invited Rav Zeira to the Purim meal, but he refused, saying, "Do not expect miracles to happen all the time." (See Megillah 7).
Is this Story Reasonable?
(1) Can it really be true that Rabba actually performed such a serious act and murdered Rab Zeira, just because he was drunk? Is this the end result to be expected from the intoxication on Purim?
(2) When Rabba saw what he had done to Rav Zeira, you would have expected him to become sober immediately because of the shock, and to try as hard as he could to revive him. Why did he wait until the next morning?
(3) How did Rabba dare to invite Rav Zeira again the next year? Did he want to have a "Happy Purim" like the previous year? And what about Rav Zeira's answer, that he was afraid to come because they could not be sure that a miracle would take place? Does that mean that if they could be sure that there would be a miracle Rav Zeira did not mind being killed again?
Entering Safely and Getting Out Again
It can happen that there is such an abundance of light that a human being is not capable of handling it. The Holy Or HaChaim uses this concept to explain the actions of Nadav and Avihu, who "entered the Tabernacle intoxicated from wine." They were on a "high" from their actions dedicating the Tabernacle, so they drank out of enthusiasm, and broke into the Tabernacle. As a result of the great light that was revealed to them there, their souls left their bodies. They simply "lost their souls" and they died from their close contact with sanctity, "When they approached close to G-d" [Vayikra 16:1].
And that is what happened at the Purim Meal of Rabba and Rav Zeira. Rabba was in possession of very broad spiritual tools (the name "Rabba" implies a large expanse), while Rav Zeira's capabilities were more limited ("Zeira" is from a root meaning small).
When the two rabbis drank wine on Purim, when the mitzva is to drink "until they do not know," their souls were revealed. They rose up without limit in their love of G-d and their yearning to be close to Him. Rabba drew Rav Zeira up to a very high spiritual level, beyond his usual capability, by revealing to him extremely deep secrets of the Torah. While Rabba could tolerate the great light and continued to rise to even greater heights, Rav Zeira was not able to sustain his position. His soul left him because of his great desire to be close to G-d, and he died.
(The Talmud notes that the act of slaughtering an animal "is not killing but drawing it out" [Chulin 30]. The act of slaughtering is a way to raise the animal up to the level of a human being, by eating its flesh.)
The Soul Agreed only Once
During Purim one must be in a state of "not being able to know." One must leave behind all the usual tools. Rabba did not see any problem with the way Rav Zeria acted. Only after the end of Purim did Rabba make an effort to revive Rav Zeira, and he succeeded. The main miracle was the fact that the soul agreed to return to the body and did not insist on continuing with the great attachment to G-d which it had experienced.
The next year Rabba once again invited his beloved friend, Rav Zeira, since he believed that his friend had expanded his abilities and would be able to encompass the powerful secrets that would be revealed during their drinking. But Rav Zeira was afraid because he was not sure that he had advanced to such a stage, and he feared that once again he would die. If that would have happened, it was doubtful that he would once again experience a miracle and that his soul would agree to return to earth.
As for the rest of us, the vast majority of Yisrael, we do not have to fear that we will rise to heights where we will "lose our souls." We are not at such a high level that we can reach a stage of clinging to G-d, and we are therefore not limited in the joy of our Purim feast.
LeChaim!
