Rav Kook, who had studied in the famed Volozhin yeshiva in his youth, transplanted the Volozhiner Purim merriment to his own yeshiva in Jerusalem, Mercaz HaRav. Just as he would totally immerse himself in the special sanctity of the Sabbath and holidays, so too, the joy of Purim would radiate from his entire being. On Purim, the happiness would shine from his exuberant speech, from his eyes glowing like two joyous torches, from the lightness of his movements, and the lively content of his Purim Torah. Rav Kook spoke of the joy of Israel, an inner joy that sings within the soul. It is unlike the external delight of the nations that comes from transient desires, fading away in the wink of an eye. "O Israel, do not rejoice in joy like the nations" (Hosea 9:1) — our joy is fundamentally different than that of the nations. Confusing the Prosecuting Angel Our custom is to wear costumes on Purim, the Rav explained, because it is an auspicious time to frustrate the prosecuting angel. Temporarily, we adopt the custom of Amalek: we wear his clothes, become inebriated, and act frivolously. The prosecuting angel sees us as one of his own, and forgets about us. The obligation to drink on Purim is thus an obligation to abrogate the evil designs of Amalek. In the middle of his speech, Rav Kook stood up and began to sing with great elation, "Do not fear, My servant Jacob! Do not fear, do not fear!" Then, to confuse the prosecuting angel, he sang them again, in the same tune, but in Russian. In the following conversations, he spoke in a mixture of Russian, German, and English, adding to the Purim spirit. When the festivities reached their height, the Rav stood at the head of the table and began a lengthy Purim speech in which he interpreted every mitzvah in the Torah as a source for the obligation to drink on Purim. With a blend of erudition and ingenuity, he derived from every mitzvah a metaphorical, homiletic, mystical, or even literal proof that one is obligated to drink "until one cannot distinguish between cursed Haman and blessed Mordechai" (Megillah 7b). Waging War on Amalek That was the year in which evil and violence burst forth across Germany. Synagogues burning, beatings, deportations, and robbery. Rav Kook sensed the impending Holocaust. Suddenly, he rose, slid his hat to the side of his head like a soldier, girded his belt, and barked out like a drill sergeant, 'Come my sons, let us forge a battalion to make war on Amalek!' Everyone stood at attention, and the Rav energetically marched before them. Shouting commands in garbled Russian, he led his 'battalion' through the corridors of the house. He sang, and they repeated after him, "Blot out the memory of Amalek!" He passed among the columns, singing with a military tune, "Let the tribes of His nation sing praise, for He will avenge His servants' blood, and bring vengeance upon His foes" (Deut. 32:43). His eyes blazed and his body trembled with emotion. After Rav Kook discharged the troops and they returned to the yeshiva, he lectured on the special portion of the Jewish people. 'Our lot may be one of troubles, but nonetheless, "Fortunate is the people for whom it is thus" (Ps. 144:15). Even if we are persecuted all over the world, we are still privileged, since "fortunate is the people for whom Hashem is their God" (ibid).'
| "Israel never truly sins. Even in the time of Haman, they only bowed to the idols to show allegiance, but they did not truly worship them (Megillah 12a). Sometimes a Jew puts on a costume and pretends to be a sinner. But on the inside, he is as pure as crystal." |
