The Kedushas Levi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of
Berdichov, explains (Kedushos L’Purim, Kedusha
Revi’is): “The Miracle of Purim was so great, in that
everything that Haman did for his own benefit or
to harm Yisrael was ultimately for Yisrael’s benefit
– such as advising to kill Vashti and preparing the
gallows for hanging. All his actions turned out
to be for Yisrael’s benefit and for Haman’s own
downfall, as we find in Tanna D’Bei Eliyahu (Rabba
21; Vayikra Rabba 5:4): ‘My cow’s foot broke for
my own good.’
“From this, we can see that if something
seemingly detrimental occurs to a person, he
should think it is all for the good. He needs to
remember that everything comes from Hashem
and that since this is true, it is surely for his
benefit, for Hashem is a good King and certainly
nothing bad will come from Him. This is the light of
Purim – that from all of Haman’s evil, good things
resulted.”
The Berdichover further tells us that when a
person implants in his mind thoughts for the good,
thoughts that all “bad” will turn into good just as
Haman’s evil plans turned into good, nothing
bad will come upon him. If he will rejoice in what
seems to be bad and say “Gam zu l’tova – this, too,
is for the good” – it will all turn out for the good.
Then one will have nothing to fear, as it says in
Tehillim (112:7): “He will not fear evil tidings; his
heart is steadfast, trusting in Hashem.” It is all in
the merit of thinking and saying that everything is for the good, just as we see that in the days of
Mordechai and Esther that it all turned out for the
good.
This is the meaning of “A person is obligated
to become intoxicated on Purim until he cannot
tell the difference between ‘cursed is Haman’ and
‘blessed is Mordechai’” – that one is obligated to
rejoice in this light of Purim. Which is to say, that
he sees no evil at all in this world, that he sees
no difference between the evil things – the ‘arur
Haman’ – and the good things – the ‘baruch
Mordechai.’ Both are good and there is nothing
bad at all. Everything is from the Creator, Blessed
Is He, and everything is good.
We are instructed, “until he cannot tell the
difference between ‘cursed is Haman’ and ‘blessed
is Mordechai.’” This teaches us that all is for the
benefit of Yisrael, as in the days of Mordechai
and Esther, when all evil thoughts were turned
into good.
While throughout the year we live
with a clear differentiation between good and
evil, on Purim the demarcation lines are blurred,
and we reach an appreciation that even the evil is
ultimately for the good.
The Sifsei Chaim (Mo’adim II, p. 230) adds
further that while the Aramaic word “livsumei”
can mean “to become inebriated,” to become
intoxicated with wine, it can also mean “to
sweeten” (based on Maseches Megilla 7b, as
Rashi explains at length).
Indeed, one is obligated “livsumei b’puraya,” to
sweeten all the evil in the world. This sweetening
is achieved with the understanding that on the
Purim level there is no difference between the
good and the bad – both are equally good and
both are means to sanctify Hashem’s Name. As
such, we see that the gematria (the numerical
value) of “arur Haman, cursed is Haman,” is equal
to the numerical value of “baruch Mordechai,
blessed is Mordechai.”
When one has faith that even the bad is really
good, and he thanks Hashem even for the “bad,”
he sweetens the bad and causes it to become
good, and then the good is revealed. The Ba’al
HaTanya writes this explicitly (Iggeres HaKodesh
11): “Everything is ultimately good, but it is
not revealed. With this faith [that everything is
really good], everything becomes good even in a
revealed sense. For with this belief that the entire
lifeline of apparent evil draws from the good of
Upper Realms, which is Hashem’s unfathomable
Wisdom that is Eden above Olam HaBa, the
apparent bad is mixed and included and uplifted
to the upper goodness that is concealed.” May we
merit the great revelation of goodness that we so
await, speedily in our times, Amen.
["Kol Todah"]
