Purim is one of the most joyous and exciting festivals in the Jewish calendar. There are several mitzvot we are required to fulfill, such as reading Megillat Esther, giving charity, sending gifts to others, and enjoying a joyous (and non-sobriety) festive meal. During Purim we read the MeGiLaT ESTheR which literally means l’GaLoT (to reveal) that which is HaSTeR (hidden). This refers to being able to reveal HaShem (Who is hidden) to the entire world. Though HaShem’s name is not openly mentioned in the Megillah, His Presence and Divine Providence that He engineers in this world emerge from the story.
In one of Rebbe Nachman’s lessons (Likutey Moharan I, 56:3), he speaks of Mordekhai as the authority who was able to bring the knowledge of HaShem to all types of people. The verse reads (Esther 2:11):
Mordekhai would daily walk about in front of chatzar beit hanashim (the harem courtyard) to find out how Esther was faring and what was happening to her.
Mordekhai – Is the tzaddik, the authority.
daily – This represents the Torah, through which we infuse our days with life force.
chatzar beit – refers to our external (chatzer, yard) and internal (bayit, home), i.e., our thoughts and words. God is concealed there, in all of them, even in the thoughts and words of those who are removed from God.
chatzar beit haNaShim – NaShim is etymologically similar to “sheNaShu (abandoned) and withdrew from the Omnipresent One”; they distanced themselves from God. There are those who were once somewhat close to God but have since forgotten Him. This is “haNaShim”—it connotes forgetfulness, as it is written (Genesis 41:51), “because God has NaShani (made me forget) [my troubles].” They have since forgotten God. And there are those who even now remember God, but their might has NaShtah (grown weak)” (Jeremiah 51:30), and they lack the ability to overpower their evil inclination.
This is why they are called nashim, because of the three aspects mentioned above: the aspect of “they abandoned and withdrew…”; and some are in the aspect of forgetfulness…; and others are in the aspect of weakened might. They are those who are removed from God, and God is concealed from them.
And this is the meaning of “Mordekhai,” the authority who “would daily walk about in front of chatzar beit.” In other words, he would walk about and look into the external and into the internal, that is, the thoughts and words of the nashim—i.e., those who have forgotten or withdrawn or grown too weak to turn to God. He would go to admonish and caution them with the ideas of Torah. For with Torah we merit daat (knowledge) of HaShem and by means of this daat we uncover the concealment.
to find out how Esther was faring – Mordekhai creates daat from the concealment.
and what was happening to her – He turns the concealment into an idea of revelation of HaShem.
