Here is the makor that Purim is greater than Yom HaKippurim. Year after year we are awaken from our slumber, the kol shofar peirceing the layers of sin than have encrusted our hearts. It's high pitched cry, an everlasting memory to the mesirus nefesh imbued within our nation by at the Akeidas Yitzchak. From our youth, we have been instilled with sence of the yirah, and a mesorah of the avodas hayom of the doros past. Every year, as we approach the Yemai Hadin we begin examineing our conduct, both in our interpersonal relationships and Devarim Shebain Adam Lamakom. Rabanim arouse their kehillos to teshuva, as we begin to arise for selichot. In the timeless words of chazal,
Aryeh Shuag Mi Lo Yirah!? We slowly approach the yemai hadin, sombre, and with great trepidation. With each passing day we strive to achieve greatness, in preparation for our gzar din. As we walk into shul on this glirious day, an oppertunity for teshuva, a chance to change or fortunes for the coming year. We are mitlabeish in our tallis and kittel, like meisim at the time of kevurah. Then are cleaned, nithar, and dressed in tachrichim. Pure white, naki micheit and muchan veomeid ledino shel maAlah. And here we are, shivrei keilim, soiled by our chataim new and old. Let alone that we have wasted a whole year, in not doing teshuva, and let alone that we have not fulfilled the many kabbalos we have accepted upon ourselves. We have brought additional ruin upon our souls, by intriducing a broad spectrum of new aveirus into our daily routine.
With Tefilah Zaka yom kippur has begun. On this day even the Malachei hashareis are gripped with terror. And with a voice so inspiring, the chazan begins the seder hayom.
Al Daas Hamkom VeAl Daas Hakahal, ani mivakshim Lehispaleil im Huavaryanim!
A soft and gently cry can be heard, as the tzibbur faces a new reality. Sifrei Hachayim Usifrei Hameisim pesuchim lefanav. We beg for our life, we plead for our children, and we share in the requests of all klal Yisrael. Parnasa, chinuch, shidduchim, cholim, machalos, achinu bnei yisrael.... is there anything we take for granted in this awe inspiring night. In our last words at night, both chazzan and kahal say
"YeErav Na Sichi Aleich Ki Nafshi TaArog Eilecha". With this we end the night, the atmosphere solemn and mournfull.
From the very oonset of neitz, many have already filled their seats in shul, eagerly awaiting the chazzan to begin.
"Adon Olam... Yigdal Elokim Chai... Shir Hakavod... even the very structure of our introductury tefilot leave no doubt as to purpose of the next 13 hours. We try very hard to express our tefillot, as the true Avodas Halev it was meant to be, but even that we fall short of. The loftiness of the day is beyond our grasp, the somber mood too much for our patience. Maintaining the propper composure is difficult, yet we push ourselves to comply, lest we defile this holy day, lest we regret our impatients for the duration of the year.
Yom Kippurim, does not amount the the level of kedusha, and Eis ratzon, that is Purim. On Yom Kippurim we afflict ourselves with 5 Innuyim. These 5 areas Food, Drink, Clothing, Annointing, Shoes, Marital Relations represent the 5 cattegories in which Humanity is teathered by the bounds of physicality. On Yop Kippur we can only attain the level of Malachim, if we deny ourselves these physical bonds. However on Purim, the Segulat Hayom enables us to utilize these very items, to use devarim Gashmi'im in attaining a greater level of kedusha, than at the final moment of Neilah, when we gloriosly proclaim!
Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad ....Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso LeoLam Vaed ....
Hashem Hu HaElokim
The level of kedush that is possible for us to attain on Purim is greater than even that! And precicely because of this, the Satan launches the worlds largest tzeddakah campaign, vacating the worlds Batei Midrashim of Lomdei Torah. He gathers our Balei batim to be mesameich at a local seudah, blinding their judgement with pretences of fulfilling the mitzvas Hayom. Our Nashim Tzidkanios, in who's zchus we owe our continuing existance, he occupies with preparing stunning Mishloach Manot, both for their families and for tzedakah, far beyond the neccesary 2 manot to 1 person, a act of chessed that leaves little time for tefillah. Our sons are tempted by dangers and addictions that unfathomable all year long (cigaretts, fireworks, bottlerockets, knives, and BB guns), and now deemed accepted and within the spirit of the day. Our daughters are tested in adhering to acceptable levels of tznius, and not those of the costume's manufacturer. The Yetzer Hara has dominated our Yom Kadosh on both a personal and communal level. Would we ever have hosted so many girls in the presence of our sons, does the kitchen truly serve it's purpose as a mechitza? And why should bachurim be directed into the ezras nashim, to receive a check for their tzeddaka?
The halacha is mechayeiv that Kol Haposheit Yad Notnim Lo. The explanation is well known, however sometime the most simple things, need the most reveiw. The Shulchan Aruch is replete with halachos pertaining to the propper decorum one must have, before engadging in tefila. These halachos guide us, and inspire us, in empowering both our kavana and koach hatefilah. A tefila belo kavanah, Keguf Belo neshama. The segulas hayom has proven it's capability in providing a yeshua, lema'ala miderech hateva. The institution of Yeshivas Mordechai Hatzaddik, is one such segula. But we cannot uderestimate the power of a simple tefilla, expressed from the very depths of one's heart.
Purim has a tremendious potential for kesusha, and for our tefillos to be Niskabeil. The recession has not affected the ability of the Robino Shel Olam to be Mefarnes. Nor has he created the shidduch crisis with no forseeable cure. Let us utilise Purim, and enjoy it, in the way it was meant to be. Albeit one does not need the same hachana as the yemai hadin, but "Hatoreich BeErev Shabbos Yochal Beshabas", and thus some measure of preparation is neccesary.
*sorry but i am out of time. May we at least have a meaningfull purim. And utilise yayin to be misdaveik to the borei olam, to see the kiluy kvodo in all of the briah, and to attain a mussag hayediah in ruchnius, that goes beyond that normal bounds of our sechel.
*moderator's please CORRECT ALL TYPOs
* Note to self, one line of leitzanus can be mevateil 100 sichos mussar. Save the jokes for a different crowd
