The Kabbalah of getting drunk on Purim
Background:
The Talmud teaches,”On Purim, a person is
required to get so drunk that he can’t distinguish between blessed is
Mordecai and cursed is Haman.” (Megilla
7B)
Celebration and intoxication to one extent
or another has been a regular and time-honored part of the Purim festivities.
Through the ages various sages have interpreted the Talmudic requirement to get
drunk on Purim a bit differently.
· The Taz, quoting earlier
authorities, stated that absolute requirement no longer applies. Therefore,
it’s suggested to drink for the sake of celebration just a bit more than one is
accustomed to.
· The
Maimonides stated that one should drink until he falls asleep and then he
definitely won’t be able to “…distinguish between blessed is Mordecai
and cursed is Haman.” (see Koren Talmud Bavli,
Megilla, P.233)
Based on Kabbalah, Rabbi Yosef Chaim of
Baghdad (1832–1909) understands the Talmud as suggesting that one should get so
intoxicated and confused that he actually mixes up the identities and can’t
distinguish who is Mordecai and who is Haman and thereby, accidentally casts a blessing
on Haman.
However, it must be cautioned that his
Kabbalistic explanation of the Talmudic passage is not necessarily an
indication of how he would have advised every person to practice on a case by
case basis. Besides, who can guarantee that a random person will end up drunk
in just the right particular way as to confuse the identities of Haman and
Mordecai? Indeed in his Talmudic commentary, “Benayahu”, on the
above passage, he offers other explanations along other lines of thought.
When a person is not in a position to
practice a mitzvah according to the Kabbalistic ideal, God assists and
performs what is mystically ideal about the mitzvah on the person’s
behalf. As a result, the effects of the mitzvah in the higher worlds can
be same as if performed with all the Kabbalistic enhancements.
I know a student of the Kabbalistic
meditations, which are designed to accompany the daily prayers. He was so into
them that, at one point, he could not imagine how someone’s prayers can be
accepted above without them. He expressed his exasperation to his spiritual
guide, at the time, who assured him that if one cannot do these meditations
then God does them for him.
Also, there are many Hasidic stories where
a sincere simpleton’s divine service had an even a greater effect in the higher
realms than that of a seasoned saint. It seems that the common theme shared by all
these stories is that it depends on the sincerity of heart.
Based on these stories, it is recommended
that one should follow basic rabbinical guidance, as appropriate for one’s
situation, and God will do the rest.
From Rabbi Yosef Chaim: [1]
King Ahasuerus probed Queen Esther, “Who
and where is he who filled his heart with such designs?”
Esther responded, “This oppressor and
enemy, this evil Haman!”
Haman cringed in terror before the King and
Queen.
~ Esther 7:5, 6
Wouldn’t it be more accurate for the verse
to read, “This evil oppressor and enemy Haman!” rather than reading, “This
oppressor and enemy, this evil Haman!”
The current reading seems to exclude a
“good Haman” [from Queen Esther’s accusation]. Is there such a thing as a
“good Haman” and this was an “evil Haman”; isn’t Haman one person - who’s evil,
an oppressor and an enemy?
It appears appropriate to answer this
question according to the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria of blessed memory. [2]
Here’s an excerpt: [3]
The Talmud teaches, “On Purim, a person is
required to get so drunk that he can’t distinguish between blessed is Mordecai
and cursed is Haman”. [4] The intention of this teaching is that a dark force
always contains a holy spark illuminating it and giving it life. This is why we
need to say “blessed is Haman” in order to draw the appropriate living light to
this holy spark.
This is why the statement needs to be made
unintentionally while drunk and unfocused. If one said this intentionally the
dark forces [of Haman] will also become illuminated, heaven forfend.
Based on this teaching, it can be
understood what our sages taught when they remarked that there were descendants
of [Israel’s arch enemies,] Haman, Sennacherib and Sisera, who taught Torah to
the masses. [5]
This is because within each of these dark forces there had to be a single great
spark of holiness. These Jewish sages, who taught Torah publicly, emerged from
the holy spark within each of the dark forces.
It comes out that lodged within the dark
forces of Haman was a great spark of holiness. Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat emerged
from the power of that spark, as he was from the descendants of Haman who
taught Torah to the masses. There appears to be an allusion to this in the
Hebrew letters comprising the name Haman. [In Hebrew Haman is spelled with the
letters “Heh”, “Mem” and “Nun”.] When each of these letters is fully spelled
out, the filled in letters also spell out “Haman”. This is how: “Heh” is
spelled “Heh-Heh”, “Mem” is spelled “Mem-Mem” and “Nun” is spelled “Nun-Vav-Nun”.
However, there’s one exception to this pattern of respelling Haman from the
filled in letters. There’s an addition of a “Vav” within the full spelling of
the “Nun”. This “Vav” alludes to the holy spark within the dark force of Haman.
From this spark, emerged Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat who taught Torah to the
masses.
The above seems to properly explain why it
was fitting for a saintly person who taught Torah to the masses to have emerged
from Haman’s spark of goodness. [The Talmud relates that] the Jews lovingly
re-accepted the Torah in the days of Ahasuerus. [6] This resulted from Haman’s decree [, i.e. from the holy
spark within Haman]. That’s why [generations later] this saintly person taught
Torah to the masses. [7]
Based on above teachings, what the
following verse alludes to can be understood: “Write this as a record in a
scroll and place it in the ears of Joshua that I will certainly erase the
memory of Amalek [8]
from under the heavens”. [9]
Why doesn’t the verse simply state “I will
erase Amalek”, why does the word “memory” need to be used? In accordance with
the above, a beautiful explanation emerges: because there has to be inside the
impurity of Amalek a good and holy spark, which gives it life. This good spark
won’t be erased, heaven forefend. However, when Creator erases the evil, the
good portion will be removed and separated out. This way the evil will be
entirely nullified and the good portion will continue to exist.
The numerical value of Amalek and “mar”,
Hebrew for “bitter”, both equal 240. When you subtract 13 the numerical value
for “echad”, Hebrew for “one”, alluding to the portion of holiness and goodness
(for goodness is the mystery of oneness, a unified domain), what remains is 227
which equals the word “zecher”, Hebrew for “memory”. The word “zecher” (memory)
allude to the portion of evil in the dark forces, which in the future will be
blotted out and nullified. Concerning this portion the verse explicitly states,
“I will certainly blot out the “zecher” (memory) of Amalek”; specifically
emphasizing the word “zecher” (memory), focusing on what’s purely evil [about
Amalek].
Accordingly, Haman sought to destroy,
murder and displace. All this was done with the evil portion within him and not
with the good portion which was swallowed up within him. For the good portion
of Haman aids and loves the Jewish people. It’s only the portion of evil within
Haman who's the “This oppressor and enemy…”
By responding [to King Ahasuerus], “This
oppressor and enemy, this evil Haman!”, Esther intended to exclude from her
accusation the “good Haman”, the good portion swallowed up within him, which is
alluded to by the “Vav” in the filled out spelling of his name. The latter is
not the “oppressor and enemy” and did not agree to and plot the destruction of
the Jewish people. On the contrary, this portion aids and loves [the Jewish
people], as from it emerged Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat who taught Torah to the
masses.
From the above, we can understand what the
following verses in Psalms allude to: “Those who love God hate evil. He guards
the souls of His devoted ones. He spares them from the hand of the wicked.” [10] The verse intends to
inform us that when one encounters a wicked person, with a huge Haman-like dark
force, hate him out of love for God. However, lovers of God don’t hate the
entire person. Only hate the evil part of him. This is why the verse emphasizes
“hate evil”, for only the evil you should hate and curse, because God protects
the souls of His devoted ones - which are hidden inside the dark forces.
“He spares them from the hand of evil”.
This is similar to the language, “The Lord spared the flocks of your father and
gave them to me”. [11] For
in the future God will separate and divide them out from within the evil of the
wicked, where they’re now sunken and blended in. This portion of good within
the wicked needs to be blessed in order to draw light towards it, as the Ari
z”l taught in his explanation of getting drunk until one does not know…
Therefore, as they proclaim, “Curse Haman,
curse the wicked” don’t hate in order to curse entire the person, only the
wicked portion within him. For it is impossible that there isn’t a good portion
giving him life. This good portion, you need to bless, in order to draw light
to it, as our master [12]
taught in his explanation on getting drunk until one does not know the
difference between cursing Haman and blessing [Mordecai].
This is the meaning of “light is sown for
the saintly”. [13]
However to accomplish this, the straight-hearted need to celebrate, so that the
blessing to the good portion shall be in the midst of celebration and
drunkenness; thereby, allowing the blessing to emerge from his mouth
unintentionally. So that this way the flow from the blessing won’t reach the
darkness, heaven forfend.
Translator’s Reflections:
Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad explained that
blessing Haman while drunk and barely aware brings positive spiritual energy
only to the spark of goodness lodged within Haman’s dark forces. If such a
blessing where to be uttered in one’s normative state of awareness then,
unfortunately, energies would be freer flowing and even spill over to the dark
forces; feeding and animating them.
Furthermore, Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat, who
taught Torah to the masses, was a descendant of Haman. Such could only happen
because the spark of good was properly fed, nurtured and nourished. It was a
spiritual success story of cosmic proportions.
However, there’s another side of the coin
not addressed by Rabbi Yosef Chaim. The Talmud requires getting drunk to the
point that one can’t tell the difference between cursing Haman and blessing
Mordecai. What flips one way can flip the other way too. One can inadvertently
cast a curse in a seemingly unwanted direction, like on Mordecai. Now, how’s
that appropriate?
Perhaps, an answer could be that in usual
circumstances, light’s attracted to light and darkness to dark. This attraction
can stem from the two entities sharing the same immediate source and therefore,
feeling familiar with each other. Therefore, when the curses or blessings are
cast weakly, as during inebriation, there’s only enough strength to attract
only their own kind. They lack the energy crossover the river to meet their polar
opposites.
While it’s true that “opposites attract”
there are many levels of opposites. Within an enclosed system of either
darkness or light, there’s a possibility for relative opposites, male/female.
So, even when engaging their own familiar kind, some level of “opposites
attract” occurs. However, for more extremely polar opposites to attract there
needs to be more energy in the system because the vast distance between them
needs to be bridged. Therefore, barely conscious cursing or blessing only reaches
its own kind. Blessing only reaches light and cursing only reaches darkness.
So, just as an unconscious blessing
brightens the spark of good exiled in Haman’s darkness, an unconscious curse
binds with and damages any forces which might be holding the goodness and
holiness of Mordecai in exile. This is definitely a counterintuitive approach.
One would not expect a dizzying drunken state to produce such a valuable
outcome.
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[1] This is a translation from Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad
commentary to the “Book of Esther” called “Keren Yeshuah HaShalem”, pages 32
and 33. He was also known as the “Ben Ish Chai” after his most popular work.
[2] Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the Ari z”l, was the leading
figure in the mystical renaissance which occurred in 16th Century Safad, Israel.
[3] See “The Gate of Meditation”, the discourse on Purim,
P.109, folio 4.
[4] Megilla 7B
[5] Gittin 57B
[6] Shabbat 88A
[7] Rabbi Yosef Chaim is explaining that the Haman’s good
spark is designed to enhance Torah. During the story of Purim it was working
behind the scenes to enhance Torah’s acceptance. Generations later, the spark
worked openly through the person of Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat to enhance Torah
teachings.
[8] Amalek plays an important role in the story of Purim, as
Haman was a descendant of Agog the king of Amalek. This is why he’s referred to
as “the Aggagite” (see Esther 3:1). In contrast, Mordecai and Esther are
descendants of King Saul. This is why Mordecai is called “a Benjamite”, a
member of Saul’s tribe (see Esther 2:5). By oral tradition, the
confrontation between Haman and Mordecai was a replay of the showdown between
Saul and Agog in Samuel I, chapter 15.
The Bible explicitly states that this
Saul’s battle with Amalek was a continuation of the battle between Joshua and
Amalek, following their unprovoked ambush, in the desert, on the Jews who left
Egypt.
[9] Exodus 17:14
[10] Psalms 97:10,11
[11] Genesis 31:9
[12] The Ari z”l
[13] Psalm 97:11
