Purim 5769 in English
הרב דוד דניאל הכהן שליט״א
תקציר
The Rav asks how Mordechai could refuse to bow to Haman and thereby put the whole Jewish people in danger. He explains that the root of the problem goes back to Yaakov bowing to Esav seven times: according to the Zohar and Chazal, this created an opening for later troubles, including Haman's power. Mordechai, who descends from Binyamin, the only son who did not bow to Esav because he was not yet born, therefore had the strength to stand firm and uproot Amalek. The Rav recalls that King Shaul, also from Binyamin, failed to destroy Amalek completely by sparing Agag, from whom Haman descends. He then recounts the Talmudic story of Rav Acha bar Yaakov at the end of Kiddushin, in which a Yaakov who bows seven times destroys a seven-headed creature in the beit midrash. Drawing on the Ben Ish Chai, the Rav explains that Yaakov had good intentions and was about to defeat Esav's angel with an eighth bow, but the angel stopped him. He concludes that sometimes a Jew must stand strong and not give in to the nations, keeping the Torah without fear.
רגעים מרכזיים
- 0:03 Why did Mordechai refuse to bow down to Haman? עמלק פורים
- 0:44 Yaakov's seven bows to Esav as the root of later troubles אדום וישמעאל האבות
- 2:14 Only Binyamin, who did not bow, could destroy Amalek עמלק האבות
- 3:05 King Shaul, Agag and the origin of Haman עמלק פורים
- 5:29 Yaakov's good intention: bowing before the Shechina brings down Or Makif קבלה שכינה
- 6:28 The story of Rav Acha bar Yaakov and the seven-headed creature גלגול נשמות צדיקים
- 10:34 Ben Ish Chai: Esav's angel stops Yaakov before the eighth bow אדום וישמעאל קבלה
- 14:26 Knowing when to stand strong before the nations and keep the Torah ביטחון אמונה גלות