https://mishpacha.com/the-lesson-at-the-end-of-the-megillah/
We have an entire Megillah to teach us the value of what it is to be a true tov u’meitiv. Mordechai and Esther taught us well. May we all merit to learn our lesson and follow their example.
The lesson at the end of the megillah is that even a Hamas couldn't produce Jewish unity because Mordechai was only acceptable to most but not all of his peers and Esther had to beg the Chachamim to introduce Purim as a holiday instead of them realizing what had happened and just accepting it.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about unity.
DeleteIt's about the issur of adding to the Torah. Zechariah hanavi, whilst not mentioning tannit Esther, does answer the question about the other 4 fasts. What he says is incredible, especially if you read the Ibn Ezra on it.
First, he couldn't comment on Taanis Esther. It hadn't been invented yet.
DeleteSecond, I've hear the whole "We can't add holidays!" line and frankly, it's an empty codicil. We can't add new holidays? Ever hear of Megillah Taanis? Dozens of new holidays. They had a problem with Purim but not with Nikanor Day?
Even in the post-Talmud era, this double standard persists. We can't invent a new day to commemorate the Holocaust because no new holidays/fast days allowed. Except twice there was an attempt by major halakhic authorities to turn Sivan 20 into a fast day and the only reason it failed was because it didn't catch on with the masses, not because anyone shouted that it wasn't allowed.
I used to be really into these new days, yom haatzmaut, and that there should be a halachic yom hashoah.
DeleteIt's actually assur d'oraita whether you like it or not.
I don't know what nikanor was about but it was a precursor to Purim.
I remember seeing that the chazon ISH opposed a fast for the shoah. I think he was right, even if my reasoning is different
I think he was saying we don't have the power to inaugurate new fasts. Well Zechariah said the same thing, via nevuah.
It's a double standard because some people view the Torah as being an autonomous authority, and others see it as unworthy of mention unless it confirms with rabbinic interpretation
So Yom Nicanor was a joyful feast on 13th Adar, established by Yehudah Hamaccabi.
DeleteIt was later displaced by the Fast of Esther. Which means the Fast of esther didn't' really have any legs until churban bayit sheini, or thereafter. I wonder when Purim actually started getting celebrated.
A community that receives a miracle and survive a serious threat to its existence is allowed to decree a special day of commemoration. One that suffers a tragedy is allowed to decree a special day of mourning. Kal v'chomer, the entire Jewish community benefited from 1948 and the entire Jewish community suffered from the Holocaust so why not create special days for both? We're not talking about creating a day with any issur melacha or anything that would confuse it with being another Torah-level Yom Tov.
DeleteAnd if you say that's still forbidden, then what about all the holidays Lubavitchers observe when one or another of their rebbes got out of jail?
Zechariah hanavi says in Ch 7-8 that the 4 fasts will be turned to days of feasting. It is thus ironic that the Maccabean yom hanicanor feast was turned to a fast by the post maccabean rabbis.
Delete