Musar su Ester 8:78

There are other groups that do not have a share in the world to come: And they are the group of the enemies of the Lord, may He be blessed; the group of the destroyers of the vineyard of the Lord; and the group of the ones inflicting fear in the land of the living. Behold we will present their content and the proof of their punishment explicit in the Torah:
For the group of the enemies of Lord will be lost from the world to come, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 7:10), “But who requites with destruction those who hate Him to his face - never slow with those who hate Him, but requiting them to his face.” Its explanation is that he repays the reward of the commandments fulfilled by those that hate Him, in this world - in order to destroy them from [getting to] the world to come. And its Targum (translation by Onkelos) is, “And He repays those that hate Him the good that they do in front of Him, in their lives, to destroy them. And David said (Psalms 37:20), “But the evildoers shall be lost, and the enemies of the Lord shall be like heavy sheep, completely consumed in smoke.” And he mentioned the expression, “loss,” with the evildoers, as it is [used] for distress and exile - as the matter that is stated (Isaiah 27:13), “the lost who are in the land of Assyria and the expelled, etc.”; (Jeremiah 50:6), “My people were lost sheep”; [and] (Psalms 119:176), “I have strayed like a lost sheep” - and it is also [used] for death, as the matter that is stated (Psalms 119:92), “I would have been lost in my affliction”; (Esther 8:6) “at the loss of my kindred”; [and] (Leviticus 23:30) “and I will cause that soul to be lost” - meaning excision from this world. For evildoers are punished with difficulties and afflictions or with death, and they are also punished with the judgement for their deeds in the world to come. But [David] compared the enemies of the Lord to the meat of sheep, as it will become coals. Therefore, it will be “completely consumed in smoke.” Just like the fat of sheep is consumed in smoke, so too will the enemies of the Lord be consumed. For their souls will be consumed and lost from the world to come. And it is stated (Exodus 20:5), “visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who hate Me.”

The construction of the Tabernacle, first reported in Parshat Terumah, commences with the Torah's instruction to make the Holy Ark, the repository of the Tablets, symbol of the light of Torah. When you invert the letters in the word ארון, Ark, you have אורן, "their light." This alludes to the fact that the Torah in the Ark is the source of light for all of us. Parshat Tetzaveh, on the other hand, commences with the commandment to provide the oil for lighting up the lamps of the Candlestick. When we look at the adjective used by the Torah for the olive oil to be used, i.e. זך, we note that the word זך has a numerical value of 27, i.e. the number of different letters used in the written Torah when we include the five "final" letters as separate letters. The word כתית which describes the pounding the olives have to undergo before they yield the oil, is an allusion to the way in which a potential Torah student has to "pound himself" in order to study with the proper kind of dedication. We find an allusion to this in Esther 8,16: ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר, "The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honour." The word אורה is a reference to Torah. They emerged from the darkness caused by Haman into a great light, the light of Torah."

The word אורה is understood to refer to the spiritual illumination provided by Torah; the word שמחה to יום טוב, a holiday; the word ששון to circumcision, whereas the word ויקר is a reference to the phylacteries. The scriptural proof for the latter statement is derived from Deut. 28,10: "All mankind will see that the name of the Lord is on you and they will be in awe of you." Rabbi Eliezer the Great said that this is a reference to the phylacteries worn on the head.

I therefore believe that the Jews re-dedicated themselves to the practice of these four commandments as something they would place more emphasis on than before Haman's decree. Our sages (Shabbat 85) comment on Exodus 19,17: "They stood underneath the Mountain," that G–d had threatened that if the Jewish people would not accept the Torah the Mountain would crush them to death. This proved that acceptance of the Torah by the Jewish people at Mount Sinai was an act performed under duress. Not until after the decree of Haman was cancelled did the Jewish people accept the Torah on an entirely voluntary basis. This is what is meant when the Book of Esther describes that תורה had now become אורה, that what had previously been a burden now became like a ray of light for them. An allusion to this revolutionary change in the Jewish attitude to Torah is found in the words והדת נתנה בשושן הבירה, "and the law (religion) was really given in Shushan the capital" (Esther 3,15).

[The author connects four questions raised in Chulin 139 concerning where the Torah had alluded to future events as corresponding in some way to the four expressions used in Esther 8,16. He also draws parallels with the expressions used in the Torah for G–d's relationship with the Jewish people such as חשק, חפץ, דבק, i.e. different levels of liking for the Jewish people. The expression דבקות is used as applying to the Israel/G–d relationship in a reciprocal manner, thus creating a fourth expression of G–d's relationship with Israel. Those who are interested in studying these allusions in greater detail are referred to the original text. The author uses statements in the Talmud such as that we have an allusion to Mordechai in the Torah because the Torah says in Exodus 30,23 מר דרור, as his justification for finding similar allusions to the Purim i.e. Amalek episode in our portion. I will continue quoting his commentary concerning such allusions. Ed.]

In the meantime it had become light and Rabbi Aba and Rabbi Yaakov arose and prepared to depart. But the innkeeper said to them, “You must complete the matter that you were engaged in at midnight!” “What is that?” they inquired. “Tomorrow you must greet the Master of the Covenant [i.e., Eliyahu], for tomorrow we celebrate the circumcision of my son and my wife requests that you remain.” Rabbi Aba said, “This is a mitzvah request and we will also merit beholding the face of the Shechinah! Let us remain.” So they waited that entire day. That night the innkeeper gathered all his companions and after the feast they engaged in study and no one slept. The Zohar explains that on the night before the circumcision special guarding is required to prevent the malignant spirits from harming either the mother or the newborn. Therefore it is customary to read and study all night long. [This is called in Yiddish, vein nacht, or in Poland, vach nacht.] Through this they fulfill what is stated (Esther 8:16): “For the Jews there was light” — this refers to Torah; “and rejoicing” — this refers to circumcision; “and honor” — this refers to tefillin (Megillah 16b).

The purpose of our joy on Purim is to achieve harmony of body and soul, as we have mentioned. Our sages read this into the words ליהודים היתה אורה i.e. Torah, and ששון, i.e. joy that we have accepted Torah voluntarily in the fullest sense of the word. Torah is good for both body and soul, it has revealed as well as hidden meanings. The Torah contains elements that address themselves to the sphere of action and elements that address themselves to the sphere of meditation. Haman intended to wipe out the Jews bodily as well as spiritually. This is why the Book of Esther describes his plan as a dual one, i.e. להשמיד ולהרוג. The word להשמיד with its connotation of Shemad, alludes to the destruction of the Jews as a spiritual force, whereas the word ולהרוג, refers to the physical destruction of the Jews. This is the way the author of Manot Ha-Levi explains these words.

We note that all these sages were alert to the remarkable phenomenon of the free-will acceptance of the Torah by the Jewish people at that time. We therefore understand the nature of the joy we are commanded to experience on Purim. When the Megillah 9,15 describes the royal vestments Mordechai wore after he had been appointed Prime Minister, this was an expression of joy that the Jews had been saved, and has nothing to do with the need to serve G–d in fancy clothing. I have explained at length that the laws of שעטנז, the prohibition of wearing a mixture of wool and linen, may include an exhortation not to indulge in fancy dress, that a modest person refrains from wearing such attire.

The Sages teach in the tractate Megillah (7a) that Megillas Esther was delivered through the spirit of prophecy. For this reason it contains numerous esoteric secrets. We will discuss just one of these here in a general way: It is stated in the Zohar, Parashas Pekudei (249b) that there is a chamber On High with four entrances directed towards the four cardinal directions. There are ten officers appointed over each of these entrances and one officer, named VHRYEL appointed over all the others. This officer belongs to the class of the Ofanim and it is his task to take action and revenge against Israel’s oppressors. This Ofan together with the other forty officers ascends On High to a certain place that is called, “the chamber of the runners” (Melachim I:14:28) and other angels, known as CHSHMLM, ascend with him. They run ahead eagerly to wage war with the guardian angels of the nations to defeat them and wreak vengeance upon them. But when sin interferes, Heaven forbid, there are other runners emanating from the Sitra Achara, who proceed ahead with their accusations in order to rule over Israel and cause them misfortune. This is the meaning of the verse, “The runners went out hurriedly” (Esther 3:15). That is, they went out from the Sitra Achara to provoke decrees against Israel, whereupon it is stated, “And the city of Shushan was thrown into dismay” (ibid.). Afterwards, the prayers of Mordechai and Esther caused Israel to repent completely in order to avert Haman’s evil plans. These prayers ascended On High and were accepted by Hashem in His mercy so that a time of favor was revealed. At that point it is stated that, “the runners, riders of the horses, went out hastily” (Esther 8:14). In other words, the holy angels ran to take vengeance upon the wicked Haman, after which it is stated, “And the city of Shushan was exuberant and joyful” (Esther 8:15).

The Sages teach in the tractate Megillah (7a) that Megillas Esther was delivered through the spirit of prophecy. For this reason it contains numerous esoteric secrets. We will discuss just one of these here in a general way: It is stated in the Zohar, Parashas Pekudei (249b) that there is a chamber On High with four entrances directed towards the four cardinal directions. There are ten officers appointed over each of these entrances and one officer, named VHRYEL appointed over all the others. This officer belongs to the class of the Ofanim and it is his task to take action and revenge against Israel’s oppressors. This Ofan together with the other forty officers ascends On High to a certain place that is called, “the chamber of the runners” (Melachim I:14:28) and other angels, known as CHSHMLM, ascend with him. They run ahead eagerly to wage war with the guardian angels of the nations to defeat them and wreak vengeance upon them. But when sin interferes, Heaven forbid, there are other runners emanating from the Sitra Achara, who proceed ahead with their accusations in order to rule over Israel and cause them misfortune. This is the meaning of the verse, “The runners went out hurriedly” (Esther 3:15). That is, they went out from the Sitra Achara to provoke decrees against Israel, whereupon it is stated, “And the city of Shushan was thrown into dismay” (ibid.). Afterwards, the prayers of Mordechai and Esther caused Israel to repent completely in order to avert Haman’s evil plans. These prayers ascended On High and were accepted by Hashem in His mercy so that a time of favor was revealed. At that point it is stated that, “the runners, riders of the horses, went out hastily” (Esther 8:14). In other words, the holy angels ran to take vengeance upon the wicked Haman, after which it is stated, “And the city of Shushan was exuberant and joyful” (Esther 8:15).

Every Jew must have in mind to be a receptacle that is prepared to receive the sanctity and purification emanating from that world. He must also intend that through the influence of that merciful light he will merit life and lovingkindness, that Israel will not suffer any mishap and that the Holy One Blessed is He will have mercy upon us speedily and take us out from thick darkness to light. This is why we kindle numerous candles on Purim until the synagogue is filled with them. This is a hint to the great illumination of the 370 lights. Concerning this was it stated, “For the Jews there was light, etc.” (Esther 8:16). Surely everyone who fears and trembles at the word of Hashem will rejoice and exult with gladness and trembling when he hears the sound of the blessing, “Regarding the reading [or “calling”]of the Megillah emanating from the mouth of the chazzan. Therefore it is extremely important that we purify ourselves in a mikveh before going to the synagogue so that we will be able to receive the pure light and outpouring of bounty. I have transcribed all this from a letter of Rabbi Chayim Vital, z”l (Pri Eitz Chayim, Sha’ar HaPurim, Chapter 5).