BS’D
R’ Shlomo Carlebach z’l
Purim - The Holiday of Eitz Hachaim
If by nature I hate everyone, how do I get myself out of it? You can explain to me that its very bad and that it is evil, but it doesn’t get me out of it. But imagine if by nature I love everyone, do you have to come and tell me that hatred is evil? I can’t hate anybody. Even if I tried, I can’t. If by nature I want to be a giver, do you have to tell me that being stingy is evil?
When do you need the whole teaching of good and evil? Only if your nature is separated from G-d. If by my very nature I am connected to everything holy and beautiful, you don’t need the whole teaching of good and evil.
The snake came and said to Eve that the most G-d-like thing is to know what’s good and what is evil. This is only after the snake poisoned her and separated her from the Tree of Life. If you are connected to the Tree of Life, you don’t need the teaching of good and evil.
I want you to think about it in a very deep way.
The Gemara says ‘Haman Min HaTorah Minayin’, where is Haman mentioned in the Torah? When G-d asked Adam ‘did you eat from the forbidden fruit G-d says ‘Hamin Haeitz Asher Tzivisicha’. So the Gemara says the word “Hamin”, ‘did you eat from this tree’ is the same letters as Haman.
You see what it is, Haman is a snake, as simple as this.
Once a year we go back to the Tree of Life, and this is on Purim. On Yom Kippur we didn’t make it back yet. On Yom Kippur I’m still in the Tree of Knowledge, and I’m sorry I did wrong. I know the teaching of right and wrong, of good and evil but I just didn’t listen to the teaching. On Purim I’m getting out of the whole teaching.
Now listen to something very important.
Evil does not mind if from time to time you are good and holy. Evil is broadminded. Evil simply doesn’t want things to be for always. Evil doesn’t mind if occasionally you start to daven stronger, pick up a sefer here and there.
Do you think evil minds if once a year you say to your wife ‘today let’s not get angry darling. Let’s have a little honeymoon.’
Evil doesn’t mind when my child wants to go to Israel, and asks if he can go for a week. But do you know what evil does not want? Evil does not want that you connect to the Tree of Life; to become your very nature. To become that which you know.
To be it? No.
Evil wants you to be a dead holy man. Evil want you to do the right thing because it’s good, not because it’s alive.
So on Purim something happens to us, we receive the Torah again. But this time, it mamesh becomes our very nature. On Purim everything remained in within the borders of nature. The whole story of the megillah is an ordinary story. No earth-shaking miracle happed. Purim is an ordinary day. You eat, you drink, you sleep, but do you know what happens to you on Purim? Purim is that yiddishkeit, that G-d, that everything holy becomes natural to you.
Do you know why I always need my mind? Because I don’t always want to do the right thing, I don’t always want to do the holy thing. Therefore, I need my mind to tell me that I have to do it because it’s good. That’s what I need my mind for, but if my very nature wants to do good, I don’t need my mind. If I don’t have to occupy my mind with good and evil…. gevalt, what I can use my mind for. Gevalt is my mind ready for the highest; and this is the real receiving of Torah on Purim.
You know what’s so heartbreaking? When you utilize G-d’s teaching just for good and evil. That’s the most degrading thing in the world. The most.
After Purim I use my mind for so much more than good and evil, but for life itself.

purim, candace, shlomo carlebach, jew, Israel, idf, Zionism, shirat david, efrat