The gemara (Meg 4) tells us that even women are obligated in
mikra megillah because “af hein hayu b’oso ha’nes.” The Yerushalmi (quoted in the Hagahos
Maimoni, Hil Megillah perek 1) goes a step further and applies the same sevara
to ketanim as well. (Parenthetically,
you see from this Yerushalmi that “af hein” applies to those who were in danger
and saved, not only to women because Esther caused the miracle, as some
Rishonim learn.) R’ Baruch Mordechai
Ezrachi asks: why do we need to come on to the din of “af hein” to obligate
children in mikra megillah? We have a
din of chinuch in kol hatorah kulah!?
You can read Rav Ezrachi’s answer here. Maybe the Yerushalmi is not talking about a
din of chinuch at all. This is the same
Yerushalmi that is the source for the din in S.A. above which deals with little
kids. Perhaps there is some kind of
unique din here that obligates all to hear megillah.
Whatever the lomdus and however you explain it, there is undeniably
some kind of special connection between Purim and children. The L. Rebbe discusses how so many of the
minhagim of the day – banging for Haman, dressing up, etc. – are an attraction
for children in particular. Chazal tell
us that Mordechai countered Haman’s decree by gathering thousands of children
and learning with them and it was in that zechus that the nes happened. Limud haTorah by Jewish children is a
powerful, powerful force.
Harav Ezrachi is a wonderful man. He even speaks in Kfar Chabad, which takes courage and seichel. Having any kind of seichel at all in Eretz Yisrael takes courage. The distinction between a talmid chacham with seichel and without is highlighted in this week's parsha, where the Medrash begins with תלמיד חכם שאין בו דעת נבילה טובה הימנו.
ReplyDeleteSo what's pshat in the mashal? Sefas Emes: An animal has skin, bones, flesh, etc. and a neveilah has all of that too -- superficially, they are exactly the same. What the neveilah lacks is a neshoma, a pnimiyus. A talmid chacham w/o da'as looks exactly the same on the outside as one with da'as. The difference is that he's missing what should be inside. My 2 cents: It's only people who are looking at the inside who the difference even matters to.
DeleteWhy are we talking about this?
"Mordechai countered Haman’s decree by gathering thousands of children and learning with them and it was in that zechus that the nes happened". If so, what you wrote earlier parenthetically is not muchach. The Yerushalmi doesn't have to hold like Tosfos (Megilla 4a); he can still hold like the Rashbam that "af hen" means the nes happenned becasue of Esther!
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