[Avodah] Rabbi Yonasan Sacks - The Character of Ta'anis Esther

Thu Mar 1 09:48:18 PST 2007

I am posting this to the list as an intro to my next email, questions it
raised for me. With thanks to RJRich (not to be confused with RRJoel... ;-P)

-mi

------------------------------ Original Message ------------------------------
Subject: Rabbi Yonasan Sacks - The Character of Ta'anis Esther
From:    "TorahWeb.org" <torahweb at torahweb.org>
Date:    Thu, March 1, 2007 10:25 am
To:      weeklydt at torahweb2.org
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Rabbi Yonasan Sacks
The Character of Ta'anis Esther

The opening Mishnah in Maseches Megillah relates the various days upon
which the Megillah may be read: "The Megillah is read on the 11th, 12th,
13th, 14th, and 15th (of Adar), no earlier and no later."

Noting that the Megillah itself explicitly specifies only the 14th and
15th of Adar as appropriate times for fulfillment of the mitzvah, the
Gemarah (2a) immediately seeks a scriptural source sanctioning the reading
on the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Adar.  The Gemarah identifies such a
source:  in describing the establishment of the days of Purim, the
Megillah uses the plural construction of the term "bi'zmaneihem" (Esther
9), denoting a plurality of days - "z'manim harbei tiknu la'hem."  This
term thus implies that the Megillah may be read on days other than the
14th and 15th of Adar.  The Gemarah notes, though, that the term
"bi'zmaneihem" would seem to denote only two additional days.  How, then,
do we derive that the three preceding days may serve for the mitzvah as
well?

In light of this challenge, the Gemarah reconsiders its analysis.  Indeed,
"bi'zmaneihem" teaches us that the 11th and 12th of Adar are fit for
Megillah reading.  What, then, allows for Megillah reading on the 13th ?
The Gemarah answers that the fitness of the 13th  is self evident and
needs no source, because "Yud Gimmel Z'man Kehillah LaKol Hi."  That is,
the 13th day's status as a "Z'man Kehillah LaKol," a time of assembly for
everyone, justifies reading the Megillah.  Rashi (2a, s.v. "Z'man Kehillah
LaKol Hi") explains that the 13th marks the day in history on which
"everyone assembled to exact revenge from their enemies."  This day thus
warrants Megillah reading because the "central part of the (Purim) miracle
took place" on that that day.

The Rosh (1:1), however, presents a very different possibility in the name
of Rabbeinu Tam.  Rather than commemorating the when the Jews of old
gathered to fight, the 13th of Adar marks the day upon which "everyone
gathers for the fast of Esther" - a time of assembly, not for the Jews of
antiquity, but rather for Jews of the present age.    This explanation
presents an obvious question:  why does the 13th of Adar's status as
Ta'anis Esther necessarily justify the reading of the Megillah?  The
Gemarah's inference certainly suggests a conceptual link between the
reading of the Megillah and the observance of Ta'anis Esther, but what is
the nature of this connection?

To answer this question, Rav Chaim Ahron Turtzin suggests that one must
understand the character of Ta'anis Esther.  While fast days generally
assume a tragic quality in commemorating despondent times of destruction,
ample evidence suggests that, perhaps, Ta'anis Esther is quite different
in this regard.  For example, the Ran (Ta'anis 7a in the Rif) cites the
Ra'avad who questions the permissibility of our practice of fasting on the
13th of Adar, given that Megillas Ta'anis expressly forbids the enactment
of such a fast, due to Yom Nikanor [1].  The Ra'avad adds that even though
the celebrations delineated in Megillas Ta'anis are not actively observed
after the destruction of the Temple, it is still forbidden to establish a
public fast day on any of the listed days.  The Ra'avad justifies our
practice by suggesting that only fasts of suffering are forbidden on days
of Megillas Ta'anis.  Ta'anis Esther, however, is not a fast of suffering,
and therefore does not violate the prohibition of Megillas Ta'anis.
Similarly, the She'iltos (Parshas Vayakhel, 67) explains that although
fast days that fall on Shabbos are generally deferred until after Shabbos
("akdumei pur'anusa lo mikadminan"), Ta'anis Esther is actually observed
early (on the preceding Thursday) because it is not a tragic fast.  These
sources suggest that Ta'anis Esther stands unique from other fast days in
being a fast day which is not colored by sadness.  Why is this so?

Perhaps one can understand the unique nature of Ta'anis Esther in light of
a brief comment of the Rambam at the very beginning of his Yad HaChazaka.
As the Rambam concludes his "Minyan HaMitzvos HaKatzuv" in which he lists
the 613 commandments, he notes that beyond the 613 biblically mandated
mitzvos, Chazal innovated a multitude of rabbinic enactments.  The Rambam
defends the legitimacy of these enactments, namely, that they do not
constitute a violation of the prohibition of "Bal Tosif," because Chazal
clearly publicized that their enactments are not written in the Torah
itself (see Hilchos Mamrim 2:9).  In the course of this discussion, the
Rambam cites an example of a legitimate rabbinic enactment:  reading the
Megillah on Purim.  The Rambam explains that Chazal enacted the mitzvah of
reading the Megillah in its time in order to proclaim the praise of Hashem
and the salvation which He orchestrated, and to attest to the fact that
HaKadosh Baruch Hu responds to the prayers of Klal Yisrael.  In the face
of adversity, we call out to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and the salvation of
Hashem comes k'heref ayin, like the blink of an eye.  The Megillah is a
testament to the special relationship that connects Bnei Yisrael to
HaKadosh Baruch Hu.  The significance of the  Megillah is that HaKadosh
Baruch Hu responded to our cries.

The Rambam thus suggests that the purpose of reading the Megillah is to
accentuate the transition from fear and despondency to hope and joy; to
emphasize that K'nesses Yisrael can find itself on the brink of disaster,
and instantly find salvation.  On Purim, we do not merely celebrate the
miracles themselves, but rather, the metamorphosis from disaster to
tranquility.  The contrast is what is critical.

What emerges from the Rambam's interpretation is that the fast of Ta'anis
Esther constitutes an intrinsic part of the pirsumei nisa, the publicizing
and glorification of the mitzvah, itself.  Ta'anis Esther sets the stage,
allowing us to appreciate the direness of the situation that preceded the
miracle, so that we can fully appreciate the greatness of the salvation.
If so, the suggestion of the Ra'avad and the Sh'iltos that Ta'anis Esther
is not a tragic fast becomes clear.  The fast is not tragic, because it
merely serves to compound the eventual simcha and hoda'ah on Purim itself.
Moreover, Rabeinu Tam's understanding of "Z'man Kehilla La'Kol" becomes
lucid as well.  Our mandate to read the Megillah on the 13th is obvious,
even without a scriptural source, since Ta'anis Esther does not stand as a
day of sorrow independent of Purim.  Rather, Ta'anis Esther is part and
parcel of the pirsumei nisa which the Megillah strives to achieve.  When
the Jews of old gathered to fight their enemies, they gathered for
"puranus."  When we gather, however, we gather for pirsumei nisa.

___________________________________________
[1]  Megillas Ta'anis enumerates certain celebrated days that were
observed during the time of the Beis HaMikdash.  These days were seen
almost like minor Yamim Tovim, and prohibited fasting.  Yom Nikanor
specifically commemorates the victory of the Chashmonaim over a Greek
chieftain.