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HaRav Avraham Zvi Kluger shlit”a – Sefer Sharvit HaZahav

(approximate notes)

#8: War with Amalek and Koach HaBechira

Amalek is the most powerful of the goyim. Descend from Eisav, who has kochos from Yitzchak and Rivka.
Amalek tries to show that everything in this world is coincidence. Mikreh. ‫אֲ שֶּ ר ָק ְרָך בַּ דֶּ ֶּרְך‬. They try to use the logic of,
if Hashem is all powerful and encompassing, then how can He “need” anything or “want” anything from us.
Amalek attacks our core, saying we have no value or worth and makes us question whether Hashem really has
special care for us. Attacks the notion that we are “chosen” – that an almighty G-d would care about a small group of
people doing specific actions at specific times in specific places. In reality, just as we are chosen, so too we have the
power to choose to humble ourselves and place ourselves under the statutes of halacha.
Rashi in Devarim 25:18 says Amalek are ‘Bnei Bli’yaal’ – people with no yoke, that aren’t forced or compelled to
make proper decisions, who instead promote the notion of doing as one pleases. This is why Amalek appears at the
moment after Yetziat Mitzrayim when Hashem has shown that we are chosen by liberating us. They appear again as
we’re about to enter Eretz Yisrael – the chosen land, where we will build the Beis HaBechira. Amalek can’t stand a
world where a nation feel chosen and has goals to arrive at chosen places. Bnei Yisrael fight back by insisting that
Hashem does care about special times and places and we are the ones whose mission it is to abide by those
boundaries and choose to live our lives in accordance with those mandates.
Every time a Jew chooses good, chooses to listen to Hashem rather than instinct, he/she is being mekayem
mechiyas Amalek.
A Jew who, G-d forbid, falls into yei’ush (despair) succumbs to Amalek. In those depths, however, a Jew can still call
out to Hashem and ask for help to choose properly and start making better decisions.
The Avoda to fight against Amalek is Teffila. Before Amalek attacked, Hashem told us He would fight for us and we
should remain silent – Shmos 14:14 – ‫ה' ִילָחֵ ם ָלכֶּם וְ ַּא ֶּתם ַּתחֲ ִרשּון‬
But during first war with Amalek, Moshe’s hands were a mechanism of Teffila.
Shmos 17:11 – ‫וְ הָ יָה כַּאֲ שֶּ ר י ִָרים משֶּ ה יָדֹו וְ גָבַּ ר י ְִש ָר ֵאל‬
Hashem decides what happens in the world, but we can choose Yir’as Shamayim, Avodas Hashem and Teffila. We
have the ability to daven to Hashem and bring about different outcomes.
It’s true that Hashem is above everything and doesn’t ‘need’ our Teffilos…but He ‘wants’ our Avoda and He delights
in having a connection with us as His chosen people.

Approximate summary by Binyamin Casper. All inaccuracies are my fault.

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#26: Pnimiyus of Clothing and Dressing-up on Purim [partial summary]

Parshas Tetzaveh is read right before Purim. Moshe’s name does not appear in the entire Parsha, and the Kedushas
Levi explains that Moshe had to completely nullify himself in order to understand the depths of the Bigdei Kehuna.
Gemara Erachin 16a:
‫למה נסמכה פרשת בגדי כהונה לפרשת קרבנות? לומר לך מה קרבנות מכפרין אף בגדי כהונה מכפרין‬
-- Bigdei Kehuna atoned just like the Korbanos atoned.
Clothing has the ability to express ‫ חן‬and ‫…כבוד‬
All aspects of creation have two forms: ‫ מקיף‬+ ‫ פנימי‬/ inner and outer. Before Adam sinned, he didn’t need an outer
barrier because he had ‫מקיפים רוחניים‬, but after eating from the Eitz HaDa’as he needed a covering, i.e. clothing.
(‫ פנימי‬: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama; ‫ מקיף‬: Chaya, Yechida)
The clothing we wear – the spiritual externalities – can be a form of Teshuva, and even allows us to reach greater
heights than had the sin of Adam been simply expunged, because the clothing we wear actually becomes zechusim.
On the one hand, Adam forfeited the spiritual exterior, but he also gained the ability to raise up fulfilling the
requirement of clothing. Wickedness and zechusim are two hidden worlds but can be expressed in exterior forms
where an externality can change something wicked into a zechus.
Maharal says that sometimes sins stick to a person and becomes like a garment for him, and when a person puts on
Bigdei Kodesh, similar to the Bigdei Kehuna, it can get rid of the sin and the filthy ‘clothing’ of sin that had become so
much a part of this person.
Begged is lashon Begidah – rebellion. The original intention was that clothing was a sign and reminder of man’s
rebelliousness and would hopefully prevent him from falling any further.
But if man is worthy, clothing can reflect man’s inner light and can be used, as written in connection with Aharon’s
clothing in Shmos 28:2: ‫קֹדֶּ ש ל ְַּאהֲ רֹן ָא ִחיָך ְלכָבֹוד ּול ְִתפְ ָא ֶּרת‬-‫ית בִ גְ דֵ י‬
ָ ‫וְ עָ ִש‬
The Bigdei Kehuna were supposed to induce awe. The purpose was to point to the beauty of what they represented
– Hashem’s glory. Worn properly, clothing can actually reflect the inner depths of a person. Royal clothing is an
expression of royalty. Articulated in the Megillah: Royal clothing is reserved for Esther & Mordechai (not Haman).
When we change our clothing on Purim, we’re actually stripping away our usual exterior. We do this to access our
insides to raise up all the low levels of ourselves and eventually reveal the beautiful inner depths, which only want to
serve Hashem and is only a vehicle to bring kavod to Him.
[Added from end of Maimar #40] On Purim, we hint to the story of Yaakov dressing up as Eisav – in the most ideal
circumstances, our outer clothing is always pristine and reflects our inner ratzon, but no matter what clothing we’re
wearing or what we look like on the outside, even when we have the ‘yedei Eisav’, we always have the ‘Kol Kol
Yaakov’ on the inside.
[Added from shiur given by Rav Moshe Weinberger shlit”a on Sichos HaRaN, Feb. 23, 2009]
We cannot fully perceive or know another Jew’s thoughts about Hashem. We dress-up on Purim to show that we
don’t really know the depths of another Jew. During the rest of the year, one person might dress in a way that
makes us think he’s in the camp of Arrur Haman, when on the inside he has a deep love for Hashem and is quietly
shining with Baruch Mordechai. Another Jew may dress on the outside like Baruch Mordechai, but inside (though not
all the way inside) he’s empty and resentful of his Yiddishkeit and is more like Arrur Haman. We can’t know the
secrets inside of a Jew; we acknowledge that we are incapable of knowing the nature of a person’s connection to
Hashem, and that far more is hidden than is revealed. The chitzoniyus on Purim is so hazy, and wine is hopefully
meant to reveal the holy insides and the sweet pnimiyus of every Jew.

Approximate summary by Binyamin Casper. All inaccuracies are my fault.

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#57: Purim – Who are we B’EMES?

Purim is holiday in Galus. Occurred when we lost the central life force of the nation, the BHMK. Special connection
with Hashem was severely damaged and changed.
Achashveirosh had great wealth and the abundance of physical wealth enticed the Jews.
When we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing, Hashem promises us prosperity (as detailed in paragraph of
‫)והיה עם שמע‬. This physical abundance comes to express itself as joy in the neshama and closeness to Hashem,
where the body and soul can enjoy the wealth as one. This is contrasted with the wealth of Achashveirosh, which
was empty and only satisfied the body, and cannot truly satisfy a Jew.
Tragedy ensues and Esther has to undergo terrible conditions to awaken her nation.
Esther 2:11: ‫הַּ נ ִָשים‬-‫יֹום וָיֹום מָ ְר ֳּדכַּי ִמ ְתהַּ לְֵך לִפְ נֵי חֲ צַּ ר בֵ ית‬-‫ּובְ כָל‬
Chazal say that this means Mordechai would visit Esther every day so that she could ask halachik questions about
how she should best handle her situation living in Achashveirosh’s palace and as his wife, etc.
The Jew remains loyal in any situation as best he/she can. Over the course of harsh Jewish History there were Jews
who had to suffer like Esther and did so not just for their personal survival but for the nation.
Our holy neshama is always present, but sometimes it’s hidden in the depths of Galus.
Haman wasn’t materialistic like Achashveirosh; Haman was concerned with Kavod. He taught Achashveirosh to care
deeply about his kavod, and that anyone who crossed him needed to be eliminated. Achashveirosh promoted Haman
as he began to subscribe to the importance Haman placed on boasting a haughty ego. Haman convinced the Persian
king that this “disparate and foreign nation” didn’t properly respect his country and kingship.

Hashem gave us concept of Machtzis HaShekel which preceded Haman’s attempt to use his personal wealth to
destroy us. Haman was ready to use his personal wealth to ensure the demise of the Jews – Esther 3:9:
‫גִ ְנזֵי הַּ מֶּ לְֶּך‬-‫יְׁדֵ י עֹשֵ י הַּ ְמלָאכָה לְהָ בִ יא ֶּאל‬-‫כֶּסֶּ ף ֶא ְׁשקֹול עַ ל‬-‫ַּועֲשֶּ ֶּרת אֲ לָפִ ים כִ כַּר‬
Hashem’s remedy for Haman precedes Haman’s existence. He gave us the remedy in the Torah. We donate our
money to honor Hashem; Haman was ready to give his money to preserve his own honor. Haman deified himself,
forcing everyone to bow and surrender to him. Esther meanwhile did everything for Kvod Shamayim.

Hashem showed Haman that his honor was meaningless, false and empty; honor comes from pursuing truth and the
Ribono shel Olam. Instead, Haman was forced to show honor to the one who deserved it – Mordechai HaYehudi.

Esther asked Mordechai (4:16): ‫ְהּודים הַּ נ ְִמצְ ִאים בְ שּושָ ן‬

ִ ‫הַּ י‬-‫כָל‬-‫לְֵך כְׁ נֹוס ֶּאת‬
…to bring them back to their Father, to redirect their attention to truth. Esther understood that the hardships Hashem
brought upon us was ultimately to turn our attention back to Hashem
Purim awakens us and stirs within us motivation to keep moving forward even when we’re in a difficult situation.
When we’re in Galus, it reminds us who we truly are, what great potential lies within us, and that we are inextricably
tied to Hashem and always seeking closeness with Him.
‫ וְ ִת ְקו ָָתם בְ כָל דֹור וָדֹור‬,‫ִית ָלנֶּצַּ ח‬
ָ ‫ְתשּועָ ָתם הָ י‬

Approximate summary by Binyamin Casper. All inaccuracies are my fault.

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#58: Simchas Purim

Life is full of ‘ups and downs’ in the emotional and intellectual arena of feeling that we’re fulfilling our potential and
doing Ratzon Hashem.
The world was created with dark and light, and before every revelation, there is darkness.
A person can feel happy and fulfilled even if our work is not complete and even if our Avodas Hashem isn’t yet where
it should be. We don’t know why Hashem allows us to be successful in some area and not others, so we need to find
joy in our Avoda, even if we’ve only accomplished a little bit. That type of simcha is “‫ ”שמחה פנימית טהורה‬that isn’t
mixed with external, personal pleasure, rather from doing our best to bring nachas ruach to the Borei Olam.
Purim falls on the calendar at the end of the winter. We don’t yet see fruits of our labor. Winter symbolizes hard work,
before we’re able to see the results.
Purim happens in Galus – a place where our work can never be complete, since we don’t have the BHMK.
Purim shows us that even in Galus Hashem loves us, helps us, and protect us.
Chazal in Shabbos 88 say that Hashem held a mountain over our heads at Har Sinai.
Q: It seems that BNY didn’t accept the Torah out of their own will, rather they were forced; so, from where do we
know they actually wanted the Torah?
A: Chazal answer that they accepted the Torah in the times of Achashveirosh – Esther 9:27: ‫ְהּודים‬
ִ ‫ִקיְמּו וְ ִקבְ לּו הַּ י‬

At Har Sinai we were in a state of shleimus – in that moment, we had very little choice about accepting the
responsibility of serving Hashem completely.
In Shushan, we were not shaleim but we accepted the Torah anyways, even when we knew we couldn’t fully keep it
at that time. In a time of hester we accepted the Torah out of love.
Shleimus of our Avoda is davka when things don’t work out as we planned, but we remain b’simcha, giving ourselves
over to the will of Hashem.
Adar is a time for this lesson; when tragedy is reversed to joy, when we are happy to serve Hashem, bring Him
nachas ruach even if we’re not seeing immediate success in our Avoda.
Pesach follows Purim. Post-Purim are the summer months when we see the fruits of our labor IYH. Now is the time
to learn how to truly relish doing Ratzon Hashem, so that the simcha in good times is a genuine because we found
that simcha in the difficult times.

Approximate summary by Binyamin Casper. All inaccuracies are my fault.