Kabbalas HaTorah Be’Ahavah

by Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

The Gemara says in Shabbos (88a) that Klal Yisrael were mekabel the Torah again in the days of Purim — this time be’ahavah, with love. At Har Sinai, Chazal tell us, the Torah was accepted under coercion. Hashem held the mountain over them like a barrel and said that if they would not accept the Torah, there would be their burial place. That acceptance was real, but it carried an element of force.

On Purim, however, something changed. The Gemara says, “Kiyemu v’kiblu” — they fulfilled and accepted. They willingly reaffirmed the Torah. The Derech Hashem (4:8:3) explains that part of the essence of Purim is not only thanking Hashem for the salvation from Haman, but also thanking Him for this renewed kabbalas haTorah be’ahavah.

We must understand two things. First, why could Klal Yisrael not accept the Torah be’ahavah at Har Sinai itself? Second, what does it really mean to accept Torah “with love”? What changed on Purim?

The Meshech Chochmah, (Devarim 23:4), explains that what the Gemara means is that at Har Sinai Klal Yisrael experienced open and overwhelming miracles. They had just left Mitzrayim through great nissim. They saw the sea split. They saw thunder, lightning, and revelation at Sinai. When such open miracles occur, the truth is undeniable. Of course they accepted the Torah. It was clear that Hashem was running the world in a revealed way.

But later generations could argue: that was a time of open miracles. Now we live in a world of teva, of nature. Things appear to run on their own. Perhaps the Torah was necessary then, when miracles were constant. Now the world seems stable and self-sustaining. Maybe we do not need such total loyalty to Torah.

Then came the story of Purim.

The entire Megillah unfolds within teva. There are no open miracles. No sea splits. No fire descends from Heaven. Instead, there are “coincidences.” Vashti is removed, making room for Esther. Bigsan and Seresh plot against the king, and Mordechai overhears them. The record of Mordechai’s deed is forgotten — until precisely the night Achashveirosh cannot sleep. Each event appears natural. Yet slowly, over nine years, Hashem weaves salvation.

There was even a time of hester panim, when Hashem’s Presence seemed hidden. Klal Yisrael faced a decree of annihilation. Everything appeared dark. Yet through hidden means, a tremendous nes emerged.

At that moment Klal Yisrael understood something new: Hashem is present not only in open miracles, but inside teva itself. Even when He is hidden, He is guiding everything.

That realization created a different kind of acceptance. If Hashem is only visible in open miracles, then Torah is connected to dramatic moments. But if Hashem is present even in hiddenness, then Torah becomes the foundation of daily life. That recognition — that Hashem is besoch hateva — led to kabbalas haTorah be’ahavah.

There’s another aspect of Kabbalas HaTorah b’Ahavah.

In the days of Achashveirosh, Klal Yisrael tried to blend into Persian culture. They attended the king’s seudah. Even though they were careful about what they ate, they wanted to attach themselves to the surrounding society. They thought perhaps they could connect to that culture and live comfortably within it.

But they began to see what that culture really was. The Gemara in Megillah (12b) describes the moral corruption that filled the royal feast. There was a breakdown of basic decency. This was not refinement. It was not true culture. It was emptiness and immorality.

Even worse, that very society produced cruelty. It turned against them. A decree of destruction was signed. The same kingdom they tried to draw close to revealed its capacity for violence and hatred. Klal Yisrael saw clearly that the values of that nation could never replace the derech haTorah.

Then they looked more deeply into their own way of life.

The pasuk says, “to the Jews there was light” (Esther 8:16). The Gemara in Megillah (16b) explains that light means the Torah.

Klal Yisrael understood that Torah is not only obligation. It is illumination. It has a unique light and sweetness. The Zohar says that the hidden light — the Or HaGanuz that Hashem set aside for the future — is found within Torah. There is a depth, a radiance, and a pleasure in Torah that nothing else can provide.

There is a well-known story about a talmid of Rav Chaim of Volozhin who left the path and entered the university world. He became very successful and was offered a prestigious position — on condition that he abandon his Jewish identity completely.

He was close to agreeing. Then one day he heard the familiar niggun of Gemara learning. That melody awakened something deep inside him. The sweetness of Torah returned to him in an instant. He said, “I cannot leave this.” He came back. The niggun itself reminded him of the light of Torah.

Klal Yisrael on Purim rediscovered not only Torah itself, but the entire lifestyle of Torah and mitzvos. The Gemara there highlights specific mitzvos: simchah refers to Yom Tov; sason refers to milah; yakar refers to tefillin.

These mitzvos express a special closeness to Hashem. On Yom Tov, it is as if we are invited to meet with Him. We sit at His table. We rejoice with Him. At a bris milah, we bring a newborn child into an eternal covenant with Hashem. We place him into a relationship that will define his life.

And tefillin — every single day we bind Hashem’s words onto our arm and head. We place the parshiyos of Shema Yisrael upon ourselves. We make Hashem part of us. We connect our thoughts and our actions to Him.

All of this brings meaning and joy. The world searches for purpose. Torah gives purpose. Mitzvos create closeness to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and bring real simchah. This strengthened their kabbalos HaTorah b’ahavah.

Therefore, when we sing and dance on Purim, we must remember what we are celebrating. Yes, we rejoice over the salvation. But we also rejoice because we love Hashem and we love His Torah.

The Gemara in Megillah (7b) says that a person must drink on Purim “until he doesn’t know the difference between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai.” Rav Dovid Cohen explains that this does not mean reckless behavior. It means revealing what lies beneath the intellect.

How deep is our ahavah for Hashem? Even when the calculating mind quiets down, does the heart still yearn for Him? Is our connection only intellectual, or does it live deep inside?

This is the idea. To allow the love in the heart to surface. To see whether our attachment to Hashem exists only in understanding, or also in feeling.

The Rabbis caution that not everyone can handle this level. It is said that Rav Yisroel Salant could review Shas and Poskim even when intoxicated. Not everyone is on that level. The Rema says that one should drink a little more than usual — just enough to increase joy and bring out simchah and closeness to Hashem — not foolishness.

There is a story about Rav Yerucham Levovitz, the Mashgiach. On Purim, he and his talmidim would sing songs of deveikus, clinging to Hashem, for long stretches. Then they would speak words of mussar, and return to singing. Their Purim was filled with attachment to Hashem.

Once a visitor from America saw this and said, “This is not how we do Purim.” He put on a costume and began acting wildly. The talmidim wondered whether to remove him.

One of the mashgichim explained with a mashal. Imagine a family celebrating an engagement. Everyone is dancing. A baby begins crying. The baby does not understand the simchah. So they give him a toy to distract him.

But you would not give that toy to an adult. For someone mature, the simchah comes from understanding what is happening.

There are levels of Purim. For small people, the joy is external. For those who understand, the joy is in deveikus — in closeness to Hashem and love of His Torah be’ahavah.

This is our goal. To strengthen within ourselves that love for Hashem’s way of life. To rejoice that we have Torah. To internalize that Hashem is present even in hiddenness. To choose Torah not because we are forced, but because we cherish it.

May we be zocheh to celebrate Purim with true simchah, and to be mekabel Torah be’ahavah.