The Fragrance of Purim

And Your nation are all righteous …                                                 Isaiah 60:21 Even the empty ones among you are as full of mitzvot as a pomegranate is full of seeds.                   Midrash Shir haShirim Rabba 4:3

Rabbi Yehonatan Eibeshutz explains that the above comments apply when the People of Israel are united, which he illustrates by analogy to one who buys sheep. If the purchase is of an entire large flock, the buyer does not inspect each individual sheep, which he would do if purchasing a small number of sheep. Thus, when Israel is united, God, as it were, overlooks the shortcomings of those who are less than righteous.

The Purim story began with Haman telling King Ahasuerus “there is a people scattered and dispersed.” [Esther 3:8] Rabbi Yehonatan explains that, in effect, Haman said “since the Jews are disunited, perhaps God will not listen to their prayers.”

The turning point, and beginning of the Jews’ salvation, was when Esther instructed Mordechai: “Go assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan.”  Mordechai indeed gathered all the Jews of Shushan, including those who had (willingly) participated in Ahasuerus’ party.

When the Talmud [Ḥullin 139b] asks ‘’where is Mordechai alluded to in the Torah?” the intention, according to Rabbi Yehonatan, is questioning Mordechai’s Biblical source for including the non-righteous Jews. The Talmud finds the allusion in the verse:

Take the chief spices, of flowing myrrh (mor d’ror, a play on words on Mordechai’s name)…                                                 Exodus 30:22

Our Sages answered their question by referring to the incense. Among the eleven spices of which the incense was made is ḥelbena, which by itself is foul-smelling. Yet if the ḥelbena is left out of the mixture, the incense is invalid. Our Sages stress the lesson of the incense: ḥelbena represents the sinners among Israel, but they may not be cast away, they too are part of the Jewish People. Thus, Mordechai was correct in gathering all the Jews and not excluding the sinners among them. Indeed, it was not Mordechai’s right, but his obligation to include even the sinners of Israel.

Ultimately, Purim teaches the lesson of the supreme importance of the unity of all Jews.