Megillat Esther - HaShem Brings The Cure Before The Ailment

0:07One simple lesson is that Hashem provides the cure before the ailment. Hashem provided the cure before anyone knew they were sick. Before Moshe knew that he needed the staff, Hashem already provided it to Adam HaRishon. Before he knew that he was going to need it for the 10 plagues. already created it before he knew that he was going to need it in order to meet his wife. Hashem already provided it. Hashem provides the cure before you even know you're sick. The same thing, you'll see, maybe not this year. It is highly recommended for everybody to start reading Megillat Esther with the Midrashim now. Don't wait for Purim. Even though it's a small book, it could take you a few days, especially if you have kids, other responsibilities, and other learning to do. You should read Megillat Esther with the Midrash already now. Already now and get into it. You'll see that throughout the whole Megillat Esther, there's not one mention of Hashem. Not a single time is Hashem's name in the Megillah. And not a single time is there an obvious miracle.

1:23Meaning there's no dramatic display of miracles like in Egypt, where Hashem turned the water into blood, sent frogs, or caused grasshoppers to come from afar and consume everything except the Jewish possessions. All these different miracles are absent. Everything seems like it's happenstance, a coincidence, but a lot of coincidences. But only at the end, after you actually understand how all these coincidences actually happened, does it come together and you see, wow, this is Yad Hashem. This is the Hand of God. But only at the end do you see all of it. In the beginning, you see, why is, what's the deal with Haman? Why is Haman this way? Why does Hashem have to kill Vashti? The whole thing happened many years before. That he got angry, he got angry, Ahasuerus got angry at Vashti. But that was almost ten years before the whole miracle of Purim happened. It's not like it just all happened. It seems like when you read it, everything happened in a week. It seems like, okay, Achashverosh got crazy, he killed his wife, a week later he married Esther, a week later Haman tried killing Mordechai, a week later Haman was hanging with his ten sons. It seems like the whole thing is like two weeks, maximum a month.

2:48But the whole thing is over a decade. The whole thing takes a long time. You're only going to know this and how it all comes together if you read it with the commentary. Who, what, when, and how. ArtScroll actually has a very good Megillat Esther for anyone who's an English speaker. It's actually their first book. The first book that ArtScroll ever published was in the 1970s, I think it's 1976 or something like that. Over 30 years ago, Artscroll published its first book, which really started the whole thing. The first book they put out was the Siddur with commentary on it. Unbelievable! It was so popular; it was sold out everywhere as an unbelievable start for Artscroll. Highly recommended for you guys. If you don't have it, go pick it up. It's not expensive. It's very cheap. Start reading now. Don't wait for Purim because once Purim comes, it's already too late. If you tell your kids what happened in Purim right now at all, let them read it. By the time you finish, it's going to be better. I need you to know now, so start reading it now. Here's one of the lessons we learn from the Megillah, from the story of Esther, that Hashem provides the cure before the ailment.

4:06We are meant to be a light unto the nations, not to follow their misguided practices. Remember, every Jew has to remember that he's a Jew and she's a Jew. We don't celebrate non-Jewish holidays, even if they seem harmless. It's a zilzul, disrespect to the Torah and can lead to chillul Hashem, desecration of God's name. Stick to our holy Torah and our own holidays. That's the path of a true Jew.