Bechor Beheyma Tehora 4 – Purim – 127 Provinces in Esther’s Dominion – 127 Years of Sarah Imeinu’s Life – Yiras HaShem vs. Fallen Fear – Parah Adumah – Parshas HaChodesh – Fear of Punishment – Joy of Purim – Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon.
Hilkhos Bechor Beheyma Tehora 4 is based on Likutey Moharan 185.
00:00 – PARAGRAPH 8. Purim – why the 127 provinces in Esther’s dominion correspond to the years of Sarah Imeinu’s life.
Second letters of of Isha Yiras HaShem spell Sarah – she is the embodiment of yirah. Remembrance on Rosh Hashanah of Sarah Imeinu to bear a child at the age of 90.
03:40 – the 100 brochos we say each day and the 100 gates of Yitzchak Avinu correspond with Yirah. Dibur is associated with Yirah/Malkhus/Noshim – women. Reference to Likutey Moharan 19. In that Torah, Rabbeinu compares the structure of a woman to a warehouse, which alludes to Yirah.
*05:30 – The 127 years of Sara Imeinu’s life correspond to the 100 blessings/gates plus the 27 letters with which all words are formed (the 22 regular letters plus the 5 ending letters).
06:30 – Shoshanah is begematria Esther.
07:00 – PARAGRAPH 9. Why Megillas Esther begins with a description of the great wealth of Achashverosh.
10:00 – Yiras HaNefulos – Fallen Respect. The temporary power of the 70 nations comes only from HaShem, therefore the response to this seeming power in the hands of the nations, is to fear HaShem, not the nations. This is why the Megillah begins as it does.
12:30 – A Jew should always run to see a king, to be inspired about HaShem’s majesty.
13:00 – Am Yisrael is warned to respect Hashem (Mishlei).
*15:30 – PARAGRAPH 10. Parshas Parah Adumah. The Red Heifer represents holy yirah. “Fear of HaShem expands life.” Where there is yirah, there is wholeness. Nothing is lacking in one who fears HaShem. The Yiras HaNefulos resulting from contact with a dead body are purified through Parah Adumah. Reference to Likutey Moharan 185. Yirah originates from a very high level of sechel. “Vehi rechoka” are begematria “Parah Adumah”.
20:00 – Parshas HaChodesh (in Parshas Bo) is read before Pesach. Reference to the beginning of Likutey Moharan 185. The Yud radiates sechel into the yirah, to prevent fallen fears, also referred to as the “deficiency of the moon”. Through the mitzvah of birkhas hachodesh, we restore the fullness of yirah – the aspect of “the light of the moon will be as great as the light of the sun.”
23:46 – It requires a very great tzaddik to accomplish the above process.
24:15 – PARAGRAPH 11. Why there are 4 parshios: the letter Daled represents yirah. Similarly, there are 4 parshios in tefillin. The nations will fear Am Yisrael when they see the tefillin.
25:15 – PARAGRAPH 12. The tzaddikim are Am Yisrael’s treasury of Yiras HaShem. Rabbeinu taught that anyone who associates with these tzaddikim also receives a portion of this very high level of yirah.
27:00 – Q&R about respect for world leaders.
29:00 – Q&R about attaining yiras shemayaim in our time.
30:00 – PARAGRAPH 13. ROSHEI PEROKIM. Sof Davar is Yirah (Koheles and Likutey Moharan 185). The crown of sovereignty. Sof Maaseh the creation of man was HaShem’s first thought. When a person wants to build a house, their first conception is the completed house.
*37:00 – The most important aspect of yirah is fear of punishment (Sichos HaRan 5).
40:00 – The joy of Purim results from fear of HaShem, and not fearing anything else. Yiras HaShem tosif yomim. (Sichos HaRan 5.)
44:00 – PARAGRAPH 15 – Rebuke of Bnei Yisrael when they rebel against HaShem. This rebellion results when they consider themselves so far from being able to do teshuvah that it “doesn’t matter” if they respect HaShem or not. This despair leads to a loss of yirah. Just as the sea has a bound because everywhere there is some justice. Reference to Sichos HaRan 78.
48:30 – PARAGRAPH 15. The lottery established by Haman was designed to make Am Yisrael fall lower, from month to month. The methodology of the Yetzer Hara is “Aveyra gorerus aveyra” – one sin leads to the next. Spoiling a child leads to bad habits as he matures (Mishlei 29).
*51:20 – “Machshavos Hashem medor ledor” (Tehillim) – HaShem has pity on every generation, and every individual. Mordechai realized what Haman’s ultimate intention was, so he screamed to HaShem and then “informed Esther”. Esther represents the entire Jewish nation.
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