If one were to ask any Jew what the Holiest day of the year is, the common answer would be Yom Kippur. By and large, Yom Kippur is the day that the most Jews in the world are aware of and participate in. Nonetheless, in the month of Adar, not long before Passover, there is another Yom Kippur, known as Purim.
At first glance, the comparison seems illogical. Purim is not even a Torah-mandated holiday; rather, it is the first Rabbinically ordained holiday, spotlighting food, drink and worldly pleasure. There appear to be no more opposite holidays than these two. However, Purim is not just a comparison to Yom Kippur but a deliberate juxtaposition. Many scholars highlight that these two holidays are placed side by side through their names: “Purim” and “Kippur.” The prefix “k” in Hebrew means “like,” making “Yom Kippur” the day like Purim. Although in their spelling this may seem compelling, the holidays still differ significantly; nonetheless, the Vilna Gaon, a prominent 18th-century Lithuanian Rabbi, explains precisely why these two seemingly opposite holidays have so much in common.
He clarifies that both days hold the ultimate goal of generating spiritual enlightenment. On Yom Kippur, it is actually far easier to reach this objective. By fasting and praying all day, we become like angels, not concerned with the intricacies of daily life, such as using soap or lotion, eating, or drinking. On Purim, it is the opposite; we indulge in food and drinks to the point of excess, yet the end goal remains the same. Despite the process being drastically different, the purpose of both days is to reach a higher spiritual point in this world.
The Vilna Gaon concedes that God understands the nature of human beings. He knows that, as we live on this earth, there are great pleasures for us to partake in, and that these pleasures, when introduced with the proper intention, can benefit us immensely. Spiritually uplifting oneself on Yom Kippur is more accessible; on Purim, it can be much more difficult, but all the more admirable when done properly.
The reading of the Megillah, done once at night and once during the day on Purim, is the vessel that provides the structure for spiritual elevation. The Lubavitcher Rebbe cited a notable distinction between the two readings and their ultimate goals. At first, the Megillah reading was only meant to be read in the morning. Because the mandated feast would occur later in the day, the precursor of the Megillah would enable the feasts to be rooted not solely in pleasure but in Jewish history and Rabbinic tradition. Nevertheless, the Rebbe asserts that the nighttime reading was later instituted as well, to bring light to those in the exile when it was darkest.
It appears, based on the Rebbe’s description, that the nighttime reading should have been the more important of the two since it is at night that the holiday begins, and the previous fast day, Taanit Esther, ends. In these ways, does it not make more sense that more spiritual growth would occur in this time?
He reveals that at night, we are closer to the level of Yom Kippur: we have fasted, prayed and listened to Megillah. This setting of darkness and angelic state of body and mind is the optimal condition, just like Yom Kippur. In the morning, our ego tells us that this is sufficient, that we can now engage in drinking and fun without consideration for the tradition it is steeped in. When we wake up on Purim morning, it is very easy for our ego to take over and tell us that we have already fulfilled our obligation of Megillah. When we go a step further and listen to the morning Megillah, just as the Vilna Gaon says, we are doing something even more important and commendable.
We are very fortunate at the University of Maryland to have a plethora of options for hearing the Megillah. At night in Hillel, the Megillah will be read at 6:35 pm. This is the only reading specified for the night reading; however, the daytime reading, the one that is ever more important to hear, has readings at Hillel at 7:15 am, 8:20 am, 11:30 am, and 12:30 pm. All of these options provide students with ample opportunities to hear the Megillah in the morning and root their celebrations in the traditions of the Rabbinic authorities. If that is not enough, Chabad will be reading Megillah across campus both Monday night and Tuesday, capping it off with a party at 5:30 pm Tuesday. In order to drink until we cannot tell the difference between Haman and Mordechai, we must first hear and internalize that difference, an equation that ultimately yields incredible spiritual elevation.
