HaRav Lando's special letter addressed specifically to the yeshiva world, was received very emotionally as presented this past Monday "to holy yeshiva students, may Hashem watch over you."

It contains detailed guidelines for conduct to the Torah-devoted community regarding the coming Purim days, both in the positive aspect of 'do what is good' referring to continued special studies programs, and also the prohibitive aspect of veering away from what is not good so as to maximize what is best regarding proper conduct in fundraising for the respective yeshivos as is customary during the Purim season in Israel. It also dealt with the proper parameters of responsibility and good sense during wartime especially in light of the atmosphere of denouncement in the world at large against the yeshiva community.

Rabbenu opened his letter with a reminder of the charge, or amendment, of Torah leaders of the past generation which has been the accepted conduct in the yeshiva in recent years regarding maintaining set study periods on the eve and days of Purim.

HaRav Yaakov Meir Zonnenfeld begins his message:

It is written in "Kav HaYoshor" that the day of Taanis Esther is especially conducive for the fulfillment of prayers and requests. Whoever requires a great measure of Divine mercy for any reason should set aside time for prayer, beginning with Perek 22 of Tehillim which alludes to Esther, the doe of the dawn. This is the very prayer she said before her historic appearance before King Achashverosh to plead for her people. One should continue on with an outpouring of the heart, begging for salvation from Hashem. He is promised succor in the merit of Mordechai and Esther, which will open for him the gates of mercy for his request to enter and be fulfilled.

We must contemplate about the specialness of this fast day and how it is different from our other fast days, all of which are established for prayer and repentance. Why, then, is this day more conducive for prayers to be accepted in Heaven?

Video clips from Gaza show the market in south Gaza, in those places where the IDF has not reached, as full of produce. Whoever looks a bit closer will discern part of the merchandise still unpacked in its original cartons boasting the UNRWA logo, proving that this entered the Strip as part of the humanitarian gesture.

The terror organization ruling in the city or alternately, the local crime gangs, gain control over the produce and strip the incoming trucks of their contents and, often as not, leaving a bloody trail of victims, injured and dead, in the process (not forgetting, of course, to blame Zahal, adding the number of fatalities to the roster of mortalities being constantly reported in lists from a fictitious health organization). And now the terrorists are selling the goods at unheard of prices in the various marketplaces. Someone, after all, is meant to gain from the aid streaming into the Gaza Strip, and who, if not Hamas and other terrorist organizations, are meant to gain from the fruits of the war?

This is how the enlightened world is led to bemoan the suffering of Gaza citizens. Even a friend of Israel, Chancellor Shultz of Germany, who paid a visit at the beginning of the war, speaking at a press conference, emphasized the need to increase the humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying, "How can we stand by and see the citizens on the verge of starvation? These are not our values." Netanyahu was standing by his side, suppressing his reaction to these disconcerting words.

In honor of Purim, we present these translations and excerpts from HaRav Brevda's world famous shiurim on Purim, and his best- selling sefer on Megillas Esther and Purim — Kiymu Vekiblu — which was reprinted many times. They provide a deep insight into the underlying lessons of Purim. The material has been prepared specially for Yated, and some of it has never before appeared in print.

This was first published about 30 years ago.

Part II

Klal Yisroel sinned but Hashem prepared the refuah considerably in advance of the naccoh that threatened them. The entire Megilla shows how seemingly unrelated events were eventually, as a result of HaKodosh Boruch Hu's eitza, used to save Klal Yisroel and to cause the downfall of their enemies.

The entire government of Achashverosh's vast empire was moved to Shushan because that was where Mordechai and Esther were. Two very difficult achievements were necessary for the atzas Hashem: Vashti must be out of the way, and Esther must be installed in her place. These were both quite impossible-looking goals.

However, Hashem was turning screws. Achashverosh was trying to live down his past as a stable boy, and held a big feast. Then he held another feast for the people of Shushan, at which he displayed himself as a "man of the people," (in order to aggrandize himself) by declaring that everyone could have whatever he wanted. His pride was rising to tremendous heights, at the same time that Vashti his queen was getting fed up with him. Hashem was clearly planning a clash.

Hashem arranged that Haman initiated a law that the king could kill anyone, even a minister, without consulting with a court. Achashverosh was maneuvered into killing Vashti, even though he did not want to do so. The first problem was solved.

The Solution of the Second Problem: Making Esther Queen

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