By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Every so often a book comes along that offers profound insight and depth into an upcoming yom tov. R’ Avi Feiner’s “Purim Eternal – Inspiration and Depth” is just such a work. Every page is loaded with remarkable nuggets of insight that crescendo into a beautiful work of illumination.

The insights are the fruit of in-depth inquiry and investigation. Why does the Megillah constantly append the word “ha’birah,” the capital, whenever it mentions Shushan? Employing the Gra’s comments and adding it to a statement of Raish Lakish in Yuma, we are clued into Mordechai’s devastating sense of loss of the true birah — the Beis HaMikdash. Mordechai wrote the Megillah; he thus included the reference to the Beis HaMikdash. Alternatively, but pursuing the same theme, it could be that there was an element of sarcasm, as in Mark Antony’s “honorable men” speech in Act II, Scene III of Julius Caesar.

How is the Megillah divrei shalom v’emes? R’ Avi points to a Ba’al HaTanya and a Sfas Emes for more insight. The Megillah is a combination of an igeres and a sefer and has the benefits and repercussions of both.

How can we have such unbridled simcha in these times? R’ Avi brings us a ma’amar of Rav Hutner that Purim is from a place that is outside our current world, and brings a remarkable proof to the idea with an examination of the letters of the word “pur.”

Why does the Talmud use the term “Megillah nikreis” rather than “korin es haMegillah? R’ Avi quotes Rav Ephraim Wachsman that it teaches us that we are all just players here in this world. R’ Avi weaves this idea into a brilliant exposition.

There is no question that anyone who learns this sefer will walk away with a far greater understanding and appreciation of Purim. It is the Purim gift to buy.

The author is the younger brother of the well-known Rav Eytan Feiner shlita, a brilliant rav, speaker, and author.

The one difficult thing about this sefer is that it is filled with such profundity that it was obviously written by a learned rabbi; the lack of that title anywhere in the book is thus confusing. On the other hand, it is also very inspiring to the hundreds of ba’alei batim who can see what heights they can aspire to reach.

Rabbi Hoffman can be reached at Yairhoffman2@gmail.com.

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