Ve’nahafoch You

Venahafoch hu is interesting since it’s vague and open-ended. Usually people translate this phrase as it or the decree was overturned: Haman’s decree of destroying all Jews on 13 Adar was transformed into a day of celebration! In speeches, this hu usually refers to the gezeirah of the Jewish people’s destruction. I’m sure there are other interpretations of this phrase, and I’d like to suggest my own.

Venahafoch hu’s ambiguity actually reminds me of another ambiguity that we quote at the Seder, as we describe our harrowing tale as a people and our trust in Gd to always save us: Vehi she’amdah, and this is what stood for our forefathers and for us. Whoever stood up against us, HaShem delivered us from their hands. Here, many commentaries state that the pronoun hi is referring to our emunah that has withstood all forms of torture and tribulation.

I’d like to suggest something similar in the context of the megillah. Venahafoch hu points to a change in our Bitachon. At times in our lives, we suffer from despair and inactivity because we don’t believe our problems can disappear. But when we adjust our perspective and understand that there is something we can do, and if not for our physical effort then our basic trust in HaShem, the harsh decree we live under can easily be cancelled. Bitachon fundamentally is knowing that Hakol Yachol—HaShem can do anything. Because under the wide lip of Bitachon, we don’t beholden ourselves to the forceful storms of nature, Gd does the same for us in return and is without the limits of nature, opening the doors to a safe dry haven of miracles.

Just as Egypt was a time of confusion and ערבוביא, so were Shushan and Jewish communities worldwide in a tumult and in apprehension after a period of global camaraderie and integration. Both of these historical dilemmas put Klal Yisroel in a position of implementing Torah as their moral compass and to remember the One in Charge.

As a people, throughout history and until now with our poor ex-hostages and their testimonies, we understand how our persecutions have helped strengthen our faith. Gd shakes us up to show us what’s inside, like a closed cereal box—where you can’t tell what its contents are unless you shake it up and down, side to side, and all around. Now, we know what we’ve got.

In Tetzaveh this week, we hear about the special oils used for the mincha korban as well as the menorah. The rule, according to Rabbeinu Bachya, was that for the menachos, a Kohen was allowed to use the oil naturally leaked from the olives; whereas the menorah required a superior type of oil that came from cold-pressing the olives, as in שמן זית זך כתית, “pure, crushed olive oil.”

In the commentary צאינה וראינה, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok of Yanov beautifully notes how in exile, Jews are crushed and beaten to bring us to our Geulah and light-filled future. Unfortunately it can take a lot to get the purest thing out of us. As we know, we grow most from trials.

The state of purity we achieve through our galus is highlighted by this special extra virgin olive oil—extra pure because nature nor heat is used to extract the oil but slowly crushing the olive, over and over until everything good is out. (Regular oil is made from heating the olives and allowing the fluids to flow. So that oil is not called “extra virgin.”)

Venahafoch hu is a call to us all to recognize our suffering while believing in blessings to come. When we change our mindset from fear and hopelessness to self-empowerment and yes, life will be good!, we open ourselves to miracles. As Rabbeinu Bachya writes, HaShem tells us קומי אורי כי בא אורך, Rise, my beautiful light, because your time to shine has come.

As we are beaten down by our most recent pains, let us remember to use the special oil that has come out of this suffering to regain our hope once again in a Good HaShem. The power of venahafoch hu, of switching our mindsets of a negative passivity to a proactive Bitachon, will help envelope ourselves in many blessings, nissim, and a supremely bright future.