Secrets of the Scroll - Bonus Episode - Secrets from the Shelter

This episode was not recorded in a studio. It was recorded in a bomb shelter.

As sirens sound and uncertainty fills the air, Rabbanit Shani Taragin returns to Megillat Esther, not as history, but as a living guide. Because the story of hidden miracles and quiet courage is not only ancient. It is happening now.

In this special bonus episode, we explore what it means to live through fear, to hold onto faith when God feels hidden, and to recognize the patterns we first saw in Bereishit and Esther unfolding in our own time.

Exile. Survival. Reversal. These are not just themes of the past, they are the language of the present moment.

Sometimes redemption doesn’t arrive with clarity. Sometimes it begins in the dark, in the shelter, in the quiet strength of a people who refuse to break.

Listen to this raw and powerful episode, recorded in real time, and discover how the story continues, even now.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

In these challenging days in Israel, we turn to our sources for strength and something to hold on to. With the sound of sirens never far away, we record a special bonus episode of Secrets of the Scroll here from the bomb shelter of Matan. We are delighted to share the secret episode just with you. Thank you for being part of the Matan community. Your engagement sustains and amplifies the voices shaping Torah today.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

If we had 20 episodes speaking about allusions in Miguel Tester to other 23 sparim and tanak that had preceded Miguel Tester, then today our challenge and at the same time our opportunity is to appreciate how literally, Bayami Maheim Bazman Hazir, we're living in remarkable, challenging, miraculous times wherein we see how there are so many allusions today back to the story of Miguel Tester. Not only that this most recent attack of going to Iran took place on Shabbat Parshat Sakhar, but Eref Purim and An Purim experiencing in Erit Israel also the anxiety for Jews in Chutzla'aretz, feeling literally the threat of annihilation beyond Akhad, feeling also the sense of macho emchethar Malek, Mitachat Hashamayim. Albeit we find this phrase numerous times since the only time that it appears within a military context is by the story of Amalek, literally fighting against them, mittachat Hashamayim in the airspace of the Middle East. This is truly, truly remarkable. And how about all the secrets? The Hamelech, the Nais Nistar, Hashem, albeit not necessarily with the same overt miracles that we see in the story of Mitrayim, but just as in the story of Purim, Hakadosh Baruchhu literally playing a remarkable role. Which brings us now to understand Resh Lakish and the Ushami and Megillah in a very different light. If you remember, throughout our series, we discuss how Raish Lakish, when he speaks about how Bimota Mashiach, Megilatester, and Beteilal Olam, that we're still going to need Meghilatas ter. And I explained beforehand how Meghilat Estr is to a certain degree criticizing the Jews of Chutzlaretz for staying there at the time, not only post-Hatzarat Quraysh, when Jews are allowed to regain sovereignty in the land of Israel, but even perhaps after the second Bait Magdash is built. What does this say, says Raishla Kish, about the future of the Jewish people? We're going to need Mikhilatasir and the messages of encouraging them to come and join Lechnos at Kola Yudim to unify as a people, even during the time of Yumota Mashiach. But now I understand Raishla Kish a little differently. That Raishlakish is saying we're going to need Mikhilatas terr at the time of Mashiach, not only to be able to relay different messages to the populace, to the nation, but also literally as a blueprint. We're going to need to know how Gula is going to occur, how the redemption is going to be manifest literally in the same way. It's going to come at the time when there's a threat of paras, when there's a rise in anti-Semitism. How can we not see the messages, the secrets of the scroll to teach us what's going on before our very eyes? And that's why this bonus episode is from a bomb shelter. Just in case there is a siren in the middle of this, we are living during the same, the same time, the same season, literally between Purim and Pesach, between, as Rabbi Shimon Bengamliel says, the reason why, even during a leap year, why Adar Shani, the real Adar, the month in which Purim is going to be celebrated, will be in the second Adar and not the first, in order to ensure the juxtaposition of Purim to Pesach, to teach us how similar also the stories of Guula are going to be. Mishanaknas Adar Marbim Bisimcha, our simcha didn't climax and now is going to literally decline after purim on the contrast. Again, on the contrary, we see that after Purim Marbimbisimcha, we now have even greater miracles to look forward to. And how can we ignore the role of women in Miguel Atister and the role that we see that women are playing particularly now? If the word Vatokum, literally the active response to the passivity going on around us, is mentioned throughout Tanakh only 18 times. And as we've already drawn allusions to the stories of Rut and to the stories of Batsheva, to whom also the king David as her malach, just like a Hashberosh, Malach Esther. And just as we've seen the parallels to Abigail, by whom all of these characters we see the word Vatakum, women who know how to get up during a time of crisis and know how to change and chart the future trajectory for Am Yisrael. Well, that word appears in Megilat Esther as well. But I feel that Esther is calling to all of us, the women in the future, to get up, batokum, even in the face of adversity, in the face of danger and challenge, to be able to get up and literally propel the next stages of redemption. And that's why in this bonus episode, we take a look particularly at allusions today, back to the story of Migilat Esther, and we recognize how even within the story itself, we see that there are numerous parallels between the various female persona. For example, Vashti, whose name itself depicts Mishteh, the indulgence in wine, that culture of the king's parties. And at the same time, we have Esther, who reminds us, on one hand, yes, of Persian goddesses, but a nochi astier, Astir, not that bombastic expression, but rather the Hastara, literally seeing the Sni'ut, the dignity of Esther. Just like Vashti is described as Tobatmare as beautiful, so is Esther, described as Tobatmare. In other words, we're supposed to appreciate Esther says, I'm a lot like Vashti. As a matter of fact, just like Vashti disobeyed the king by not appearing when he commanded her to appear, so too. Esther is going to literally disobey the king when she appears, albeit she's not commanded to appear, and she already knows what the dire consequences are. And therefore, it's up to the reader to appreciate how Esther, in fact, is a foil for Vashdi. Vashti, Vatim Ma'ein Vashti. Vashdi refuses to come, and all we know it's for her own selfish interests. She doesn't appear before the king. The reason for Esther's disobedience is because of her selflessness. She's literally willing to put her life on the line for the sake of the future of the Jewish people, as Mordechai had explicitly told her. And it's not only Vajdi whom we see Esther is compared to, but how about Zeresh Aeshet Haman, whom we didn't really speak about so much beforehand, but we see is clearly meant to help us understand as a secondary character, not only to highlight the hubris of Haman, but ultimately to appreciate some of the tension going on within the story that we're supposed to learn about today? Keep in mind that when Mordechai had asked Esther to appear before the king, Litchane Alamah, literally to beg, to request the king's salvation for the Jewish people, what does Esther do after three days and three nights after Lehknosat Kola Yudim Bitzumu Alai, after all the tbilah, the prayers and the fasting? She goes before the king and ultimately asks him for a party, a mishteh. What's her plan? That's why, as we know the Tana'im debate, from what point in Megillah Tester does one fulfill the obligation of hearing the Megillah, Rabbi Mayor says, you have to go back to Peregalif. Even though the plot thickens with the introduction of Ishu Diha Yabushu Shann Habira, and ultimately the rise of or the promotion of Haman, we have to go back to that Vashti story to appreciate that. If one understands Esther's plan, then you know that it's built off of Bash Vashti. She knows that to go before the king and basically ask for a reversal. She already knows what he says later, that he doesn't reverse his edicts. She knows that, and if it's already been declared that there's going to be a war against the Jews, then the only way to thwart that plan is by banishing Haman. Because if there isn't going to be Jewish genocide during her time, then she knows that Haman will just plan the next attack against the Jewish people. And therefore she has to banish him. Literally, she has to eradicate the enemies of the Jewish people. But how does one do that? Well, she has precedence through the story of Vashti. Vashti, as we know, how was she banished from the kingdom? Well, let's see. There was a party, the king is inundated with wine, he's drunk, he thinks about his wife, and then there's a misdemeanor of his wife, and then if there's an officer of the king there, such as Mamuhan, to be able to say, yes, banish Vashti, then that's what the king will do. So Esther knows, in order to build up suspicion of the king against Haman, firstly there has to be the context of a party. She's going to make sure he's tov leavhbaya, that he's inundated or inubriated with wine. And what does she do? Brilliantly, Esther invites not just herself, but only Haman, literally raising a suspicion that something's going on between the two of them. But as we know, there isn't that much going on. Literally, she's fabricating a plot, a misdemeanor against Haman having to do with her. But in the meantime, what happens? After the first party, and the king, very anxious, he's wondering, what is going on between Esther and Haman? Why did Esther only invite Haman? Are they plotting against me? Is there some usurping of the throne? Is uh Haman involved with Esther because ultimately he wants the crown? And uh the king can't go to sleep. He's so anxious. Esther says, sorry, have to build up the suspicion a little more. I'm inviting you to another, another party, but again only with Haman. Haman leaves, uh feeling on high on cloud nine, walks out, sees that Mordechai doesn't bow down to him. But Yamalei Haman Chima, he goes home, and who's there? Kol O'Avav, his entire fan club, Vizerashishto, she's not necessarily part of the fan club, and he shares with him that albeit he has Rob Banav, albeit he's on literally the top of the world. Only he has been invited together with the king to the queen's party. And what does he say? With all this, it doesn't make a difference to me, he says, as long as I see that that Mordechai kolze ineno shaveli, bahol eatasharni roet, mordechai, even though he knows that 11 months from now he'll have an opportunity to kill him himself. Even at this time, Haman is so filled with anger, and it's Zeresh who has a plan. Zeresh who says, all you have to do is, Yasu eats kaboah, malach, va yiklu at mordechaialov, mishteh, samech. And what is she basically recommends? Okay, prepare gallows. What? Prepare gallows for hanging and just tell the king, that's all it says. Tell the king and they'll hang Mordechai? Really, why would they hang Mordechai right away? Well, for this we need to know what her precedence is. Zeresh also thinks like Esther. Hmm, how can I get rid of someone who is basically involved also with the kingship? Well, let's go back again to the beginning of the story of Migilat Esther. Right after Esther's coronation, in Parakbet, we hear Bayame Mahim, Umorda Yoshabisha Hamelach, Khatsaf, Biktam Bateresh, Shne Sariseh Hamelach, Mishamai Hassaf. Do you remember our Baker and our butler? Not only from this story, but from the Yosef story, our baker and our butler want to kill the king. And they're accused of treason. And as such, so as soon as the matter is going to be researched and they're found guilty, what is the punishment for treason? You get hanged on a tree. That's exactly what Zerish is saying. Let's fabricate a plan. Let's literally frame Mordechai for treason. And what basis does she have? Well, keep in mind that Mordechai has not been rewarded for divulging this assassination attempt. And why hasn't he been rewarded? Because people are wondering, how did Mordechai know that Big Tan and Teresh wanted to assassinate the king? Khazal explained, Mordechai knew all 70 languages and thereby was able to understand their secrets. However, the Pshan seems to imply that Mordechai in fact overheard, but the people research and they're wondering, hmm, maybe Mordechai knew because he was initially part of this plan, and only when he saw that it perhaps could fail, only then did he divulge this information. So he uh he's not going to be punished, but he's certainly not going to be rewarded. All that needs to be done, says Zeresh, go to Akash Veroch. Tell him that Mordechai is trying to kill him, they'll research, they'll open up a safer Zachorono, they'll remember that Mordechai is the one who uh revealed the Big Tan and Teresh plan. They'll think that this is what he's doing again, and yes, he'll be hanged on the tree for treason. Oh my, think about this. While Esther is plotting against Haman and literally framing Haman for a crime that he didn't commit, Zaresh is just as wily, and she is also busy framing Mordechai for a plan, or basically for a crime that he didn't commit. Oh no, whose is going to win? And we should have butterflies in our stomach realizing that, oh my, while one is literally coming with their arsenal of weapons, the other is as well. The women then, who are really the ones propelling the entire story, the ones who are trying to initiate as much as they can to play a role, each one for the sake, well, again, Esther, of her entire nation, whereas Zeresh just for the sake of her husband's pride. And this is one of the messages that we hear within the story. Why do we go out to war? Why do we fight? Why do we plan? Is it really just for our hubris, our pride, our fame and power amongst the other nations? Or is it, as we know, for the sake of national survival? And we're told that even though Zerish's plan may be a little more based, may even have advantages over Esther's, in the end, it's going to be the hubris of Haman that leads him to come to the king's palace late at night while the king himself is still thinking about Esther and Haman, Balahu, na didash natamelech. And at the same time that he hears through his Sefer Azze Ronot that Mordechai wasn't rewarded. Maybe Mordechai really is upset that he wasn't rewarded. Maybe there's a plot of Mordechai, but then what happens? Haman can't even wait till the next morning. Because of his hubris, he's propelled to come that very night to the king's palace. And who's then in the inner courtyard of the king very, very late at night, or maybe it's one o'clock in the morning? He's told that it's Haman. And now he can't help thinking, what is Haman doing here in my inner chambers, right next to the queen's chambers, late at night? Is Haman really planning on usurping the throne through Esther? And therefore he tests Haman. Haman, what would you do to the Isha Shar Hamalakhafitz Bikaro if you wanted to reward someone? And he falls into the trap right away. He asks for the Ketzar Machut. He asked for the king's crown. At which point, Ahashero then says, So my suspicions are in fact against you. You take Mordechai, who I don't think is really planning anything against me. You take Mordechai through the streets and lead him, saying, at which point Esther knows now there's sufficient suspicion against Haman. Now she's able to say, Yes, this is the man who, if it was just a matter really, of our being subservient, then I wouldn't bring it up. But she says, this is a man who literally wants to kill my entire people. And if that's the case, Isar Oyeev Haman, Harrahzeh, the king walks out, already having the suspicion in his mind. Esther's plan worked. She has a sufficiently framed Haman. But wait a second, the king may calm down. He was told by his therapist after the Vashti C next time go out, take tense breaths, come back in. And lo and behold, while Haman is pleading for his life, recognizing how this is a setup, he didn't know that Esther was even Jewish. He would not have necessarily brought that up in front of the king had he known. And Achashvirosh comes back in, and Haman falls on top of Esther. And Akashvirosh still thinking, you see, something's going on between Haman and Esther. So while he's thinking about his wife, and while there's a misdemeanor, in fact, all everything falling into place. Gam, lakhbosh, etamalka, emi, babayat, that's all he's really thinking about. But we need one more factor, and that's an officer of the king. Lo and behold, Kharvona is right there. And Kharvona, as Ghazal tells us, is one of the very few people, part of Haman's fan club, who knows about the tree, who knows about the gallows that Haman has prepared because he's a Haman supporter. He's the partner in crime, just like Big Tan and Teresh, Kharvona's working with Haman. He's an evil person, and yet now that he sees Haman falling, he's going to be the one to say, Gam, he neha eats. It's the Gam of Kharvona. It's literally the planning of every single detail that falls into place. On that evening, when Esther is trying her hardest to create some scenario where she can incriminate Haman, but at the same time, Zeresh is busy with her own plan to incriminate Mordechai. We each put our own Hishadlut. Don't worry, the message of the Megillah, Balila Hahu, Nadidash Nat Hamelech. Just like on the night of Pesach, this Khazal say, the Maharil tells us this was the night of Pesach. As we've been saying day in and day out, that Hashem is the one he ne Loya Num Voloishan Shomer Yisrael that a miracle is happening right now. That the king of all kings is not sleeping. While each one is trying their best to bring about the salvation of the Jewish people, Hakadoshvar, who is the one to make sure that everything falls into place, that the suspicions of Esther are going to build up in Ahashvairush's mind, and Haman's hubris is going to lead to his downfall, as Zeresh herself says to Haman. But ultimately, Hashem will make sure that the timing is perfect and that this will lead to the salvation of the Jewish people. It is certainly then meant to serve as a message for all of us. How will this war end? And the answer, as Lakes says, just open up, Mickey Latester. The Baal Shantov has taught us that those who don't see themselves and everything around them, their generation of the story of Esther, don't really understand the story. But now all of us, all of you, we know the story better now. We know that this is the timeless story of the Jewish people. We know that this is to a certain degree a synopsis of Tanakh and is charting the path for G'ulah. How will it happen? We do our best. We open up not the story of Amalek from Parshat Bishalach, where we hear that Milkhamala Hashem B Amalek me door door, that this is Hashem's battle for future generations. Rather, what are we commanded to read before Purim? How do we fulfill the mitzvadaf assay of Zakhor? Et Ashar Asalha Amalek? We open up to Parshat Kite Seh, we open up to Seifer Dvarim upon the imminent entrance. The conclusion of Moshe Rabinu's mitvah speech. And what does he remind us? How do we remember the story of Amalek? First, remember your situation. Remember that you were Karhabaderech, how Amalek was the one to come to you, gen bimikre, that you also weren't sure how to understand the events of Yetziyat Mitzrayim. Was it really just happenstance? Or did you appreciate that Hakadoshbar, who was involved? And atta ayefi ageah, the Parshanim explain that it's not just Amalek. You were tired, you were weary, you were post, post-Shibuud, post-years of hardship. You were post-October 7th. And you were post uh missiles from Iran. Already last last year, the year before, the Loya Rei elukim. It's not just about us being weary, but maybe we also didn't sufficiently fear God. So what's going to happen? In order for you to truly fight against Amalek, you have to do exactly what Esther learned from Parshat Zakhor. You have to strengthen your own Yarat alokim and strengthen yourselves. How? You're gonna have to learn how to unite, how to unify yourselves, how to get together as a Jewish people and strengthen yourselves through tvila, through tsa'aka, literally screaming Shirhamot in every minyan across the world. And then when Hashem is on your side, and only when you're in Eret Israel, and Hashem makes sure, Banyah, Hashem aloka, Mikol Oy Vakha, Misaviv, not only when Hashem finally secures you, but your borders, only when, literally, the western border of Hamas is going to be taken care of, and the northern border of Hezbollah, and the southern threat of the Huti, Ma'ana, the eastern Syrian border, when all of those are taken care of, then you're ready to fight this battle. Then you're ready. Only once there's a presence of the Jewish people securely in the lands of Israel, just as we've seen through the story of Megilat Estr, then even Jews beyond the borders of Israel can fight. Then you can get up. Then Timchet Etzechar Amalek. Then you're going to eradicate Amalek. And how? And this time it will be done in the same way as it was done in Megilat Estr. It will be done through the initiative of man. You're going to go Mitachatashamayim. You're going to send your air force literally underneath the skies. And at the same time that we have our own plots and our own strategies. Megilat Estr assures us that really this is simply revisiting the promise of Hashem. It's Hashem's war, but we're the agents. We don't read from Parshat Bishalach because that's God's war. Rather, we're told in Sefer Dvarim, Hashem says, You're my agents. You have to be the ones. This is a story of every generation. Megilatister is really not only the secret of understanding the events of the past and the stories of the past, but literally charts the path for redemption of the future. Revisits the stories of Yitziat Mitzraim, revisits the miracles of Shivat Sion, and perhaps most remarkably, really is the blueprint for how we see redemption unfolding before our eyes today. The redemption of the involvements of the women, the redemption of the Nisim Nistarim, the hidden miracles that are in fact really present if we only understand not just the text but the subtext. And ultimately to appreciate this salvation will come, not only Mita Hatashamayam, but through the initiatives of men and women today recognizing that Balailahu Nadidash Natamelik, that Hashem Loya Nun Boloishan Shomer Yisra'il, and that's ultimately how we're going to see the final Kuula.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Thank you for joining us for The Secrets of the Scroll with Rabani Chani Tarragan. This series is presented by Matan and World Misrahi and powered by Walder Foundation. We hope today's conversation inspired you, sparked new ideas, and deepened your connection to the text and its meaning. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and share it with your friends or family who would appreciate these conversations. Your support helps us continue bringing a thoughtful, meaningful Torah to the wider audience. We look forward to learning together again soon.