My favorite agadeta related to purim is not in Masechet Megila but in shabbat 88a according to the explanation of the Meshech chochma.
"'וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר' – ×מר רב ×בדימי בר ×—×ž× ×‘×¨ חס×: מלמד שכפה הקדוש ברוך ×”×•× ×¢×œ×™×”× ×ת ההר כגיגית, ו×מר לה×: ×× ××ª× ×ž×§×‘×œ×™× ×”×ª×•×¨×” – מוטב, ו×× ×œ×ו – ×©× ×ª×”× ×§×‘×•×¨×ª×›×. ×מר רב ××—× ×‘×¨ יעקב: מכ×ן ×ž×•×“×¢× ×¨×‘×” ל××•×¨×™×™×ª× (רש"×™ – "'×ž×•×“×¢× ×¨×‘×”' – ש×× ×™×–×ž×™× × ×œ×“×™×Ÿ למה ×œ× ×§×™×™×ž×ª× ×ž×” ×©×§×‘×œ×ª× ×¢×œ×™×›× â€“ יש ×œ×”× ×ª×©×•×‘×”, שקבלוה ב××•× ×¡"). ×מר רב×: ××£ על פי כן, הדור קבלוה בימי ×חשורוש. דכתיב: 'קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ הַיְּהוּדִי×' – קיימו מה שקיבלו כבר." (שבת פח,×)
Basically we were forced to accept the torah and when the gemara chalenges it by saying we could write a "moda'a" (a legal document that a person presents to b"d demonstrating that he did not sell something willingly) the gemara says - too late because we accepted it willingly during purim.
The meshech chochma (shmot 19:17) says
"'ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר' – מלמד שכפה עליהן הר כגיגית. פירוש, שהר××” ×œ×”× ×›×‘×•×“ ×”' בהקיץ ובהתגלות × ×¤×œ××” עד ×›×™ ממש בטלה ×‘×—×™×¨×ª× ×”×˜×‘×¢×™ ויצ××” × ×©×ž×ª× ×ž×”×©×’×ª כבוד ×”' והיו ×ž×•×›×¨×—×™× ×›×ž×œ××›×™× ×‘×œ× ×”×‘×“×œ ור×ו ×›×™ כל ×”× ×‘×¨××™× ×ª×œ×•×™ רק בקבלת התורה."
The way I always understood this (probably based on either Rav CY Goldvicht or Rav A Rivlin) that we were not physically forced but "mentally forced." We saw such great miracles at the Sinai revelation that we had no choice but to accept and obvious miracles continued through the first temple (see Avot 5:5 and also Yoma 21a has more). So this status of being "mentally forced" to accept the torah - based on obvious miracles continued until the first case when the the Jews were saved through a miracle that was not obvious - Purim.
The essence of Purim is the understanding of God being behind all "natural" occurrences.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2018 09:16PM by mlb.
