Purim: 7 Powerful Spiritual Keys to Unlock Joy, Faith, and Divine Blessing

As is well known, every festival and sacred date on the Hebrew calendar carries its own unique spiritual illumination and influence. When a person invests in the specific inner work suited to that time, they merit receiving that spiritual flow. What should we focus on on the day of Purim? Following are seven essential foundations of this holy day.

1. The Core Mitzvot of the Day

First and foremost are the mitzvot of Purim itself. There are four central commandments that define the day:

• Reading the Megillah

• Giving gifts to the poor (matanot la’evyonim)

• Sending food portions to one another (mishloach manot)

• The Purim feast (seudah)

These are the primary obligations of Purim, and therefore one must first ensure they are fulfilled properly and in order.

2. Tehillim and Prayer: A Time of Divine Favor

Purim is a time of great divine goodwill, when prayers are accepted and salvations are granted. Therefore, it is highly recommended to set aside time to recite chapters of Tehillim and to pray for all our needs, both material and spiritual, including strength from Heaven for personal growth and spiritual ascent.

Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Biderman writes in his book Be’er HaChaim that Purim is: “A time especially suited to ask the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, for all the desires of one’s heart for good. At this auspicious moment, He will surely fulfill all our requests for blessing and goodness… as the Amrei Noam of Dzikov writes: ‘The nature of the days of Purim is an overwhelming intensification of mercy and divine will, reaching the highest levels.’ Even healing and salvations beyond the natural order are possible, for this day is not like other days — it is above them, reflecting the dimension of the World to Come. Therefore, one should greatly increase prayer on this day.”

3. Torah Study on Purim

Because Purim is filled with many mitzvot, Torah study on this day is often neglected relative to other days. Precisely for this reason, one should strengthen oneself in Torah learning on Purim and dedicate time to study.

Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh and President of the Council of Torah Sages of Degel HaTorah, emphasized: “Engaging in Torah study on Purim is an exceptionally great merit. There were communities in the Diaspora that strengthened Torah learning on Purim and merited great salvations that require special merit. Through Torah study on Purim, they achieved deliverance.”

He explained this based on the verse, “It is a time to act for Hashem; they have breached Your Torah” (Tehillim 119:126). When there is spiritual laxity in Torah learning, that itself becomes a call to strengthen Torah observance. One who does so merits the reward of the many.

Similarly, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef writes in Chazon Ovadia (Purim, p. 181): “Since everyone is busy with the Purim meal and the other mitzvot of the day, one must be careful to study Torah on this day, for Torah study sustains the world.”

4. Joy: A Central Theme of Purim

Our Sages teach, “When Adar enters, joy increases.” There is a special mitzvah to rejoice on Purim, as stated in the Megillah: “To make them days of feasting and joy.”

Purim marked a renewed acceptance of the Torah, as the verse states: “The Jews fulfilled and accepted upon themselves and their descendants.” Unlike the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai — where acceptance was accompanied by coercion, on Purim the Torah was accepted out of love.

Thus, Purim carries immense sanctity: the sanctity of accepting the Torah through love.

The joy of Purim is twofold:

• Joy over the miracle of salvation

• Joy over accepting the Torah out of love

This joy is greater than that of other miracles because of the great reversal — “v’nahafoch hu” — when sorrow turned into joy.

Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta writes in Ohev Yisrael : “The essence of joy comes from transformation — from one state to its opposite. This was the greatness of the Purim miracle, and through this reversal there was joy and rejoicing in all worlds.”

The Sfat Emet adds that when mitzvot are fulfilled with joy for the sake of Heaven, divine holiness and miraculous light are revealed in those days. The more we accept Purim with genuine joy in serving Hashem, the more those days shine with spiritual illumination.

The Ohev Yisrael further teaches that by remembering and sincerely thanking Hashem for the miracles of Purim, we awaken the same spiritual light in every generation, drawing joy, blessing, and salvation throughout the year.

5. Love and Unity Among the Jewish People

Purim offers an opportunity to repair the claim of Haman: “There is a scattered and divided nation.” This is rectified through unity, love, and brotherhood among Jews.

The mitzvah of mishloach manot — sending gifts to one another, was therefore instituted to express affection and friendship. Accordingly, the Shulchan Aruch states: “One who increases sending gifts to friends is praiseworthy.”

Rabbi Gershon Edelstein wrote: “The days of Purim were established to increase love and brotherhood. Therefore, one must be especially careful during these days in matters between one person and another.”

6. Faith in Hashem and Divine Providence

Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman was asked what one should strengthen on Purim. He answered: faith in divine providence.

The entire chain of events in the Megillah appears natural, yet only afterward do we see that everything was guided by Hashem to bring redemption to His people. Purim teaches us to recognize Hashem’s hidden hand in every detail of life.

7. Accepting the Torah Out of Love and Loving Hashem

Rabbi Gershon Edelstein explained that on Purim the Jewish people accepted the Torah out of love. At Sinai, acceptance came through intellectual compulsion — the realization that Torah was essential for existence. On Purim, however, the acceptance flowed from love, inspired by the miracle.

As the Talmud states, “They fulfilled what they had already accepted” — out of love for the miracle that occurred.

Because Purim is a time of accepting the Torah through love, this spiritual influence renews itself every year. Each Purim brings special Heavenly assistance to deepen our love of Hashem and our joyful commitment to His Torah.

Purim is not only a celebration of past salvation, but a living spiritual gateway, inviting prayer, joy, unity, faith, and renewed love of Torah and of Hashem in every generation.