Purim — Uniting Two Opposites into One
There exists a profound duality in the purpose of creation, a tension between two seemingly opposing forces that must ultimately be reconciled. On one hand, the creatures — us — are destined to receive all the pleasure and delight that the Creator intends to bestow upon them. This is the fundamental purpose of creation: to experience the fullness of divine generosity. On the other hand, these same creatures, who are by nature pure receivers of pleasure and fulfillment, are called to transcend their inherent state and become similar to the Creator, who is the pure bestower and embodiment of unconditional love. This interplay between receiving and bestowing forms the heart of the correction of creation and its ultimate purpose.
To achieve this, we must aspire to the “full Monty” — a complete revelation of the Creator’s gifts — while hoping that alongside the light of wisdom, the Creator will grant the light of mercy to envelop and guide it. In the end, though we are offered the opportunity to enrich an entire kingdom and rule over it, we are faced with a choice: to remain humble servants and obliging partners rather than seizing dominion for ourselves. True receiving, paradoxically, occurs only when we no longer desire to receive for our own sake. It is precisely when everything opens up — when the possibility to take and accept all becomes available — that we can demonstrate our deepest truth: that our sole desire is to engage in unconditional, selfless bestowal.
Yet, this transformation is not simple. We cannot become similar to the Creator through loving and bestowing intentions alone if we lack the desires upon which those intentions can rest. To bridge this gap, we require the greatest possible desires — raw, insatiable yearnings for pleasure — over which we can overlay a shift in intention. Originally selfish, these desires must be redirected toward bestowal. We must seek to attach ourselves to all the desires existing in reality, not for personal gratification, but with the sole aim of serving, complementing, and justifying the Creator. Our intention becomes one of giving Him contentment by assisting in the fulfillment of creation’s purpose.
This dynamic is exemplified in the contrasting perspectives of Haman and Mordechai. Haman is right in one sense: our vast, insatiable desires to receive pleasure are essential, as their fulfillment aligns with the purpose of creation. However, Mordechai is equally right in his opposition: we must become wholly selfless, unconditionally loving, and devoted to service if we are to resemble the Creator. Only through such similarity can we recognize, attain, and justify Him as the singular, benevolent force governing reality.
The resolution of this contradiction falls to the seemingly independent creature — Malchut, the observer endowed with the freedom to choose. Malchut must decide how to wield the desires under its control, agreeing to harness these infinite, pleasure-seeking impulses solely as a foundation for a selfless and unconditionally bestowing intention. In this way, the created being unites the seemingly incompatible opposites of reception and bestowal. By pairing raw, insatiable desires with a pure, selfless intention, the creature merges the correction of creation with its purpose, forging them into a singular whole.
Through this process, light emerges from darkness, and perfect unity is revealed from an infinitely fragmented state. The empty, yearning desires for pleasure are offered fulfillment — not for self-indulgence, but as a means to assist the Creator in completing His purpose. Even when all becomes permissible and the gates of abundance swing wide, the creature must still choose humility, subjugating itself to remain a faithful, cooperative servant of the Creator. Thus, the unification of opposites is achieved: reception and bestowal, correction and purpose, darkness and light — all reconciled in the service of a higher intention. This is how we, as created beings, participate in the divine act of making two into one.