(Courtesy of Kollel Chatzos) Behind every mishloach manos label, behind every Purim sign, behind every Purim greeting, we have a wish… for a freilichen Purim and a freilichen tamid.
As we are surrounded with the costumes and the singing and the joy, we cannot help but think how this entire celebration is… a costume. We think about the broken hearts behind the mask, and we wish that the simcha of Purim can spread to our everyday reality.
At the Kollel Chatzos headquarters, we hear this wish reverberate over our phone lines as we are inundated with hundreds of callers from cities across the globe, requesting to partake in the tremendous zechus of all-night Torah learning on Purim night in their zechus.
As the callers share their heartbreaking plights and heartfelt yearnings for salvation, we feel their pain… and share their hope. After all, ever since the original Purim miracle, the night of Purim is a particularly ripe time for salvation. The Chasam Sofer assures individuals who learn between the two Megilla readings that they will merit a year of life, tranquility and nachas—and a guarantee for olam haba. The Me’or v’Shemesh explains that because the entire Purim miracle began with Achashveirosh’s slumber-less night, “balayla hahu nadeda shnas hamelech,” Purim night is a special eis ratzon for Yidden throughout the generations.
And indeed, from the days of Mordechai and Esther until this present day, countless Yidden have merited dramatic yeshuos in the merit of dedicating Purim night to limud haTorah. The story of the famed gaon, Rav Volf Nachum Borenstein, zt”l, mechaber of Agudas Eizov, is well-known. One fateful Purim, the gaon exerted himself to upkeep his nightly practice of awakening at chatzos to learn Torah. He was informed from shamayim that his learning coincided with a cataclysmic moment of history, a moment that no one else was learning Torah, but he. It was his midnight Torah learning that upheld the world. As a result, he was rewarded with a child who lit up the world—the great Avnei Nezer, zt”l, whose Torah and tzidkus continue to illuminate klal Yisrael. All because of limud haTorah on leil Purim.
This year, we know that the brokenhearted Yidden who call upon Kollel Chatzos to be their emissaries and be poel a yeshua are especially fortunate. Talmidei chachamim will learn on their behalf in Chatzos Kollelim throughout the world. Particularly remarkable, the talmidei chachamim of the distinguished Meron Kollel will learn and daven on their behalf on both Purim nights, 14 and 15 Adar. On 15 Adar, the kollel will be joined by talmidei chachamim of Yerushalayim shel Maaleh, who are in the midst of their Purim celebrations, and come to mark the day by learning in the courtyard of the heilige tana, Rabi Shimon bar Yochai.
In addition, on Shushan Purim, Kollel Chatzos delegates will also daven on their behalf at the kever of Mordechai and Esther in the city B’reim. As the emissaries who brought forth the miracle for klal Yisrael in the past, it is certain that Mordechai and Esther will evoke rachmei Shamayim on behalf of all petitioners today as well.
To partner with Kollel Chatzos and share in the merit of Torah learning on Purim night or to hear more about the tremendous segula of 12 hours of consecutive Torah learning between Megilla leinings, call Kollel Chatzos headquarters: 718-887-9114.
