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I would like to begin by referring to Parashat Parah, which is, I believe, an important point from which to begin the passage from Purim to Pesach. Parashat Parah differs from the other three both in the Parasha and the Haftara. Each of the other Parashiot has its own clearly defined place – "on Rosh Hodesh Adar we hear about the Shekalim", so on the Shabbat before Purim we read Parashat Shekalim. On Purim we deal with Haman, so the Shabbat before Purim we hear that we must "remember what Amalek did to you". Before Rosh Hodesh Nisan comes Shabbat Hahodesh, when we read that "this month shall be to you the first of the month." Similarly, each Haftara precisely matches its Parashah. You may remember that the Haftara of Parashat Shekalim speaks of Yehoyash and the shekalim for the Temple. The Haftara on Shabbat Zachor speaks of Agag and Shaul. The Haftara of Parashat Hahodesh deals with Rosh Hodesh Nisan.

In contrast, when we study Parashat Parah it is not at all clear why it was included among these four Parashiot. Our sages explain that its inclusion stems from the fact that it deals with the purification of Israel, which must be accomplished before the Pesach sacrifice. Excellent! But if the purification of Israel must precede the Paschal sacrifice, why don't we read Parashat Parah before Pesach? This year, for example, after reading Parashat Hahodesh we will have a "free Shabbat", so let's read Parashat Parah at that time, when Pesach is imminent. By the way, Parashat Parah describes the purification carried out in the wilderness on the 2^nd day of Nisan, while Parashat Hahodesh deals with the erection of the Mishkan on Rosh Hodesh Nisan - the 1^st day of the month. The Yerushalmi Talmud actually asks why Parashat Hahodesh does not precede Parashat Parah, and go on to reply that their purification took precedence over the Mishkan. But how does this relate specifically to the Paschal sacrifice? What is the connection? Furthermore, even if the issue is purification before offering sacrifices, there is still a significant difference here. Parashat Zachor does indeed deal with the memory of Amalek, Parashat Shekalim is about shekalim, and Parashat Hahodesh is about the month of Nisan. But Parashat Parah does not talk about Pesach – it deals with the actions which must be carried out in order to purify oneself before Pesach.

These questions about Parashat Parah are dwarfed by comparison with the the Haftara itself. We have already said that each Haftara is directly linked to its Parasha. The Haftara of Parashat Parah, Ezekiel 36, is wonderful, but it contains absolutely no mention of the red heifer, the impurity of the dead or purification from the defilement of death! Each of the other Haftarot relates directly to its Parasha, but the Haftarah of Parashat Parah appears to be totally divorced from the subject of the red heifer.

The subject of the Haftarah is the exile which will occur because the people of Israel are defiling their land. "I will pour my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols with which they had polluted it" – a reference to the impurity of Niddah – "I will scatter them among the nations, and they will be dispersed through the countries; according to their way and according to their doings I judged them." The chapter describes the exile, followed by the redemption, which will gradually occur. The Haftara ends with a description of the physical redemption itself: "I will save you from your uncleanness; and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you… and I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field.." A most interesting Hafatara, but why is it read on Shabbat Parashat Parah? Let's leave this question for a moment, and instead we'll examine the chapter: the Jewish nation is sent into exile, returns from exile, and once again enters Eretz Israel. The following chapter describes the vision of the dry bones. Perhaps the connection between Parashat Parah and the Haftara is the theme of exile, which constitutes a kind of death – the impurity of the dead. In exile they are likened to dry bones, which join together, bone to bone, culminating in redemption. Perhaps this echoes the theme of Parashat Parah, although, if this were the case, it would be more fitting to read the following chapter, the vision of the dry bones. By the way, it is interesting to note that the vision of the dry bones is the Haftara which we read on Pesach.

The Vilna Gaon claims that the impurity of the dead is found, in reality, in exile. This assertion is to be found at the end of his work "Sifra Ditzni'uta." Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook frequently quoted these words. The Gaon was referring to the vision of the dry bones. He wrote as follows: "We are indeed in exile, in a condition of dry, scattered bones. Since the destruction of the Temple our spirit and glory have departed from us and all that is left of us is the body without the spirit. We are in exile - which is a tomb! We are surrounded by maggots, and we have no escape from the heathens who eat our flesh." There are three parts to this sentence: the exile is our tomb, but as if that in itself is not enough, we are being eaten by maggots which surround us. But the third and most difficult thing to bear is the helplessness, the degradation, the powerlessness to save ourselves. "… Yet there are groups and great yeshivot…" – however, there is a ray of light, a spark of life, a kind of infusion, if you will, in the midst of this vista of dry bones. "…Until the flesh rots and the bones are scattered. Nevertheless, some bones endure – they are the scholars of Israel." Even if no groups or Yeshivot are to be found, the scholars remain. "…Until the bones also rot, and nothing remains of us but decay, and our souls turn to dust." This description by the Vilna Gaon is powerful indeed. He concludes by saying: "Now we hope for the resurrection of the dead – awake and rise from the dust – and the spirit from on high will awaken us."

This is an extremely striking description of the exile – I will return to it later on. The Gaon's words are most suited to the vision of the dry bones, as he compares the reality of exile to the reality of death and the return to life. But it is not this Haftara which was chosen to be read on Parashat Parah. The chosen Haftara describes the exile and the ingathering of the exiles, with no reference to scattered bones regrouping and returning to life.

I return to the Haftara (Ezekiel 36:19-38): "I will scatter them among the nations, and they will be dispersed through the countries; according to their way and according to their doings…. And when he entered the nations, whither they went…" who is "he"? Not the people of Israel, who were referred to in the plural in the previous verse. The reference here is apparently to the Almighty. When Israel is exiled, the Shechina goes with them. Now we must pay attention to the central motif of the Haftara, which is, I believe, the main reason why this comes after Purim. I believe this central motif is the concept of profaning the Holy Name ('hillul hashem') and sanctification of the Holy Name ('kiddush hashem'): "And when he entered the nations, whither they went, they profaned My holy name – Where? In exile! How? Not by sinning, but rather: …When they said of them, These are the people of the Lord, who are gone forth out of His land. But I had pity for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations whither they went. Therefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations, whither you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in the midst of them, and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and I will bring you into your own land. And then what will be? Kiddush hashem! The Prophet Ezekiel defines hillul hashem as exile, while kiddush hashem is Israel's return to their land. "Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh… and I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes… and you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You shall be My people and I shall be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleanness, and I will call for corn and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you shall receive no more reproach of famine among the nations. If a Jew goes hungry among the gentiles, this is a hillul hashem. Therefore, says the Almighty, I am doing this, not for you, but for the sake of My name. In order to remove the reproach of My name. Then you shall remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall hate yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. Not for your own sakes do I do this, says the Lord God, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.

"Thus says the Lord God, In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be built. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all who passed by. Not only are exile and famine considered to be hillul hashem, but the spectacle of Eretz Israel lying desolate and barren. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities have become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that which was desolate; I the Lord have spoken and I will do it. Thus says the Lord God: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men, and they shall know that I am the Lord."
We must understand what is meant by these concepts – hillul hashem and kiddush hashem. They refer not to the Almighty Himself, but to the Name of the Lord. Interestingly, the root of the word 'hillul' is both 'hol' (desecration) and 'hallal' (empty space). When the Divine Presence departs, there is a space, a vacuum, that becomes filled with sacrilege and profanity. To sanctify the Holy Name (kiddush hashem) is to demonstrate that there is no vacuum, no empty space, no reality without Divinity. And this does not begin with lofty ideals but with simple deeds. The haftara tells us that, after returning to Eretz Israel, we will find corn and fruit in abundance, for God's name is desecrated when the produce is poor and the yield is meager. God's Name will be revealed when all empty spaces are annulled, for what remains is holiness – kiddush hashem. The people of Israel are obligated to carry out this task a state, as a society, and this cannot be done in exile. In the Diaspora they can fulfil this duty by moral behavior, by not identifying with or joining with the culture in which they find themselves. The wars of the nations are not their wars, the agriculture is not their agriculture. The Jew must enter into his own home and there sanctify the Holy Name by his private conduct, by Torah, worship in the synagogue, the study house… But he cannot cancel the vacuum, the space when he is outside, on the street, in the field – he cannot cancel out the reality of famine. This is what the Prophet is talking about, this is why the concepts of hillul hashem and kiddush hashem are important here. We will be returning to this later on. Meanwhile, the question remains: what has this to do with Parashat Parah?

In my humble opinion this Parashah should have been read as near as possible to Pesach, not immediately after Purim, but there is a reason why it comes when it does. We are told that all our holidays and festivals apart from Purim will be rendered null and void in days to come. In the Purim story, as related in Megillat Esther, all systems crash and the Almighty is revealed, despite the fact that He is not specifically mentioned anywhere. God is revealed through all sorts of twists and turns, through convoluted plots and disclosures whose relevance is not immediately apparent to us - at first we can't figure out where they fit in the overall picture. Apart from Purim, all our holidays will in future be annulled, but Purim will remain because the Megilla depicts the people of Israel at the lowest point in their fortunes, in exile, subject to Haman's plans for a final solution. The Megilla's triumph is the knowledge that Israel will endure for eternity, even when the end appears imminent. The holiday of Purim does not only commemorate a historic event. It is also a reminder that even at the darkest hour am Yisrael hai – Israel lives! That's why Purim will endure for ever. These are the lessons we learn before Purim, but now Purim is behind us. If Purim is such a great holiday, why is it the only one on which Hallel is not recited?

In the Gemara, Masechet Megilla 14, we read as follows: "Our sages said, forty eight prophets and seven prophetesses prophesied on Israel. They did not add, neither did they detract from that which is written in the Torah except for the text of the Megilla." Despite the fact that they later added Hanukka – but that was after the age of prophecy. Up until the time of the final prophets – Haggai, Zecharia and Malachi – the reading of the Megilla was the only addition to the calendar, as it was set down in the Torah. On what did they base the decision that these additions were permissible? "Rabbi Hiye bar Abin and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha said, Between slavery and freedom we say Shira" – the reference is to Pesach, when we say Hallel – "how much more so between death and life". Pharaoh in Egypt also sought to kill us, but there was never any indication of a "final solution", as was the case on Purim. So if on Purim the Jews were clearly rescued from total annihilation, should we not say Hallel? Kal vachomer! If the transition from slavery to freedom is overwhelming, how much more so the difference between certain death and life!

The gemara goes on to say that if this is the case, why read the Megilla? Why not simply say Hallel – or at least combine the Megilla reading with the recitation of Hallel. But, explains the gemara, "Hallel is not recited on a miracle occurring outside of Israel." This is very interesting. After all, Pesach did not take place in Israel either. And how about Succot? In fact, none of the three "foot festivals" (shalosh regalim) took place in Israel, although there is apparently some dispute as regards Shavuot! We return to the gemara: "The Exodus from Egypt was a miracle that took place outside Israel. How then shall we say Hallel?" In my opinion this applies to all the regalim, all of which, in some way, commemorate the Exodus. The gemara answers its own question: "Until they entered the Land of Israel, all the lands were considered fitting for the recitation of Hallel. Once Israel were in their own land, other countries were no longer suitable for reciting Hallel." The events of Megillat Esther took place after Israel had entered the land. Why was it permitted before and prohibited after? R' Nahman has another answer. It was no longer necessary to recite Hallel because the reading of the Megilla had been instituted, and this was the equivalent of Hallel. But Rabba asks how the two could possibly be compared – slavery / freedom and death / life. He then explains why, in his opinion, Hallel must be recited on Pesach but not on Purim. "These were servants of God, not of Pharaoh, while we are servants of Ahasuerosh, and it is impossible to recite Hallel if you are a slave." The explanation of the gemara, the kal vachomer, is perfectly logical, so why does Rabba add his comment?

Parashat Parah and its haftara are read after Purim, but to understand them, we must return to Purim. All the other festivals are destined to become null and void, but there is a problem with Purim in that the miracle occurred outside of Israel. We could point out that all the other miracles also occurred outside of Israel. This is very true, but this one occurred after it had been ordained that miracles outside of Israel are not to be commemorated with the recitation of Hallel. We must try to understand the words of Esther at the second feast with Haman and the king: "Let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: for we are sold, I and my people, be destroyed, to be slain and to perish." I would have expected the king to burst out at this juncture with "Who is he and where is he…" but instead, the queen continues with a sentence that can best be understood by those who are in exile: "But if we had been sold as slaves I would have remained silent, for the enemy is not worthy of the harm done to the king." The fact that some Jews are being beaten or enslaved is not reason enough to disturb the king at his banquet!

The Megilla ends with a great revolution. The ordinances and plots of Haman are overturned. We then read (Esther 9:28): "And these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city." There is certainly sufficient cause for this – the Jews were saved, and this in itself is reason enough to remain in the kingdom, because the Jewish merchant is not second to the king himself. When the Jews are saved, at the end of the Megilla, two historical episodes occur – a group of Jews follows in the footsteps of Ezra and returns to settle the land, and another group, those who are well entrenched, remain where they are. Haman was right, there is "a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of the kingdom; their laws are different from all people"… The constellation has changed. Now we have one of ours in the position of royal advisor, in the right place, so it's fine for us to be in all the provinces of the kingdom. It's true that under such conditions we could freely return to Eretz Israel, and it's definitely a good thing to do, something that really should be done – but not by us! Others should go with Ezra – all those who simply can't find their natural place among the 127 provinces of the land, those who don't feel as comfortable here as we do.

That's when the king levied a tax, as we saw, on the land and the isles of the sea. There's only one drawback to this whole story, and that is, that Esther's story ends exactly the same way that Joseph's story ended, with the rise of a new king who did not know Joseph. The end of Megillat Esther is not included in the Tanach, because the next chapter is already history, and the rest belongs with the chronicles of Israel. Megillat Esther ends with two phenomena, one of which will endure for ever, and the other is the phenomenon of Jews living in the Diaspora, and this can be simply summarized in two words – hillul hashem. Israel prefers to remain in the Diaspora, and by so doing they are preventing the return of the Shechina to the land.

Megillat Esther describes a miracle for which it is impossible to recite Hallel, because Hallel can only be recited by proud Jews. The renowned Rabba, who headed the great Yeshiva in Babylon, maintained that Hallel cannot be recited after Israel had departed from their land. Hallel is kiddush hashem, the return of all things to their natural state, to normalcy. There is no Hallel on Purim, despite the fact that it commemorates a great miracle, the reality that Jews cannot ever be entirely eradicated. Nevertheless it is galut – exile! Immediately after Purim, the Jews prefer not to listen to Ezra, for they have been saved! The Jew lives, but he is enslaved. So it follows that after Purim we must read Haftarat Parah, to repair the hillul hashem and to speak of kiddush hashem – the people of Israel returning to their land to restore the corn, the trees, the fruit, and to begin the recitation of Hallel.

Rashi has the following commentary on the well known phrase: "When Adar comes our joy increases" – why does our joy increase? Because both Purim and Pesach are times of miracles. Why does Rashi include only Pesach here? Why not include Shavuot and Succot as well?

It is stated in the Megilla that Purim is to be celebrated on the 14^th and 15^th of Adar, but it doesn't tell us who celebrates on the 15^th, although we are told that they celebrated in Shushan the capital. Our sages add that all walled cities dating back to the time of Joshua ben Nun will celebrate on the 15^th of Adar. What's their connection to Shushan? Shushan was not a walled city in the time of Joshua, and furthermore Joshua never visited Shushan. The ruling was ordained in honor of Jerusalem. In the city of Jerusalem, which the exiles never bothered to visit, the celebration was held on the 15^th of the month, because Purim must be commemorated. Not with Hallel, because we are slaves and we have forgotten Eretz Israel to some extent. Never had a festival been celebrated on different dates in Israel and the Diaspora, but for the sake of Jerusalem it was considered worthwhile making this split. As a result, some of the people celebrated one day, and some on another day. So that you will not forget, through the haze of wine, that you have missed out on the most important thing of all. You should celebrate the fact that Israel endures for eternity, but weep because you remain enslaved.

The fact that Hallel is not recited on Purim leaves a scar of sorts, a loss that must be compensated for. So on all other festivals we recite Hallel, and we also recite it once at night – at the Seder, to make up for the lack on Purim, as it were. Ezekiel calls the Purim victory hillul hashem, and its tikkun is kiddush hashem.

Parashat Parah deals with the impurity of death. The red heifer is our assurance that the impurity of death will be removed – we can be purified. The garden of Eden, Paradise, is a place without death. The prophet Ezekiel says (36:35): "They shall say, this land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden" – the impurity of death is reversed. When the land resembles the garden of Eden, the shame of the people will be removed. Normality will return. When the four Parashiot have been read we will arrive at Shabbat Hagadol, when we read about the Prophet Elijah, the same Elijah who will restore the hearts of the fathers to their sons and the hearts of the sons to their fathers.

In the Haftarah of Shabbat Hagadol we read: "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years." This will happen in the future. How will we know when we have attained this state? When all the people come to the Temple to bring their offerings? Not so, says the Prophet Malachi, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me with it, says the Lord of Hosts." This is how I will ascertain whether the redemption is truly here, "If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." We will have rain in abundance. "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord." No more thorns and weeds, no more battles with pests and parasites. And then, "All the nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land." Malachi refers to the people as a land – they shall be as one with the land, desirable and delightful, in which God takes delight. The prophecy culminates with the wonderful image "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet…" whose task will be to restore the hearts of the fathers to their sons and those of the sons to their fathers. This can only come about when the Name of God has been sanctified and there is no more hillul hashem. Then will the fathers understand that their sons are engaged in the revelation of God's Name, and the sons will comprehend that their fathers are similarly engaged. That's when Elijah will come, when holiness does not go against nature but is a part of it – holiness will be revealed through nature, the natural order of things.

On the Shabbat following Shabbat Hagadol we read the vision of the dry bones – resurrection from the dead. By the way, the Lecha Dodi prayer which we recite during Kabbalat Shabbat every Friday night begins with the injunction to "awaken and arise from the dust."

It is written that Moshe Rabenu appealed to the Almighty with the words "Send by whom you would send," when he was given the task of confronting Pharaoh. This is strange, because the Almighty was in effect saying to him, 'I'll solve all your problems – the speech, the stuttering, everything.' So what prompted Moses to respond as he did? Our sages comment as follows: "He said to Him, 'Ribono Shel Olam, send by the hand of the one whom You have designated as the final redeemer, the one of whom it is said ,"Behold I will send you…" this is Elijah the Prophet. But God refuses, saying 'Moses first and Elijah at the very end.' For there are two redemptions, the redemption of Moses and that of Elijah. Harav Kook, in his book Orot, explains this in visionary terms: "I see the light of Elijah's life ascending. His strength becomes increasingly apparent. The holiness in nature bursts its bounds and unites with the holiness that transcends nature, the holiness that battles with nature. We have battled with nature and prevailed." This is life in the Diaspora. There is another form of nature on the outside, but it is not ours. We battled this nature by entering into the synagogue, and thus we survived and triumphed. He continues: "This nature has harmed us but the sun shone and healed us from our scars. The Judaism of the past, from Egypt until now, is a long battle against nature. Against the ugly side of nature, that of general humanity, even that of individuals and of entire nations. We have done battle with nature in order to prevail over it and bring it down into its place…" We fought successfully against nature under alien conditions. This is what Haman couldn't bear. How could they survive, how could they continue to contend with the environment in which they found themselves without succumbing to it. They dined at the banquet of King Ahasuerosh, but made sure to ask for a kashrut certificate!

We fought against nature, we won, "nature succumbed to us" – all this is in the past, but this is not our great aspiration. Now, finally, we come to Elijah: "The worlds become fragrant. At the very depth of nature is a growing demand for holiness and purity, for spiritual delicacy and purification of life. Elijah comes to proclaim peace." Peace can be defined as the harmony between nature and spirit, between nature and sanctity, between the fathers entrenched in tradition and the sons who espouse the breaking of barriers. Elijah restores the hearts of the fathers to their sons and those of the sons to their fathers. He neither purifies nor profanes, he does not forbid or permit, his function is to draw together nature and sanctity. "Elijah comes to proclaim peace, and in the innermost soul of the nation bursts forth a living stream of nature, which is drawn to sanctity. The remembrance of the exodus from Egypt is transformed into the memory of exodus from slavery to kings. We are all drawing closer to nature, which is also drawing nearer to us. It is being defeated by us, its demands match our demands, which are noble because they stem from holiness. The young spirit that is imprinted on the land, its language, its freedom, its honor, its literature, its strength, possessions and feelings, all flow through nature, which is, at its very heart, imbued with holy fire."

It is sometimes difficult for us to perceive this, because our range of sight falls short of Rav Kook's vision of ninety years ago, but it is on the way. It is coming. This is the meaning of Parashat Parah and Haftarat Parah. From this point we move towards the Seder and thence to the vision of the dry bones.