Therefore the Rebbe suggests: “ And seemingly we may say, that the explanation upon, ‘crushed for luminary’, that through the ‘crushed’ (broken and depressed) they reach to the ‘luminary’, is an explanation concerning this that in the time of the decree specifically they came to self-sacrifice in an extremely high manner31. For self-sacrifice is of the Essence of the Soul, which is above revelation, ‘luminary’ (from which comes forth the light), And through this that there was then the state of ‘crushed’ (broken and depressed), it was revealed the Essence of the soul, ‘luminary’.
” The Rebbe is finding the connection between the two concepts, being that the Previous Rebbe is explaining that the “crushed for luminary”, in which the luminary refers to the Essence of the Soul, and this is connected to this that Mordechai awakened by the Jewish people the observance of the Torah and Mitzvos with the higher form of self-sacrifice that comes from the Essence of the Soul.
Thus, “crushed for luminary” is connected with that which the Moses of Each Generation in the times of exile, such as Mordechai in the times of the decree of Haman, who awaken the self-sacrifice of the revelation of the Essence of the Soul in the times when Israel is “crushed - broken and depressed”.
However, the Rebbe explains that this answer does not suffice, because: “However, from the flow of the order of the concepts (explained) in the mamor, that the explanation of ‘Crushed for luminary’ comes after the (explanation of the) concept of ‘Faithful Shepherd’, it is understood that the concept of ‘crushed for luminary’ is related also to this that Moses (the original Moses at the time of the Giving of the Torah) feeds and sustains the Faith, that it should be internalized.
” So, presently, we understand the connection between the concept of “crushed for luminary” and that which the “Moses of Each Generation” of the times of exile are “Faithful Shepherds, shepherding Israel’s faith.. However, what is the connection between the concept of “crushed for luminary” and that which Moses, the original Moses, is the Faithful Shepherd who shepherds, feeds and sustains the faith of the Jewish people, that it be internalized? Footnotes 18. Esther 9:23. 20. So it is also at the beginning of (the mamor) Opening Words V’Kibel HaYehudim in Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther, 96c.
And in many places - cited at the beginning of (the mamor) Opening Words V’Kibel HaYehudim 5711 (Toras Menachem, Sefer HaMamorim Adar, page 54, Footnote 4). 20. Shabbos 88a. 21. Esther 9:27. 22. From the continuation of the concepts in the mamor and in Torah Ohr of the next Footnote (and see also Torah Ohr, ibid, 99 top of side a. And in many places) it seems, that this which they accepted (the Torah and Mitzvos) in the days of Achashverosh was in the time of the decree. And in Rashi’s commentary, Opening Words In The Days Of Achashverosh (Rashi states), “From their love of the miracle that was performed for them”.
And maybe we can say that there are two concepts within this - see further CHAPTER NINE. The Rebbe is dealing with a technical issue that he will be dealing with further in CHAPTER NINE of this mamor: In the mamor of the Previous Rebbe, and so too in Torah Ohr, the explanation of, “they accepted in the days of Achashverosh that which they had started to do at Mt. Sinai”, is explained as that it was during the times of the decree of Haman, when they observed Torah and Mitzvos with self-sacrifice, that they accepted the Torah and Mitzvos.
And thus, the explanation is all about the selfsacrifice, the “crushed for luminary” with which they observed the Torah and Mitzvos. However, Rashi explains it to be “From their love of the miracle that was performed for them”, which means that they accepted the Torah and Mitzvos after the decree was overm and the miracle already happened for them! Thus, the Rebbe explains that there are two dimensions within the “they accepted in the days of Achashverosh”: There is the dimension that took place during the decree, and there is the dimension that took place after the miracle was performed for them.
The Rebbe himself will deal with the second dimension in CHAPTER NINE of this mamor, only that the Rebbe will also have to explain how this dimension is also the “crushed for luminary” experience. 23. So it is also in Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther, 98a, that the “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do” is as “They ordained that which accepted” - even though seemingly they are two different concepts, see Toras Menachem, Sefer HaMamorim Adar, page 54, Footnote 4.
The Rebbe is dealing with the two verses in the Megillah that speak about the Children of Israel’s relationship with Torah and Mitzvos that happened in the days of Achashverosh: (a) (-9:23), “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do”, and (a) (-9:27), “The Jews ordained and took upon themselves”. The Talmudic teaching (-Shabbos 88a) that the Jewish people accepted upon themselves that which they already began to do at Mt. Sinai is upon the verse, “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do”. However, the mamor is quoting the verse “The Jews ordained and took upon themselves”.
The Rebbe is saying that in Torah Ohr it states that the two verses are alike. However, the Rebbe is pointing out that seemingly the two verses are two different concepts. The Rebbe deals with this in greater detail in “Toras Menachem, Sefer HaMamorim Adar, page 54, Footnote 4”. There the Rebbe explains that they are two different concepts: (a) “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do” means that only by Purim did the Jewish people accept the Torah and Mitzvos (meaning that by Mt. Sinai they were only coerced, and never ‘accepted” it).
However, (b) “The Jews ordained and took upon themselves” means that also at the Giving of the Torah there was an acceptance, just that that acceptance didn’t have a lasting existence. The Rebbe has a Note on the Footnote that explains that this is the reason that some mamorim explain the verse, “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had commenced to do” with the emphasis that in the days of Mordechai there was the completion of the acceptance. Thus, there is no contradiction between the two verses. 24.
The explanation on the emphasis of this terminology (“which seemingly this is a wonderous matter”) - See (the mamor) Opening Words V’Kibal HaYehudim of Purim Kattan 5738. Chapter One (Toras Menachem, Sewfer HaMamorim ibid, page 44). 25. See Bereishis Rabba, portion 16:5, “All sovereignties are called by the name ‘Mitzrayim (Hebrew for Egypt)’ for that which they are ‘mezitros - cause trouble (place constraint)’ to Israel”. 26. (Torah-portion) Va’era (in the Book of Exodus) 6:9. 27. Megillas Esther 91b. 97a. 99b. And see also the sources cited in Toras Menachem, Sefer HaMamorim, ibid, top of page 55, Footnote 12. 28.
Which this (self-sacrifice for the observance of Torah and Mitzvos) is a greater novelty, for concerning faith (not denouncing one’s faith in G-d), even the ‘lenient of lenient ones’ sacrifice their life (Tanya, Chapter 18. And in many places). 29. Which this (that they publicly gathered congregations to study Torah with self-sacrifice) is even a greater novelty (than their self-sacrifice for the observance of Torah and Mitzvos), as is simply understood. 30. See previous Footnote.