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The most powerful way to activate zechus hatzaddikim is to go to their place of burial.
Every year, including this year, on Taanis Esther of 5783, the emissaries of Vaad Harabbanim will travel to the tomb of Mordechai and Esther, in Hamadan, Iran. There they will daven for us, make our requests, and plead before Hashem, until our prayers are granted entry to the royal hall of the Melech Malchei Hamelachim!
What would you like to have?
Is there anything that you lack? Is there something that could improve your life?
Maybe you are looking for a new job? Perhaps your sixteen-year-old is not happy enough in his yeshiva? Have your brother and his wife have been childless for too long? Could there be a health issue that is troubling you?
What would you like – מַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ?
It’s only once a year that Heaven extends to us the golden scepter and asks us what we would like to have. Only one time when we are not under scrutiny, when our merits are not tallied up against our shortcomings. Whether you deserve it or not.
Just stretch out your hand, touch the tip of the golden scepter, and it is given to you – וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ!
Esther Hamalka is standing in the courtyard of the king. She is weak after three days of fasting. On her greenish face the tears are glistening, her lips whisper a prayer, and she steps toward the royal palace of King Achashverosh.
The palace attendants give her a worried look. She showed up without an appointment! What is the queen doing?? It’s suicide! Anyone who enters the king’s royal hall without permission is subject to the death penalty – אַחַת דָּתוֹ לְהָמִית!
Esther forces her trembling legs to walk forward. She draws close. The king looks at her with cold eyes. The attendants hold their breath, and she begs for her life and the lives of her people קֵלִי קֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי?
Her tefilah ascends to an awesome and holy place, and the King – the King of the World – extends to her the golden scepter, and draws down upon her a gift of grace, mercy and compassion. מַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ, she is promised by Hakadosh Baruch Hu. וּמַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ וְתֵעָשׂ!
On the day of the 13th of Adar, you are asked: “What would you like to have, Reb Yid?” וּמַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ!
“Not to Esther alone did the King of the World extend the golden scepter,” so writes the Kav Hayashar, “but to all those who connect to her, and undergo pain for the sake of His Name.”
We, too, whose hearts go out to suffering Jews, to Jews in pain, will receive a gift of grace, mercy and compassion drawn down to us from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We, too, can ask and receive.
The Kav Hayashar continues, “The day of Taanis Esther has a great segulah that our prayers should be accepted, in the merit of Mordechai and Esther. Anyone who needs Divine mercy regarding a certain matter should daven… on the day of Taanis Esther. He should pour out his heart before Hashem, and mention the zechus of Mordechai and Esther… and the gates of rachamim will open for him.”
The most powerful way to activate zechus hatzaddikim is to go to their place of burial. Every year, including this year, on Taanis Esther of 5783, the emissaries of Vaad Harabbanim will travel to the tomb of Mordechai and Esther, in Hamadan, Iran. There they will daven for us, make our requests, and plead before Hashem, until our prayers are granted entry to the royal hall of the Melech Malchei Hamelachim!
On this day we can ask Hashem without prior examination. Our merits are not audited. Anyone who sticks out his hand is granted his request! Like a child who turns to Tateh only because he is his Tateh. This is the time when Hashem simply showers us with love. You want hatzalacha? You can achieve it! You want good test results? They can be yours! To find favor in the eyes of… Of course, you can! Nachas from the children? A good shidduch for your oldest? That and more!
The emissaries of Vaad Harabbanim who go to daven in Hamadan are Jews of mesirus nefesh. Like Esther, who meticulously observed mitzvos in the palace of the wicked Achashverosh, so do these emissaries of Vaad Harabbanim keep mitzvos meticulously in the Iran of Ahmadinejad.
Their tefilos for us come at great effort. They travel six hours through back roads in order to get to the tomb of Mordechai and Esther, so they can cause yeshu’os to come to the donors of Vaad Harabbanim. Mesirus nefesh never returns emptyhanded from Hashem.
This is the one and only time we get an open check from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. One time that Heaven doesn’t wait for us to pray, but rather comes to us with the question, “What would you like to have?” מַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ? We are called upon to get up and do something, so our wishes will be granted: to give tzedakah to the poor of Vaad Harabbanim, to join this amazingly powerful Tefilah. To send in our names and those of our loved ones to the prayer session in Iran. Awaken Heaven’s mercy, on this special day.
The King wants to give us everything. He is granting us the same power, the same ability, that rescued the Jewish people from annihilation. All we need to do is ask, all we have to do is stretch out our hand.
We will give this tzedakah, and we will walk straight through open gates! We will touch the golden scepter that is outstretched to us. We will make our requests.
And we will receive!