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Why do we celebrate Purim (פורים) with a meal but not Chanukah (חנוכה)? The shiur develops a yesod from the Shulchan in the Mishkan: food's purpose isn't just survival but creating satisfaction that bonds people together. This explains why a king's crown rests on the bread-filled table—his role is fostering unity through both security and sustenance.
Rabbi Zweig opens by posing a classic question of the Gedolei Acharonim: Why was Purim (פורים) instituted with a seudah (meal) as a core observance, while Chanukah (חנוכה) was not? The traditional answer distinguishes between Chanukah as a spiritual/religious victory requiring spiritual celebration (praise and song) and Purim as a physical salvation requiring physical celebration (eating). Rabbi Zweig offers a deeper approach rooted in the symbolism of the Mishkan. In Parshas Tetzaveh and the preceding Terumah, the Torah (תורה) describes the Shulchan (table) in the Mishkan, which held the Lechem HaPanim (showbread) and was surrounded by a gold crown (zer zahav). The Gemara (גמרא) in Yoma 72b teaches that this crown represents the Kesser Malchus—the crown of Jewish sovereignty—just as the crown on the Aron represents Kesser Torah and the crown on the Mizbe'ach HaZahav represents Kesser Kehunah. What is the connection between kingship and bread?
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Parshas Tetzaveh - the Shulchan in the Mishkan; Parshas Terumah
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