What is the secret behind the concept of "joy of Purim"?
What's with the disguise?
What is the unique dimension of reconnecting to the Torah on Purim?
§ The mishna teaches that from when the month of Av begins, one decreases acts of rejoicing. Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, said in the name of Rav: Just as when Av begins one decreases rejoicing, so too when the month of Adar begins, one increases rejoicing.
Rabbi Yanki Tauber, Chabad.org – Costumes and the joy of Purim: nothing is as it seems.
Tosefot, Shabbat 88a – At Sinai there was only a limited degree of acceptance of the Torah.
(ד) וְלֹא קִבְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה עַד שֶׁכָּפָה עֲלֵיהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הָהָר כְּגִיגִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר (שמות יט, יז). וְאָמַר רַב דִּימִי בַּר חָמָא: אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אִם מְקַבְּלִים אַתֶּם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו, שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרַתְכֶם. וְאִם תֹּאמַר, עַל הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב כָּפָה עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הָהָר, וַהֲלֹא מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם מְקַבְּלִין אַתֶּם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, עָנוּ כֻלָּם וְאָמְרוּ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ יְגִיעָה וְצַעַר וְהִיא מְעַט, אֶלָּא אָמַר לָהֶן עַל הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ דִּקְדּוּקֵי מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת וַחֲמוּרוֹת, וְהִיא עַזָּה כַמָּוֶת וְקָשָׁה כִשְׁאוֹל קִנְאָתָהּ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹמֵד אוֹתָהּ אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁאוֹהֵב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּכָל לִבּוֹ וּבְכָל נַפְשׁוֹ וּבְכָל מְאֹדוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ (דברים ו, ה).
(4) The Israelites did not accept the Torah until the Holy One, blessed be He, arched the mountain over them like a vessel, as it is said: And they stood beneath the mountain (Exod. 19:17). R. Dimi the son of Hama stated that the Holy One, blessed be He, told Israel: If you accept the Torah, well and good; but if not, your grave will be there. If you should say that He arched the mountain over them because of the Written Law, isn’t it true that as soon as He said to them, “Will you accept the Torah?” they all responded, “We will do and hear,” because the Written Law was brief and required no striving and suffering, but rather He threatened them because of the Oral Law. After all, it contains the detailed explanations of the commandments, both simple and difficult, and it is as severe as death, and as jealous as Sheol. One does not study the Oral Law unless he loves the Holy One, blessed be He, with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, as it is said: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deut. 6:5).