Before you is a summary of the topics from the daily shiur (Torah class) delivered by Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a – following the Maariv prayer on Thursday night, the eve of 17 Adar 5786, Parshas Ki Sisa:
1. The entirety of Purim is about having an ayin tovah (a good eye). The main thing is to yield and give in, just like Rachel, who merited that Esther descended from her through the tribe of Binyamin.
2. Binyamin received blows, and therefore he received the majority of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) in his portion. If he had received one more blow, he would have received the entire thing.
3. Parshas Parah is about ashes, meaning that everyone should be like a trampled threshold (completely humble). This is the reason why Parshas Parah Adumah comes after Purim; after we have merited the Fiftieth Gate (of holiness), we merit to become like dust and ashes.
4. Everyone needs to light a candle for Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt"l. We learned with his father (the Steipler Gaon) as a chavrusa (study partner) for 17 years.
5. For seven years, Rachel saw that Leah was receiving all the gifts, yet she remained silent.
6. The season of Tishrei (Tekufas Tishrei) corresponds to the slaughtering of Yitzchak, when a drop of his blood mixed into all the rivers. The daughter of Yiftach wanted to be slaughtered Al Kiddush Hashem (for the sanctification of God's Name) and did not agree for her father to annul his vow. Then he began to slaughter her, and just like with Yitzchak, a drop of blood came out and mixed into all the rivers, and therefore we have the season of Tishrei.
7. For 770 years, Jews could not enter the Me'aras HaMachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs). The Ramban arrived and made a seudah (festive meal).
8. Only in the year 5277 (1517 CE) did they discover the Kosel (Western Wall). It was covered in piles of garbage, and then the Sultan ordered everything to be cleared away.
9. Aner and Eshkol did not agree to perform the bris milah (circumcision) publicly; they only did it out of social pressure, and therefore they died.