Happy Purim and Good Week to All đ„đ¶đđ
The festival of Purim is the story of faith and courage. Esther, a young Jewish woman, is crowned Queen of Persia against her will and conceals her identity. She later risks her life and her position to save the Jewish people from a threat of inhalation by the Haman, the King’s advisor. Queen Esther became an inspiring heroine and a symbol of selfless concern for others, because at a crucial moment, she found her inner strength and took action to save her community.
The Kabbalah offers a deeper meaning to the holiday. Purim, Ś€ŚŚšŚŚ come from the word raffle or fate, as Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his plan. The theme of Purim is ŚŚ ŚŚ€ŚŚ ŚŚŚ ‘turned upside down’. Haman’s wicked plan was reversed, and the gallows he built were used to hang him. This represents the unpredictable and unexpected element of life, the concealed presence of God in our lives that is above human understanding. As the saying goes, ‘Man plans and God Laugh’.
Scroll, Megilah, comes from the word ŚŚŚŚŚȘ to reveal. Esther ŚŚĄŚȘŚš means hidden; it describes the everyday state of disconnection with one’s soul, ŚŚĄŚȘŚš Ś€Ś ŚŚ. On Purim we are asked to be like Esther, ‘to Reveal the Concealed’, to find the spark within, to enter the deepest dimensions of our heart, to bring forth new possibilities for goodness and joy, and to ascend to the highest realms of our potential.
The plight of the Jewish people has been long and arduous. In every generation there rises a new Haman who wishes to wipe us out. The recent surge of anti-Semitism around the world is alarming. Hate is rooted in ignorance and darkness, but our faith and spirit are strong. ‘The People of Israel Live’ ŚąŚ ŚŚ©ŚšŚŚ ŚŚ, we here to stay and be the light unto the world đŻ
Photo: me as Queen Esther with my friend Chemda. Purim 1961 – Jerusalem, Israel đ
