Purim, should be commemorated every year; I would add, every day

Purim

 Rabbi Yerahmiel Barylka

Purim should be commemorated every year; I would add, every day.

This holiday is one of those events whose importance transcends that of its historical epoch. Its consequences and subsequent historical development are cause for meditation and enlightenment in our own time.

We remember Passover so that the significance of freedom will be reinforced; we mark Yom Kippur so that we never forget the capacity to genuinely repent and rectify our past sins. Purim teaches us how to behave in the face of despotism, the true meaning of self-defense and the real imperative of national solidarity. By rejoicing for the salvation that we have achieved, we are guaranteeing our fortitude and those of our fellows.

In Isaiah 49:8, we read that God will listen to us on a propitious day, that He will grant us our share even in the most desolate times, that He will aid us in our suffering, and that our alliance with Him is ever-eternal.

But if we wish to return to those favorable circumstances in which God will truly hear our voice, we must begin by making ourselves heard, by internalizing and perpetuating the legacy of those moments in history, such as Purim, in which we seized control of our own destiny. And when we produce a cacophony of noise each time the name of the oppressor Haman is mentioned, we should not forget the dreadful nature of his actions.

The Talmud teaches us that Esther had an ulterior motive for receiving Haman in her royal chambers. She concealed herself from her own people, so that they would not confide in her nor trust in her, but rather place their confidence in the Hand of the Almighty. He, who expects his "friends" to get him out of a mess, will end up feeling quite impotent in his hour of need. "Having a sister in the house of the King," as the Talmud eloquently states it, cannot be tantamount to following the dictates of the Lord, and deriving one’s strength from them, just as we must do in our own time, because the challenges of that by-gone era and of our own, are very much the same.

There are those who insist that the entire complicated trajectory of Purim was precipitated by Mordechai’s obstinate insistence that he would not kneel before Haman. This is a clear example of the "blame-the-victim" tendency: if only Mordechai had not been so stubborn, Haman would never have developed such antipathy towards him.

Opponents of this attitude insist that Mordechai was, quite simply, condemned from the outset-Haman was going to hate him whatever he did, be he submissive or proud. Since all of human history is replete with such examples, we might ask ourselves: what is the most beneficial stance for our brethren to adopt? Is there any concrete answer?

Jews were persecuted under both Muslim and Christian regimes, and their actions or attitudes were of little or no relevance. First the conscious decision was taken to humiliate them. Reasons can be invented by the score. Other totalitarian governments also undertook anti-Jewish crusades with no defined religious motives. Possible justifications were never in short demand. Creativity is always on hand to explain away anti-Semitic discrimination.

A glance at the contemporary course of events in the Middle East bears this out. Whatever the underlying impulse of the current violence, it is plain to see that the decision to launch such full-scale aggression pre-dates any of the "why’s" of it all happening. Enemies abound, and even certain dubious friends choose the path of so-called neutrality rather than forthrightly defending the victim.

Each time that we attempted to be ostriches, hiding our heads in the sand, we only provoked our oppressors into harsher attitudes. Liberation exacted its own price…..but it was preferable to the one we paid through centuries of running and hiding. That route led to death and disaster, in more than one instance.

The other will respect us when we truly respect ourselves. We must take cognizance of our inalienable rights. And our neighbors must accept us on an equal footing. That is the point of deciding to "be."

History does not repeat itself when we act in consonance with the lessons that it teaches. This is why we celebrate Purim, after a fast which enables us to meditate and comprehend its meaning.

"For in those days the Jews triumphed in peace against their enemies, and in that month sorrow turned to joy and weeping to gladness. And they exchanged gifts and honors, and donated charity to the poor." (Esther 9:22)

But perhaps the most telling admonition is found a few verses later, (Esther 9:28): " These days of Purim, commemorated and celebrated among all ages, all families, in all the provinces and all the towns, will not disappear among the Jews nor its remembrance ever be lost among their descendants."

Rabbi Yerahmiel Barylka