Rabbi's Message March 11, 2025 - Leading to Purim

Shalom,

It's that time of year again when we see the world a bit askew - Purim.  The world is upside down, our tradition teaches, and we blur the line between good and evil for just a moment.  Each year, when reading and exploring the Book of Esther, there are different pieces that grab my attention.  The scene when King Ahasheurus seeks advice from Haman - BOOOOOO, about how to honor someone whom he forgot to honor, strikes me as perhaps the most humorous moment of the whole story.  It is, perhaps, the quintessential foreshadowing moment.  As the King is sleepless and discovers the omission of honoring Mordecai, the following ensues:

Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for a man whom the king desires to honor?” Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” So Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, let royal garb which the king has worn be brought, and a horse on which the king has ridden and on whose head a royal diadem has been set; and let the attire and the horse be put in the charge of one of the king’s noble courtiers. And let the man whom the king desires to honor be attired and paraded on the horse through the city square, while they proclaim before him: This is what is done for the man whom the king desires to honor!” “Quick, then!” said the king to Haman. “Get the garb and the horse, as you have said, and do this to Mordecai the Jew, who sits in the king’s gate. Omit nothing of all you have proposed.” So Haman took the garb and the horse and arrayed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square; and he proclaimed before him: This is what is done for the man whom the king desires to honor!  (Esther 6:6-11)

For Haman - BOOOO, in this moment, the world is turned upside down.  Even for Mordecai, who, along with his people, have been condemned, is now paraded as a hero by the very man seeking his destruction.  The world is turned upside down.  It all begs the question, “Is this dark humor?”  Or, could it be the utter absurdity of the story itself?  Maybe it is just a literary device to show just how quickly the state of affairs can change.  In the end, we know that Mordecai, Esther, and their people are saved from destruction and Mordecai is yet again going through a wardrobe change out of his sackcloth and ashes.  

However we read this story, our charge is to celebrate, yes, but it is also to recognize the power we have in our destiny.  It is not left to chance, but it is the outcome of our choices, our striving to impact the world around us.  May this Purim lead us all to own our identity as Esther, to be proud as Mordecai, and not succumb to the powers of evil.  May we ensure the lines between good and evil are not blurred simply by the clothes we wear, but by our actions and our commitment to a better tomorrow.

Chag Purim Sameach,

Rabbi Evon

PS. Check the web calendars for our Purim events over the coming weeks!