Taanit Esther Purim & Pekudei 5784

As we have now entered the new month of Adar II, we are taught in rabbinic literature that one must rejoice and celebrate. Why? It is the month in which we celebrate the Jews of Persia’s triumph over anti-semitism and the decree of Achashveyrosh, king of Persia, at the behest of the evil Haman, to annihilate all of the Jewish people in his lands.

w should one truly celebrate knowing that Israel remains at war, that hostages remain as captives in Gaza, and that anti-semitism here in America and around the world is so rampant? Should our celebrations be tempered, knowing that there are families who wait for their loved ones or their loved ones remains to be returned from the evil Hamas?

As life in Israel is slowly returning to somewhat normal, the spirit in Israel still remains somewhat in crisis and pain. PTSD abounds not only among soldiers but also within society in general. Moreover, the political questions of who should lead Israel at this moment, who was responsible for the lack of security at the border on October 7^th, the role of the religious right in politics, and how should Israel come to some kind of solution to end this crisis, has not only Israelis but American Jews and the political leadership here in America scratching our heads wondering how this will not only play out but come to a resolution.

One of my colleagues who has never fasted on a minor fast, such as the fast of Esther, which takes place this year next Thursday, March, 21^st, just before Purim, has suggested that this year we all fast from sunrise to sunset.  Clearly, his logic must be similar to that which we read in the Megillah:

1. Queen Esther needed divine protection and assistance to ensure that her request to have a banquet with the king was approved. Even the queen could not simply make her way into her husband’s royal palace without his approval.
2. The request that Queen Esther was about to make to her husband, was one that would require the changing of a decree already issued that called for the annihilation of the Jewish people throughout the land. With the evil Haman almost always providing the King with guidance, she was frightened that the king may refuse her request, no different than his banishing of his wife Vashti, when she refused to adhere to the request of the King and his advisors.
3. Queen Esther was not only attempting to save her own life but that of all the Jewish people in the land. She, therefore, made the request that every Jewish person should fast, since they had as much at stake (pardon the pun) as she did. If she was either not welcomed into the palace, or her request was not taken and approved, then all of the Jewish people would have been killed by the king’s decree, as requested by the evil Haman.
4. As one reads the opening chapter of the Scroll of Esther, one notes that women were required to follow their husbands’ requests; including those that sexually violated them.  As the story progresses Queen Esther is together with her husband the king and the evil Haman at the banquet; she made to make her request, and the evil Haman attempts to rape her.
    

My colleague who suggests that we fast on Taanit Esther, the fast of Esther, asks: “The nightmare of the hostage situation in Gaza already defies both logic and words.  Whenever I see someone on LinkedIn or FaceBook going all-out stupid on that situation, one of my repeated (unanswered) questions has been: How many times has Noa Argamani been raped today?  Unsurprisingly, that question has not been answered.

I fast as well for Noa Argamani and all of the women held hostage in Gaza.  May they and all of the hostages, be returned to us in health and safety yesterday.”

We know the end of the Purim story, the decree to annihilate the Jewish people in the land of Persia was rescinded. The Jewish people went out and protected themselves against the roving bands who either did not hear the rescinding of the decree or chose not to obey it. Haman and his sons were put to death for their role in demanding, as antisemites, that the Jewish people be put to death.  We also are aware that Haman and Hamas are one on the same, albeit in different generations.  The Jewish people then celebrated. And rightfully so. But what about during the moment? Did they have the right to celebrate even once the king rescinded his decree, yet they had to defend themselves from the bands who did not give up on the original decree to kill all of the Jews?

In The Purim Anthology, by Philip Goodman,  Mortimer J. Cohen's "Tel Aviv-The City of Purim" has a selection entitled "The Megillah under the Stars,” that provides our answer to the original question: should we lessen our celebrations this year based on October 7^th and the continuing struggle to free the hostages and rid our world of both Hamas and the anti-Jewish hatred we are experiencing on a greater level.

Cohen shares:

… Here the Mayor of Tel Aviv formally opens the celebration with a short speech of welcome.

The spirit of this address can be caught from some of the words of the late Mayor of Tel Aviv, Meier Dizengoff, spoken in 1934, one year after the Hitler earthquake in Germany.

The City of Tel Aviv opens again its traditional celebration of the festival of Purim, and heartily welcomes the thousands of visitors who have come from near and far-off places with the greeting: "May your coming be in peace!  Blessed are you who have come!"

Then he spoke of the misfortunes that had befallen the Jews of Europe and expressed the sympathy felt by the Jews of Palestine for their stricken brothers.  He concluded:

Do not despair!... Come and build this land together with us!  This old-new homeland, in which we are pioneers, is ready to receive you with open arms and with brotherly love... Tel Aviv stands at the gates of Zion and is happy to gather within her more and more of the communities of the Galut, the scattered tribes of Israel, and to unite them into one people...

And now the festival of Purim is declared open!  The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honour.  And the City of Tel Aviv rejoiced and was glad.'"

Dizengoff was not unmindful of the tragedy that was unfolding in Europe. He remembered, however, that Purim celebrates a bright future, not just a bright moment in the past.  Let us each declare the festival of Purim open in the same spirit.  "The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor. And the Jews of all cities [and suburbs and exurbs too!] rejoiced and were glad."

The ending of the Book of Exodus, which is read this week in Parashat Pekudei, is one that offers hope in the moment of darkness. The book began with the Hebrews becoming slaves to the Pharaoh in Egypt. The last chapters of the book end with their completion of the Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness, where they were able to celebrate their freedom to worship and live a Jewish life as outlined in the Torah.  The last lines end that the cloud of God’s glory hovered over the encampment by day, and a pillar of fire at night, not only as protection but as a sign to others that Hashem was watching over the encampment and the people.  This year, we pray for that cloud and pillar of fire of protection.

As the late Paul Harvey used to end his broadcast: And that is the rest of the story.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi K