Page 50 - HaMizrachi #27 Purim USA 2021

PURIM READING

Rabbi David Aaron

Secrets Behind

the Holiday Mask

n the Purim story, there are no mirac- To that Mordechai says something Mordechai? They both serve the Divine
ulous interventions, no sea splitting. bizarre: “If you don’t do this Esther, the plan. Haman, with all his foul machina-
IIn fact, G-d’s name is not even men- salvation of the Jews will come from tions, initiated the process of repentance
tioned. This is a tremendous revelation someplace else.” which saved the Jewish people from
of G-d’s omnipotence: within the natural What kind of argument is that? Is that assimilation and eventually made them
world, within the free choices of human going to spur her into action? Mordechai worthy to return to the Land of Israel
beings, G-d’s plan is being completely should have said to her, “If you don’t do and rebuild the Temple. That’s why the
fulfilled, step by step. sweet treats of the holiday are “Haman’s
it, the Jewish people will be destroyed.
G-d has written a script and we are the This will be the end of Jewish history.” ears.” Because that bitter, destructive
actors in that drama. The question isn’t Instead he says, “If you don’t do it, the man turned out to be the source of
whether we are going to play our parts, Jews will be saved anyway, but you’ll lose sweetness and nourishment for Jewish
but how we will play our parts – whether out on the starring role.” survival.
consciously and willingly, or obliviously That’s Haman’s greatest punishment: to
and with resistance. Whether we choose Mordechai was teaching Esther the realize he saved the Jewish people. The
to work for G-d’s plan of growth, love secret of choice. In terms of G-d’s great Talmud teaches that G-d’s praise comes
and oneness, or against it. plan, it doesn’t make a difference what out of Gehenom the same way it comes
you do. But in terms of your own life,
It is our choice. out of Gan Eden. In other words, the
it makes all the difference in the world. evil ones also end up serving G-d’s plan,
Again, we see this illustrated dramat- albeit against their own will.
ically in the story of Esther. Through Do you want to actively, consciously
participate in G-d’s plan, or not? If you
a strange set of circumstances, Esther, On Purim, we’re celebrating that every-
who is secretly Jewish, marries the King don’t sign on, it will still happen. But thing is going according to G-d’s plan.
of Persia. (Sound like fate at work?) Soon you’ll lose out. You can be the star, or Whether we see it or not.
an extra on the set. That’s your choice.
after, Haman the Prime Minister begins
to execute his plot to destroy the Jewish And Esther decides to do it. The Jewish
people. So Mordechai, Esther’s uncle, people are saved, with Esther in the
says to her: “We’ve got to save the Jewish starring role, because she chose to play
people. Perhaps G-d has orchestrated her part.
things in this very manner so you could On Purim, we try to reach a drunken
be queen and be in a position to save the state in which we don’t perceive a dif-
Jewish people.” Rabbi David Aaron is the Rosh Yeshiva of
ference between “Blessed Mordechai”
Esther isn’t convinced. She tells Morde- and “Cursed Haman.” In gematria, the Yeshivat Orayta, founder of Isralight and an
author.
chai, “You know the rules of the palace. numerical equivalent of each phrase
If I go to the king without being invited, is the same, 502. In what way is the A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
he could have me killed!” evil Haman equal to the righteous mizrachi.org/speakers

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