Page 6 - HaMizrachi #27 Purim USA 2021

TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbi Hart Levine

Purim as a Diaspora Holiday?

urim, perhaps more than any other Gathering Jews places and spaces gives us an important
holiday, has particular resonance While Yerushalayim contains a nat- tool in shaping hearts and minds, and
Pfor Religious Zionists in America. ural spiritual quality that brings Jews defending our country, our people and
It is the only holiday that isn’t connected together, the story of Purim reminds our religion.
directly to Israel – there were no spe- us of the role we have in the Diaspora At the same time, there definitely are
cial Purim offerings offered in the Beit to gather Jews together. Before Esther Purim connections to Israel highlighted
HaMikdash, and the story of Purim goes to see the king, she tells Morde- in text and in practice. For example, the
ְ
doesn’t take place in or on the way to chai םי ִ דּוהְּי ַ ה־ל ָּ כ־ת ֶ א סֹונ ְּ כ ך ֵ ל (Esther 4:15), Megillah frames Mordechai’s ancestry
Israel. gather all the Jews to fast and pray for exiled from Yerushalayim (Esther 2:6),
her. More than mass prayer rallies that
I want to share some ideas from the often use this verse, the idea of gathering and the Talmud teaches that the vessels
Megillah about our calling as Jews living Jews evokes the opportunity of Jewish used by Achashverosh were from the
in the Diaspora. outreach. In the current state of Judaism Beit HaMikdash (Megillah 11b) – both
sections which are read to the tune of
Uncovering Hiddenness in the Diaspora, the majority of Jews Eicha. There’s also Shushan Purim,
are not part of any Jewish community
The Rabbis in the Talmud (Chullin and are spiritually םי ִּ מ ַ עָֽ ה ןי ֵּ ב ד ָ רֹפ ְ מּו רָּז ֻ פ ְ מ which the Rabbis tie to Yehoshua “so as
139b) connect the name Esther to (ibid 3:8). I believe that Religious Zionist to give honor to Eretz Yisrael” (Talmud
G-d’s prophecy about a time when He Jews in the Diaspora should reach out Yerushalmi, Megillah 1b), and which
will hide His face, יַנ ָּ פ רי ִּ ת ְ ס ַ א ר ֵּ ת ְ ס ַ ה י ִ כֹנ ָ א ְ ו to other Jews and welcome them in, and practically is celebrated nowadays
(Devarim 31:17). Indeed, G-d’s name connect them to a Judaism and Jewish almost exclusively in Israel. And two of
is missing, hidden, from the Megillah. communities that are full of light, joy, the three reasons given by the Talmud
(Megillah 14a) for why we don’t say
That doesn’t mean G-d isn’t in the story gladness, and honor (ibid 8:16). Hallel on Purim are connected to Exile
of Purim, nor that G-d isn’t found in – because the miracle didn’t happen in
Exile, but rather that He is hidden. Until Fighting Antisemitism Israel, and because the story still ends
we are able to experience the richness Haman’s hatred for the Jews led to his under foreign rule.
of Judaism and G-d’s presence in Israel, plan to annihilate them, which was only
this presents an opportunity and a stopped by Esther’s and Mordechai’s Perhaps those connections show us that
mission to uncover and discover G-d heroic actions to stand up for them- our past is in Israel, and our future is in
in our lives in Exile. That takes many selves. Antisemitism and anti-Zionism Israel, but in the meantime, some of us
different forms, including Torah, tefilla, continue to rear their ugly heads in are still in the Diaspora – and surely we
mitzvot, and good deeds, and can occur countries around the world, and Reli- have a purpose and a calling while here.
in any place in the world. And the same gious Zionist Jews in the Diaspora must To quote Mordechai (Esther 4:14), י ִ מּו
way Esther brought salvation from her stand up for being Jewish and for Israel. ְּ ת ַ ע ַּג ִ ה תאֹז ָּ כ ת ֵ ע ְ ל־ם ִ א ַ ע ֵ דֹוי and who knows if
hidden identity, we may be able to play That is true on college campuses, in the precisely for a time like this you are here!
a unique role in the redemption of the halls of power, online, and whether deal-
Jewish people and of G-d’s hiddenness. ing with adversaries from the left or the
right. Even if antisemitism will never Rabbi Hart Levine is Director of
disappear, having proud Jews in all these NextGen for RZA–Mizrachi.

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