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MIZRACHI SCHOLARS-IN-RESIDENCE TORAT MIZRACHI

Women today expect themselves to ora veSimcha, light and rejoicing. How But what’s the alternative? What about
do everything – to work, to raise their does Esther express happiness? After breaking down my own barriers – for
children, to succeed at home and out- a wasteful and egotistical feast, she a positive reason? What about being
side of it, to host guests, to be immac- teaches us to truly be happy through brave, daring – to do the good things I
ulate. A generation of perfectionism. I the mitzvot of Purim we still keep always wanted to do? On these days of
say: give in to yourself along the way, today. First, happiness in our inner Purim, we allow ourselves to go crazy.
just don’t give up your happiness. circle: a meal with the whole family. But who decided that doesn’t mean in
Because what do you normally do? Second, community: mishloach manot a new, higher, more positive direction?”
You demand to do everything; you to strengthen our social bonds. Finally,
don’t give up on anything – besides helping the needy: matanot la’evyonim, Ostensibly, matanot la’evyonim is
happiness. caring for those who don’t have. That’s something given to the poor on
how we rejoice. The tables have turned 6Purim. A little tzedakah and we’re
That’s the mistake. A messy bed can done. But Chazal write in the Gemara:
be tidied. A dirty counter can shine. – not accumulating wealth or fame, but “There is no real poverty but the pov-
A document for work can be written. going outside of one’s comfort zone to erty of knowledge.” Poverty is not only
But an unhappy woman – oh, that is give to and share with others. Instead of financial. There are people below the
much more serious than any of these. thinking that the more we receive, the knowledge poverty line.
So, true, you didn’t tell a story before happier we’ll be, Esther teaches us that
bedtime. You didn’t finish the list the more we give, the happier we’ll be. And that’s not all. The Sefat Emet
of what you needed to do. You got Sometimes Purim celebrations are explains that really each one of us is
upset again. But you forgot to write identified with breakdown and both wealthy and poor. Every person
on your to-do list to smile and enjoy 5mess, but one educator shared is “poor of knowledge,” who has yet to
the process. Choose your tasks wisely, with me the following idea: learn, and what to learn, from others.
decide what to give up and what not And each one of us can give to others
to, but one thing – your happiness “Essentially, we are all boxed in. We from his or her own knowledge. Torah,
today, right now – never give up on decide things about ourselves: ‘I’m such wisdom, knowledge are also a type of
along the way.” and such,’ and that’s it, we can’t change matanot la’evyonim that we need to
it. But on Purim, everything shifts, and give and receive, all year round!
At the beginning of the Megillah, we can leave the box. It’s an opportunity
Achashverosh holds a banquet for an internal revolution, veNahafoch Purim Sameach!
4that is all an external show. A cel- hu, to break down the boundaries. Usu-
ebration of money, gold and alcohol. ally, when speaking of breaking down Sivan Rahav Meir and Yedidya Meir are
popular Israeli media personalities and
Faced with such an empty misconcep- boundaries, we have a negative con- World Mizrachi’s Scholars-in-Residence.
tion of happiness, Esther eventually notation. When we speak about the
brings the nation courage to do things we don’t do all A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
to a state of year round, it implies bad things. mizrachi.org/speakers

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