On
Sunday morning, February 24th we will read Megilat Esther. It
might be the noisiest service of the year. And I promise that we will have a
lot of fun. At Etz Chaim we take silliness very seriously. We have even been
described as the Purim Capital of North America. Why
do we get so pumped for Purim? What is gong on?
I
see Jewish life as a combination of quiet personal moments and
big memorable moments. We want to examine serious issues in a thoughtful way
and we want to celebrate happy occasions grandly. On Purim I want to create
grand memorable events. I want to build excitement about living a Jewish life.
I want all of us to feel that we are lucky to be able to celebrate Purim.
While
Purim is a light hearted holiday, the story deals in the most serious of
issues. We could imagine a somber holiday meditating on our fragile position in
the world. But rather thinking about the fact that we could have been
destroyed, we laugh in Haman’s face.
Many
Jews over the centuries celebrated Purim not in security and safety. They lived
lives in precarious situations threatened by the “Haman” of their own era.
Nevertheless they laughed at the story of the ancient Haman and in doing so
laughed at the “Haman” of their own time.
We live at time in which we can fell secure in our day to day lives. But we understand that there those who wish us ill. The leader of Iran denounces Israel. Terrorist groups plot attacks on Israel and the Uninted States. As we laugh at the Haman of the Purim story, we also laugh at the Hamans who wish us ill today.
