The Hidden Message of Purim

B"H

This Tuesday and Wednesday, we are celebrating PURIM. Those who don't know why we are doing so should read the "Book of Esther – Megillath Esther". Esther, the Jewish queen, saved her own people, the Jews, from total extermination; together with her uncle (some commentators say "her husband") Mordechai. The location was the former capital of Babylon – Shushan. Today, we can find the same Shushan in Iran.

On Purim the Megillah is read in all synagogues around the world. Countless commentators have been dealing with the story throughout the centuries and many of them wrote mystical commentaries. Everything seems to be hidden in the Purim story; especially because the name of G – d doesn't even appear once. The context is not too clear at all. The protagonists sometimes act rather strange and without any great explanations. Especially the Kabbalists find all kinds of mystical explanations even during the feast of King Achasverosh.

The original name of Esther is HADASSAH. When you look at the word "Esther", you find the Hebrew root SETER in there, and SETER means hidden, hiding place. But what exactly is hidden inside the Purim story ? We read that evil Haman ordered to kill all the Jews. The specific date he planned with the help of a lottery. Purim means LOTS.

But, as we know, G – d is behind any event taking place in this world. He alone is ruling everything and the question is why G – d allowed Haman making such a decree. The Midrash Rabbah teaches us that already in the desert, Moshe was warning the Jews not to go against G – d's commandments. If they were, He would be punishing the people as a whole. Even with sending them into the Galut (Diaspora). The Torah is valid eternally and thus we are bound to the Mitzwot until today and in the future.

The sin of the Jews in Babylon during the time of Esther and Mordechai was neglecting Torah study. After the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians and after entering the first Galut, many Jews thought that G – d had abandoned them. He was gone and now they were just like any other nation in the world. At the party of Achasverosh, the Jews ate non – kosher food, drank the non – kosher wine and watched while the King was exhibiting the former Temple instruments and made fun of them. The result was that G – d wanted to punish the Jews for forgetting about him and getting assimilated.

The Talmud Tractate Megillah 29a teaches that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai once said that the Shechinah (G – d's presence) will never disappear from the Jewish people. They may go into Galut (Diaspora) but the Shechinah is going to follow them to wherever they are. Never ever will G – d abandon His people. The famous Talmud commentator Maharsha wrote that the Shechinah is everywhere in the world; however, there are places where the Shechinah is more obvious and thus stronger than at other places. Furthermore, G – d already promised us in the Torah (Deuteronomy 30:3) that He will return together with the Jews from the Diaspora. Together with them and this hints to the fact that He Himself was with His people in the Galut.

The great Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (the ARIZAL) once gave us important information on Purim. It says in the "Kitvei HaArizal" (in "Sha'ar HaKavanot") that the reading of the Megillah (Book of Esther) has the task to eternally proclaim the Purim miracle. Even after the arrival of the Meshiach, Purim will be celebrated although many other Jewish holidays are being abolished. Yom Kippur, for instance, because when Meshiach is here, we are going to be on such a high spiritual level that we won't think about sinning at all.

The first Diaspora in Babylon lasted for 70 years and we know that after Purim, it didn't take to long that the Jews got liberated and were allowed to return to Eretz Israel (see the Book of Ezra). As soon as the Jews are in Galut, the Shechinah is not that close and obvious to us anymore. Meaning, G – d is "hiding His face" (symbolically speaking). At the moment, G – d is less obvious, the Jews depend on the other nations and have to deal and suffer from anti – Semitism. G – d is hiding His face which means for us to study more Torah and do more Mitzwot in order to arouse His Rachamim (mercy). The Jews at the time of Esther and Mordechai succeeded in doing so and eventually Haman was hung and the evil decree canceled. Through their Teshuva (repentance), the Jews caused a Tikun (soul rectification) and G – d was willing to forgive them.

The hidden part in the Purim story is G – d Himself because He was "hiding His face". G – d was less obvious but the important thing for us to do is searching for Him. As soon as the Jews started returning to Torah, He gave them the possibility of the return to Eretz Israel. Years later, they really went back to Israel (see the Book of Ezra). Unfortunately, not all Jews went back to Israel but some did.

On Purim we usually wear costumes and masks; we do so in order to demonstrate that nothing in life is as it seems to appear. Many things are hidden from us and this is why G – d's name doesn't appear in the Megillah. Thus, Purim is teaching us that we have to look for G – d everywhere. Our task is to bring Him into this world through Torah Mitzwot and study. And this is the reason why we will celebrate Purim eternally – to bring G – d down into this world.