Purim and Tzav

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This week’s Torah Portion

Tsav

Leviticus chapters 6:1 - 8:36

This year, the holiday of Purim begins Sunday night. Good triumphs over evil once again, and we celebrate in a Mardi Gras-style manner. We dress in costumes, have carnivals, and even are suppose to overdo it when we imbibe! We also read the scroll of Esther in shul, and some synagogues even put on a “Purim Spiel”. This is a play about the story of Esther, but done in a fun and funny way. We also, like on April Fools' Day, write jokes, and publish satiric newsletters. It is definitely a fun holiday.
As is common with Jewish humor, we laugh at ourselves and find the humor in very serious situations. If you want to understand the survival of the Jewish people - and of course, it is due to Adonai - our ability to laugh, and enjoy music (especially during trying times) plays a big roll. We laugh during Purim, despite the fact the story of Esther relays a time in history where a powerful man - Haman - tried to have the Jewish people annihilated; instead, he and his sons were publicly hanged. What we laugh about is not that he received his “just desserts”, but that all which took place came together to ensure our survival, when so many elements in the story were miracles, as the odds of even one of the elements going our way were like the odds of winning a lottery.
We are actually supposed to drink until we can’t tell the difference between Haman (our antagonist), and Mordechai (the protagonist). This brings us to a correlation between the story of Esther and this week’s parashah. Why wouldn’t we want to be able to tell the difference between the good guy and the bad guy? Human beings are almost never all good or all bad. Sometimes bad things happen - or at least they seem so at the time - but they actually enable great things to eventually result from seemingly dark moments. On the other hand, need I say more than be careful what you wish for?!
Being enslaved in Egypt was a bad thing, but because of the suffering, we were saved by Adonai and made into a nation. We were given the gift of the Torah to share with the world. Maybe without the long period of suffering we had endured, we wouldn’t have stayed together. We don’t know what would have happened; we only know what did, but we alway try to learn from our history. What was the likelihood of one man, Moses - a man who had a speech impediment no less - being able to achieve our freedom, with the help of Adonai - but still, how likely was it to happen?
Esther was obviously a woman, a Jewish woman no less, who actually succeeded in becoming a queen, and not just any queen, but one who was able to lead the king to listen to her and do the right thing. The same king who “got rid of” his first wife because she wouldn’t dance naked in front of his friends and noblemen. Even worse, a king who obviously didn’t think women, let alone Jewish women, should be respected in any way, and who chose his new queen by holding a “beauty contest” (wink, wink!). In case any children are reading this, here is a sanitized version: suffice to say, each “contestant” had to stay with the king overnight. So, how likely was a king who chose his queen in the way in which he did, one who got rid of the first queen for the reason he did, to respect the word of his new queen, and actually act upon her say-so? Not bloody likely, knowing what I know about men like Ahasuerus!
Our parashah begins with further elucidation on the sacrifices led by the new Kohanim, and ends with their inauguration into the priesthood. The sacrifice our parashah begins with is the burnt offering, which is never to be extinguished. It must be attended to and kept burning through human efforts. We are told the fire is like the peace-offering, and the fire must never go out. A pretty powerful statement! The fire, or the light - with all of the metaphorical meanings it represents - is to be one of peace, one which is always tended to and ensured by the leaders of the Nation of Israel. We still have an eternal light in all shuls around the world to this day. To this day, the Jewish people are still the purveyors of peace, despite a multitude of people and peoples throughout history who have tried to portray us otherwise.
This week’s parashah ends with the anointment of the priests, whom we are told must never leave the Tent of Meeting for one full week. Aaron and his sons were married, so this meant separating from their wives and children in order to completely focus on the higher purpose they were here on earth to do. Esther wasn’t separated from her husband, but she was separated from her people and her family. She too was destined to serve Adonai by saving her people. Sometimes we must separate from those we love for a time in order to make this world better for all people. Sometimes we must summon the courage to help shine the light of Adonai in this world by acting in an unacceptable manner (according to the “norm” ), a peaceful manner, but risky nonetheless. Sometimes we must stand alone, and apart from our families, while facing oppressors in pursuance of a higher calling.
Sunday, we celebrate Esther’s courage and the highly unlikely outcome that a woman - a Jewish woman - was integral in saving our people. Life is stranger than fiction, for if someone had written and submitted a story like this for publication, this person would have been told their story wasn’t believable and wouldn’t sell. The story of Esther is no myth. We celebrate that any one person, no matter what their position in life is, could be the one who shines the light of Adonai in this world to save it, and bring about a peaceful, positive, just result for the many!
We drink so we can blur the line in our mind between good and evil, not so we think we can get away with something evil, but because sometimes we must do things which seem not wholly saintly - shall we say remember how Esther became queen - in order to ultimately bring good and Adonai in and to this world. You see, we all have choices to make. Haman could have used his power as the king’s vizier to promote peace - he didn’t - but he could have. Generally speaking, women who do what Esther had to do in order to marry a man of power and wealth are narcissistic gold diggers who are only out for themselves. Esther could have been like this, but she wasn’t. In fact, she was a young virgin before her “audition” with the king. A young girl is even less likely to be respected and followed by a man like King Ahasuerus.
We all have skills and abilities that may be utilized for good, or for evil. Our “station” in life, our current circumstances, be they chosen by us or thrust upon us, do not dictate what we can achieve! Anyone, at any given time, could be the one to lead us to acting peacefully, kindly, and justly with each other.
Chag Sameach! Thank you Esther! Shabbat Shalom! I’d love to know what you think! Enjoy Purim - just make certain not to drink and drive!

Friday, March 18, 2011

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