New York — As the country prepares for the rise and expansion of faith-based social action, Jews are about to celebrate a holiday that speaks to the heart of that endeavor.
For 2,500 years, Jews have gathered around the world to tell the story of Purim, found in the Bible’s book of Esther. Mordechai is an influential Jew who spends most of his time in the court of Persian King Ahashverosh. In the Persian capital of Shushan, Haman, the king’s chief minister, is the tale’s bad guy, whose deepest desire is to rid the world of the Jews.
While Haman is busy unfolding his plot, Mordechai encourages his niece, Esther, to enter a contest to become the queen. She does, she wins, and intervenes on behalf of the Jewish people.
It’s a great story, not only because of its intrigue, political twists and sexual turns. It also promises that people — often those one might not expect — can actually change the world. It says that all of us can be players in a global community, and that we can make a difference for ourselves, our communities and humanity.
As a rabbi, I am thankful that Jews have kept on telling the story of such promises. But until recently, they were promises that we really couldn’t keep.
As a people, Jews were masters of praying for a more perfect world; but only now, as a community that has moved from marginalized to mainstream, is there the potential of achieving those dreams.
Today, Jews have attained tremendous freedom and security in America. The selection of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), an Orthodox Jew, as a vice presidential nominee affirmed this.
But the issues the community must now confront are the same as those of any other community that finds itself with new economic and political strength: Once power and affluence are attained, how should they be used? What is the community’s vision for the world?
These are the questions we must ask ourselves — as individuals, as communities, and as citizens of the wealthiest nation in the world. How do we build institutions and relationships that help secure human dignity wherever and whenever it is threatened?
Shushan in Washington
The Purim story tells us that the role of political activism is a spiritual act, and that there is a sacred imperative to act. For Americans, Washington is our Shushan.
As in the Purim story, we must move from being petitioners to advocates. We must speak out for what we believe and have our voices heard.
Of course, if Washington is our Shushan, then we can be the Mordechais and Esthers of the story.
Who was Mordechai? He was neither a rabbi nor famous for his piety. But he was a man who simply refused to buy into the premise that political power should be allowed to strip people of their human dignity. Mordechai took a moral stand, at huge personal risk, and followed up with action — a particularly difficult thing to do for someone from a minority people who looked and sounded differently.
Who was Esther? Clearly, she was strong, smart, beautiful and greatly protected by the king. Yet she chose to put herself in danger when she had nothing personally to gain. What Esther illustrates is that when others are vulnerable it is imperative to pay attention and to act, even under dangerous circumstances.
Mordechai and Esther are our heroes. Yet, while they exemplify people of great faith, ironically they don’t reflect our image of religious Jews.
Mordechai advises Esther to marry a non-Jew. Esther marries one and lives so “assimilated” a life that no one would guess that she was Jewish (a secret Mordechai told her to keep).
At no time do Esther or Mordechai pray to God that the Jews be saved. They never even set foot into a synagogue.
Does this mean that their faith is any less sacred? Absolutely not. Esther and Mordechai remind us that while faith may motivate action, it is the activism itself that is a profound example of faith.
Their faith is grounded in a deep internal conviction and profound sense of connection to their people. This is faith-based activism.
We have a lot to learn from Mordechai and Esther’s story. Speaking up for the vulnerable, whether done as an obvious part of religious expression or not, is spirituality in action.
The Purim story offers one of those remarkable moments in human history when traditions of the past become resources in the present for building a more meaningful future.
Ultimately, it teaches that political action is sacred action — and that a strong spiritual identity should propel us outward into the world, and not become an excuse for retreating from it.
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is director of leadership and communities at CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.
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