Imagine going out for drinks (or for those who do not imbibe, imagine going out for karaoke) with friends. It feels good to let loose once in a while. Drink your favorite drinks, belt out the same song that you’ve been belting out since college.
Now imagine going out with your co-workers. You know there is clearly a limit to how much you can let loose. You have to see these people the next day…and the next. And when someone lets loose a little too much, things get awkward.
Now, imagine going out with God. How much could you really let loose? We think a lot of things about God, and “drinking buddy” is usually not tops on the list.
The God energy of Adar is one of simcha and kalut rosh (joy and levity), as the Talmud says, “Mishenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha” Once Adar begins, joy increases.
So the spiritual challenge we are faced with on the festival of Purim, which occurs this year on March 5: How do we let loose with The Holy Blessed One?
The Vilna Gaon (an 18th century commentator from Lithuania) explains that the word “Purim” is found in the Torah’s name for Yom Kippur – Yom haki-PURIM — which can mean “a day like Purim.”
It seems that these two holidays are opposites of each other. On Yom Kippur, we prepare for the fast by feasting the day before, but on Purim we fast (Ta’anit Esther, the Fast of Esther) before we feast.
Yom Kippur is a solemn observance whereas Purim is a raucous good time. Yom Kippur is about the spiritual, whereas Purim is about the physical.
Interestingly, the goals of both holidays are the same: to attain holiness (kedusha — a spiritual leveling up). It is easy to do that on Yom Kippur, but on Purim?
On Purim the rabbis declare that we drink “ad d’lo yada,” until we don’t know the difference between blessed be Mordechai and cursed be Haman. That’s a lot of drinking. And in this state, we are supposed to spiritually level up?
Yes, actually. In fact, our rabbis say that Purim is even holier than Yom Kippur. Why?
On Yom Kippur, the Kohein Gadol, High Priest, would go into the Holy of Holies to be face to face “panim el panim” with the Holy Blessed One. The God Face of Tishrei is one of judgment, forgiveness and reconciliation.
It is also a time when God energy is most accessible and the synagogues are filled as a result. The idea of a clean slate is an attractive one, forgiveness for the year past.
On Purim, however, God is “hester panim” a hidden face, the least directly accessible. In the book of Esther the name of God is not even mentioned.
Thus, the challenge for us is to find God energy in the hiddenness, in places we would not think God would (or should) be found. On Purim, we look beyond God’s mask of invisibility and try to bring ourselves panim el panim with God’s Adar Face.
When we seek that face, we find a divine smile, perhaps the echo of a laugh, the Divine force that created the platypus (a reference to the movie “Dogma”).
Levity is not usually an attribute we associate with God, yet if we believe ain od milvado, that there is nothing other than the Holy One, then levity cannot be outside of God, for it too is an aspect of the Divine.
Connecting with God on this level is the spiritual challenge of Adar. It is for this reason that I think our rabbis say that Purim is holier than Yom Kippur.
Taking on this challenge leads to greater simcha and greater kedusha, enough to lead us out of the winter and into the springtime renewal of Pesach.
I’d like to add a short public service announcement on Purim costumes. My heart has been saddened in years past by our Jewish brothers and sisters choosing to dress up as non-dominant racial and ethnic groups for Purim.
I believe in dan kaf zechut, giving the benefit of the doubt, and I believe that people truly do not intend to offend with their costumes.
However, we have to remember that the costumes of ethnicities we tend to encounter are usually drawing on stereotypes, usually with a racist history, such as black face or native headdresses.
Think about what the costume shop Jew costume would be — complete with plastic nose and money bag.
So, please make considerate choices and have a freilichen Purim.
Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum is spiritual leader of Congregation Shir Hadash.
Loading ...