Dvar Torah for Purim
March 15, 2022
Elana Goldberg, Middle School Tanakh Teacher
Purim is one of my favorite holidays. The reason why I love Purim so much is that it is deeper than it appears. It can easily be overlooked as a silly holiday. Though the story comes from Tanakh, it is a rabbinic holiday and certainly not as important as Yom Kippur or Sukkot. Part of Purim’s depth is that it represents a contradiction. It is both a fun and goofy holiday where we are commanded to give snacks to our friends, and we wear costumes as well as a stark reminder of how others perceive Jews as a minority living in חוץ לארץ, the Diaspora (or outside the Land of Israel). On Purim, we are also commanded to hear the Megilah, which itself encompasses some powerful lessons for how to live our lives as Jews today.
One of those lessons is the theme of ונהפוך הוא/venahafoch hu (the opposite happened/it was flipped). This concept comes comes from Esther 9:1, which says:
“וּבִשְׁנֵים֩ עָשָׂ֨ר חֹ֜דֶשׁ הוּא־חֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֗ר בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר יוֹם֙ בּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִגִּ֧יעַ דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וְדָת֖וֹ לְהֵעָשׂ֑וֹת בַּיּ֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׂבְּר֜וּ אֹיְבֵ֤י הַיְּהוּדִים֙ לִשְׁל֣וֹט בָּהֶ֔ם וְנַהֲפ֣וֹךְ ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁלְט֧וּ הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים הֵ֖מָּה בְּשֹׂנְאֵיהֶֽם׃”
“And so, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month — that is, the month of Adar — when the king’s command and decree were to be executed, the very day on which the enemies of the Jews had expected to get them in their power, the opposite happened, and the Jews got their enemies in their power.” This idea teaches us that things are not permanent, can change quickly, and that sometimes the unexpected occurs. This pasuk appears toward the end of the Megilah. The Jews of Persia thought that the worst thing possible was going to happen, and their redemption came from an unexpected source (with God’s help of course, even though God’s name is not explicitly mentioned in the Megilah).
This year’s Purim in particular feels like its own version of ונהפוך הוא/venahafoch hu. Exactly two years ago on the Jewish calendar, our community made the decision to close around Purim due to Covid-19, hoping that things would improve and we could return to school in a few weeks. Unfortunately, The Leffell School was left unoccupied for many months, with abandoned Mishloach Manot from the PTO scattered throughout the hallways. This year, we get to celebrate in person, in larger gatherings, and with a greater sense of calm. This Purim feels like a hopeful milestone that we have reached as a community.
Another important lesson we can gather from the holiday of Purim is how to balance our lives as both Americans and as Jews. Esther was a Jewish woman who occupied a powerful position in Persian society. As we know from the story of the Megilah, this duality weighed heavily on her and on her cousin Mordechai. Throughout most of the Megilah, Esther is careful not to reveal her identity as a Jew until it is absolutely necessary and she does not feel as if she has another choice. Even then, she is very nervous about exposing herself. Unlike Esther, we are very lucky as American Jews that we are able to live freely and successfully in our country without threat of government persecution. At the same time, we can understand Esther’s hesitation to publicly state that she is a Jew. By the end of the Megilah, Esther is able to live her life as a Jew while being Queen of Persia, modeling for us that she has achieved balance between her secular and her religious life.
Here at Leffell, we work hard to create an environment where this is possible. While it is not always easy — for example, when there are countless modified schedules to accommodate Tefilah for Rosh Chodesh — this is a value that we uphold in our community. Additionally, it is a happy coincidence that Purim this year falls on St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday that has become a symbol of immigrant pride in the United States. Both holidays acknowledge the importance of upholding an individual’s religious and cultural identities with pride even if and maybe especially if they are part of a minority.
This Purim, I hope that you incorporate these lessons from the Megilah as well as find your own meaningful connection. Chag Purim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!
Here at Leffell, we work hard to create an environment where this is possible. While it is not always easy — for example, when there are countless modified schedules to accommodate Tefilah for Rosh Chodesh — this is a value that we uphold in our community. Additionally, it is a happy coincidence that Purim this year falls on St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday that has become a symbol of immigrant pride in the United States. Both holidays acknowledge the importance of upholding an individual’s religious and cultural identities with pride even if and maybe especially if they are part of a minority.