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Purim! The happiest holiday of the year is near us. What exactly happened there? What do we celebrate?
Achashverosh, the great king of 127 countries (almost of the entire known world at the time), searches for a new wife after killing his first one. After four years of quest, he chooses Esther from all the women that had been gathered. Esther was Jewish, and she did not want to marry a Gentile king, but she was forced to do so.
The Prime Minister Haman issues a new terrible decree: to kill all the Jews in the entire kingdom, young and old, on a specific day. It is a very difficult situation: all the Jews at this period lived in the kingdom of Achashverosh and they had no where to escape or hide. This decree meant the annihilation of the entire Jewish people.
Mordechai, Esther’s cousin, decided to intervene on behalf of the Jewish people. He sent a message to Esther that she must go to the King and ask him to cancel the decree. Esther was afraid to go since according to the law, she could not approach the King without him inviting her. Achashverosh had not invited her for 30 days… If she went, he could kill her!
Mordechai explained to her that she could not stay indifferent and not to anything. Perhaps this is the reason G-d had brought her to this position, at this specific moment. This is why G-d had made her queen and this was the purpose of her story! She had to utilize all means to save her people. Indeed, Esther acts and goes to Achashverosh and, as if by miracle, the king is convinced, and the Jewish people are saved. This is why we celebrate the holiday of Purim.
In our life, we also find ourselves in a similar situation as Esther. Someone needs help, a certain problem needs a solution and we may be the ones who have the key to salvation. But we may be scared that we will not succeed. The story of Purim though urges us to act. Not to be scared. Because there is a reason why G-d brought us to this situation. It may be precisely for us to be the right person at the right time in order to act and effect the change …
Let’s utilize all the opportunities, all the capabilities we were given in the particular circumstances where G-d has placed us, in order to save the situation.
May be go from the great joy of Purim to the even greater joy of the coming of Mashiach!
Purim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,
Hanna