God? Fate? Or Luck?

Newsletter March 18, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

Purim begins this Friday night-- and if you haven't ever read the book of Esther in its entirety, please do! It is amazing. (and you can do that HERE)

But in a nutshell, a Jewish woman named Esther lives in the town of Shushan with her uncle Mordecai. Mordecai is a man about town and one day overhears a plot to assassinate the king. He informs the king's staff who credit him with saving the king's life and this is written down in the official history books. But because he is a Jew, he will only bow to God and he will not bow to the king's evil henchman Haman, which angers Haman.

Later, Mordecai's niece wins a beauty contest where the winner will marry the king, but the king doesn't know she's Jewish. This is a problem because, on advice of Haman who is still angry about Jews not bowing to him, the king decrees a date to kill the Jews.

Mordecai encourages Esther to tell the king that she is Jewish so that he might change his mind about the decree. So, after a few days of fasting, she comes out about her Jewish identity and asks the king to overturn the decree. Then the king has a dilemma- does he leave the decree in place siding with his advisor Haman, or does he overturn it showing allegiance to his wife. He can't sleep at night and so, to sleep he has his royal historians read him the historical records-- and by chance they read him the record of Mordecai. the Jew, saving the king's life! Naturally, in the end, the king sides with Esther and reverses the decree, and the Jews are saved! A party ensues.

Holiday is about being proud of who you truly are-- about sharing your identity with loved ones, and about doing hard things for the benefit of all. The story is also about the power of history, and the importance of doing the right thing-- how it all matters big and small and may matter when you least expect it. And this story is about the chance nature of life-- how Esther was, by chance, chosen as winner of the pageant; and how by chance the historians read the story of Mordecai saving the king's life.

These are all important life lessons that we celebrate across Jewish communities. At Keeping It Sacred, we will retell the story of the book of Esther in a fun mad-libs kind of way on Friday at 9am PT. And on Saturday, we will gather with master baker, Diana Braker, to bake Hamantaschen (triangle shaped cookies said to resemble Haman's hat; or, some say a uterus celebrating the heroine of the story) at 10am PT (online and in person). Please join us!

One more interesting fact about Purim-- in the Scroll of Esther, in which the Purim Story is recorded, God is never mentioned. Not once, begging the question of God's role in all of this. Was it God working behind the scenes to save the Jewish people? Or was it Esther's determination and courage to reveal her identity that saved the Jews? Or was it a stroke of luck that all of these things lined up to save the Jews?

What do you think about this question? Let's discuss it at any of our upcoming Purim programs! Thinking deeply about life-- that's how we keep it sacred.

Together, we’re #keepingitsacred...

Rabbi Heather Miller

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

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The above is an excerpt from a Keeping It Sacred newsletter. If you want to read the entire newsletter or any from our archives, please head over to: keepingitsacred.com/news 

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Thanks for your interest, and thanks for #keepingitsacred...