From the Rabbi's Desk

Tonight is the beginning of the month of אדר/Adar. It is written in the תלמוד/Talmud: משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה/When the month of Adar begins we increase our joy. (תענית כ''ט.א/Ta’anit 29a) This comment comes as a comparison to a similar statement about another month: משנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה/When the month of Av begins we lessen our joy. (ibid) That’s to say the rabbis understood, all the way back then, the dichotomy of Jewish existence. We have times when our joy is increased and times when our joy is decreased. Our lives are lived best when we recognize the world is neither all joyful or all sad. As has been stated far too often over the past more than 500 days, life is difficult and filled with hard times and good times. Life is filled with wins and losses. This is amplified by the Jewish experience. The Jewish people have disproportionately known pain. Our history and story are punctuated by the hatred and violence thrown at us by irrational people around the world. That history tells how time and again we overcame the violence and hatred. As a result of our survival, though, we are forever scarred. Those scars form a large aspect of our collective psyche. One could argue that the Jewish people live in a perpetual state of PTSD.

The dichotomy is on full display today in the ongoing story of October 7^th. One day we are elated to see hostages come home to their families and restart their lives. We’re in awe of their strength and their resolve. And then we’re crushed to see other hostages emerge on the brink of death. We’re horrified to learn of the deaths of people we’ve been praying for every day since this all began. Each day we’re overjoyed to read about and hear from people who are our allies and at the same time we’re crushed to see the disgusting silence of those we thought we could rely on. This pain is amplified by those who slander us and support the terrorists who brought this all upon the world. We live in darkness and light all at once and that’s something we should be used to by now. Or perhaps it’s something we should never feel comfortable with, because to be comfortable would be to accept that darkness must exist in our lives.

The holiday of פורים/Purim remains the penultimate Jewish response to the bigotry of the world. It remains the greatest way that we, as a people, can see the world and walk forward. We mourn our losses and tell the stories of our tragedies so we will never forget. Then we celebrate our continual ability to persevere and overcome the hate and anger thrown at us through the generations. פורים begins each year with a fast. The fast is called תענית אסתר/Ta’anit Esther/The Fast of Esther because in מגילת אסתר/Megillat Esther, she asks the Jewish people to join her in a fast while she prepares to face her husband, the king, and expose Haman, our enemy who sought to murder all our people. The fast will begin this year on Thursday, March 13, in the morning and will conclude in the evening after dark.

During פורים we celebrate by observing four מצות/Mitzvot/Commandments. They are:

1. Hearing the מגילה/Megillah twice
2. Having a festive meal
3. Sending gifts of food to friends
4. Giving gifts to those in need

Each of these are instructive of how we need to move forward. We must never forget our story and we must continue to learn and retell what has happened to our people. This is true of the latest events. Join us this year for Megillah reading on Thursday night, March 13 at 7:00 pm and on Friday morning, March 14 at 8:00 am. We’ll be having an abbreviated children’s reading at our celebration on March 14^th. The reading will be at the conclusion of our carnival at 6:00 pm and will be followed by Shabbat dinner.

We must celebrate our continued prosperity. We do so by recognizing that, in spite of all that’s wrong, there’s still a great deal that’s right. We need to recognize that we’re blessed to be able to have all we have. To not celebrate is to allow for the haters to win. The obligation is to have a festive meal on פורים so we encourage you to do so with friends and family. You can also come to our Purimpalooza Carnival and enjoy our Wicked atmosphere and celebrate with us.

Sending gifts of food to our friends is all about us recognizing we’re not alone and we’re part of a beautiful community. This מצוה pushes us to reach within to reach out. It’s something people who overcome adversity can see as a path forward, the ability to share with others. We’re once again offering you the opportunity to participate in our communal משלוח מנות/Mishloach Manot campaign. We’re making baskets for OVS members and a note will be included in each basket you sponsor. Please click here for more information and to become a basket sponsor.

The last מצוה of פורים is to send gifts to the less fortunate. To recognize our blessings is also to recognize others around us don’t have those same blessings, so we share with them to help them find a way forward. Purimpalooza will feature two ways to fulfill this Mitzvah. You can put money in our צדקה/Tzedakah Box to help the poor in Israel and you can make boxes of personal care items to distribute to homeless people locally.
 
I hope to see you at the Megillah readings, the Purimpalooza Carnival and the Shabbat Dinner that follows. Click here to sign up today.