Please Remember the Point of Purim

No, this isn't about drinking, so you can keep reading for a little bit.

It's a wonderful time of the year on both the solar and lunar calendars. February is over, the winter is slowly losing its grip and pretty soon the crocuses will pop up as the first harbingers of spring flowers. Adar is here and we are urged to be "marbim b'simcha", with which we enthusiastically comply. As I looked around the Beit Knesset this morning, I really enjoyed the wonderful array of color, creativity and awesome get-ups.

What is important to remember though, is why we dress up and why we are so joyous. 2.500 years ago, we averted a Holocaust. We averted it because one person was in the "right place at the right time" and that person used her position and her power for the good of her people. She literally put her life at risk, she used the influence she had never sought, and drew upon both her own intelligence and the strength of her community's tefillot and teshuva to help her arrive at an incredibly happy ending. The reason for the "ora, simcha, sasson v'ikar" are clear: we faced the firing squad, and not only received clemency, but vindication and honor.

So why the costumes? So that we don't forget. Huh? Isn't the whole point of dressing up to disguise who we are? Aren't we supposed to not recognize the other person? Correct. The lack of clarity that exists on Purim is a reflection of the world in which we live. We think we know what's happening. We think we understand. We THINK we have total control over our lives and our destiny and how we present ourselves to the world. What the costumes are supposed to remind us is that this perception is as deceptive as a mask. Yes, we have a great deal of control and we have been blessed with b'chira chofsheet. As a matter of fact, we probably have a lot more control than we want to take responsibility for. Ultimately, however, as a nation (and therefore, as individuals) we are in the hands of the Adon Olam. He seems hidden to us--behind a mask or a veil--and we often try to hide ourselves from Him(or Her.) But if we look closely enough, we can perceive a little of the majesty of Hashem in our lives. Whether it is Paras in the 6th century BCE or Israel in 1948, 1967, 1991 or today, Hashem's presence is less hidden than we think. All you have to do is look behind the veil and under the mask, and what seems so hidden becomes as clear as the Megillah before us.

Happy dress up and Happy Adar!