לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה, וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָר
The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. (Esther 8:16)
Last night, many of us gathered together on Zoom to celebrate Purim, to toast one another with a l’chayim, and to hear the Megillah chanted. Light and gladness shone from our faces, just like our Jewish ancestors at the end of the Purim story.
Even online, we were able to unmute and shout our “boos!” at Haman, the notorious villain of Purim. We read the names of his sons in just one breath, remembering the evil that Haman tried to bring upon us and also trusting that the pain of this dark moment in our Purim story will not last too long to scar us. Our ritual designates time for us to acknowledge our fears, real or imagined, to confront them, and then to move on with the understanding that we can overcome any hurdle with the support of family and community. This year has presented us with innumerable challenges, but we, like Esther, face a new chapter with hope and faith.
This Shabbat Purim, what are you feeling most hopeful for? What do you want to acknowledge and boo at and then leave behind from this past year? I pray that we may all name and move on from the Hamans in our lives, and that we will prevail like Esther did at the end of the Purim story, surrounded by her people once again, with light, gladness, joy, and honor in her heart.
Wishing you a peaceful Shabbat, one of joy and goodness.
— Cantor Emma Lutz