Friday, March 10th

Purim is just around the corner, the culmination of the joy that is associated with the Hebrew month of Adar. As the song we sing this time of year informs us, “Mishenikhnas Adar Marbim besimcha – Once Adar enters, we increase our joy.”

What is this joy that we celebrate this time of year? It’s a particular kind of joy—a joy that comes from the sudden reversal of fortunes. One of the themes of Purim is reversal – “vanahafoku.” In the text of the megillah, sorrow is transformed into joy, our imminent destruction transformed into triumph over our enemies, and the gallows that Haman built to hang Mordechai are used to hang Haman himself. The reversals of the Purim story are beautifully epitomized in the Yiddish proverb, “Der Mentsch Tracht un Gott Lacht” or “Man plans and God laughs.”

In the book of Esther it was the plans of our enemies that were thwarted (perhaps we can translate the proverb, Haman plans and God laughs), and therefore when God laughs, of course we laugh along with God. The truth is the proverb applies just as much to us and to our plans as it does to Haman, though. We might like to imagine that our hopes, dreams, and plans are in line with God’s plans, but we cannot be sure. All too often our plans, as noble as they might be, come to naught, just as the wicked Haman’s did.

We spend most of our lives making plans and striving to make things better for our families, our people, all peoples, and ourselves. The fact that we cannot know for sure if these plans will succeed is frightening. On Purim, even as we laugh at the reversals visited upon Haman, we are also given permission to laugh at our own reversals. The rest of the year, the very real possibility that our plans may come to naught is regarded as a tragedy, but on Purim, we can just look at that terrifying uncertainty and laugh. By striving to reach the point when we cannot tell the difference between “Cursed is Haman and Blessed is Mordechai,” we are seeking to see beyond all human distinctions to perceive the deep unity that is the underlying truth of the universe. If we can reach that point, then we can truly laugh along with God, not only when our enemies’ plans fail, but even when our own plans do.

This Purim, may we all merit to laugh deeply.

Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach!

Rabbi Garth Silberstein