It's Purim for Heaven's Sake!
Behind the scenes, days and even weeks before this one-day holiday, Jewish women the world-over are preparing costumes for their children (and for themselves!), making lists, planning menus, shopping, baking, cooking, and doing virtually all they can to make Purim fun, meaningful, and tasty.
And so it was that I found myself being entertained in the party-
goods store this week while shopping for Purim. I admit it took me a lot longer than it should have. For one thing, I was having a ball with all the colorful paper-goods and decorations. But mostly, I spent a lot of time standing with my wagon, eyeing other women shopping. Women were consulting with strangers about their color schemes. The store was filled with the energy of 'making Purim'. Purim is a time to use our creativity and talents and to really shine while hopefully doing it all with simcha (joy).
And so, in contrast, I was reminded of Purim a couple of years back...
And here’s the story:
It was 6:20 AM. I arrived at shul with minutes to spare. I ran up the stairs to the women’s section. It was dark. No lights. I eyed three women sitting in the dark davening (praying) hunched over in deep concentration. 'Why are they sitting in the dark?’
I ran downstairs, caught someone at the entrance to the main shul and asked him to please get someone to switch on the lights for the ladies. Before I even got to the top of the stairs the lights were on. One woman turned around to thank me. She looked so relieved. Now she wouldn't have to follow the Megillah reading in the dark.
I held in my mind the picture of these women, in the dark, hovering over their siddurim (prayer books). These were women who probably spent hours and hours planning and preparing for Purim; women who gave their energy and creativity to making shalach manos (food portions to send to others); women who worked
hard to prepare the Purim Seudah (Purim feast); They give their all to make the finest Purim they could for their family and friends...and don’t even consider asking someone to turn on the lights for them!
It was Purim! Where was the joy and pride in being Jewish women?
We are daughters of the KING of all kings.
It does not behoove Him to have his beautiful princesses walking around feeling that low.
Facing Hashem, we are the lowest of the low. Yet our place in the world is a place of respect and sanctity – a place of royalty. We do so much - so, so much to create Jewish homes; to put holiday spirit into each holiday. We are all Queen Esther. When Esther went to Achashverosh without being summoned, she put on her royal clothing. Let us do the same. It’s Purim for Heaven’s sake!
As I stood there in the party store and felt the buzz and excitement of Purim generated by the shoppers, I realized that it is up to us to create our personal Purim.
It is up to us to recognize and identify with the royalty within.
That was the difference between the women in the shul and the women in the party-goods store.
On Purim, we reveal the Divine in our lives and in ourselves. If we stop for a moment and contemplate our choices - We reveal our true selves also in the manner in which we 'make Purim'. We can be competitive or we can be true to ourselves. We can be stressed out or we can feel joyful and filled with anticipation. We can be door-mats or we can be royalty.
As we reveal our Truth, we draw redemption closer. When Queen Esther stood up and spoke her simple emes to Ahashverosh, history was made. Each of us is the heroine of our own story. We can experience personal redemption by being ourselves, choosing to be truly and royally happy and making a difference in the world around us.
Let's take off the masks we wear all year long and reveal our true Divine selves. Be you and have fun!
PS If you haven't yet checked out Argammon on mysimplemes' Children's Stories page - feel free to do so now!