Purim Blog: It's Up to Us

 


Dear Friends,

As we prepare to celebrate Purim next week, I wanted to comment on the line in the Megillah (Scroll)  of Esther that describes what will happen if Esther doesn't help the Jewish people.  (for those who aren't familiar with the story of Purim, please check out an article about Purim from My Jewish Learning.com)

The verse is Chapter 4:14 which says that if Esther doesn't help save the Jewish people, help will come from some other place.  This is a veiled reference to G-d which is important because the Scroll (English for Megillah) of Esther was not going to be included in the canonization of the Bible because of an absence of a reference to G-d.

In the world in which we are living which is filled with immense challenges, I hope that we will all respond to our "Esther moments" and realize that if we want things to change in our world, it is up to us.  Although we are taught that we should pray as if everything depends upon G-d, we are also reminded that we should act as if everything depends upon us.

You all remember the quote that some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, and others say, what happened?

I hope we will be among those who make things happen and work to make changes in our world if we are unhappy with the way things are going.

I was listening to "oldies" recently (what else is new???) and wanted to share the following lyrics from a Cat Stevens song, "The Wind."  

I listen to the windTo the wind of my soul.Where I'll end up, well, I thinkOnly God really knows.I've sat upon the setting sunBut never, never, never, never.I never wanted water onceNo never, never, never.
I listen to my wordsBut they fall far below.I let my music take meWhere my heart wants to go.I've swam upon the devil's lakeBut never, never, never, never.I'll never make the same mistakeNo never, never, never.

I hope that all of us will follow our hearts and go to the places where our music (or our aspirations)  want us to go.  May we find the courage to create a world where we have been involved in making something happen, rather than looking around and saying, "what happened?"  May we not make the same mistakes and wait for someone else to make the changes we seek or fix what we believe is broken.  

Esther saved the Jewish people with her heroism. 

What are we waiting for?  Repairing a broken world (tikkun olam) is relying on us!

Peace, shalom, salaam,

Rabbi Bruce Aft

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