As we enter the Hebrew month of Adar (today is the third of Adar), we begin preparing in earnest for the festival of Purim. As the festival following Hanukkah and preceding Passover, we sometimes lump Purim into a category of Jewish festivals often summarized by, “They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat!”
However, Purim remains distinctive in its thematic messaging. Unlike the stories of Hanukkah and Passover, which often emphasize the role of God in our people’s deliverance, the Book of Esther never mentions God, opting instead to deliver explicit advice for flourishing in the Diaspora.
“Mordechai had this message delivered to Esther: ‘Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows? Maybe you’ve arrived to royalty for just such a crisis.'” (Esther 4:13-14)
In encouraging Esther to act on behalf of the Jewish people, Mordechai expresses one of the major themes of the Book of Esther. As Jews, we must strive for influence, even adopting many of the norms of the greater world in which we live, so that we may preserve the essence of Judaism and Jewish peoplehood.
Mordechai and Esther abandon several traditions in pursuit of this goal. Esther adopts a new name, marries the local king, and, ostensibly participates in local cultural norms, from food to entertainment. However, their commitment to the principle of worshiping God alone (Mordechai refuses to bow to Haman) and to the Jewish people (Esther risks her life to save her people) never falters, demonstrating that the Jewish people’s survival and success depends upon successfully navigating the tension between being a part of and apart from the society in which we live.
—Rabbi Josh Knobel