To Masquerade or Not to Masquerade
It is hard to imagine two days more different than Purim and Yom Kippur, and yet the rabbis of our tradition dared to make the discordant comparison. Purim, the day of merriment and abandon, evocative of Mardi Gras; Yom Kippur, solemn and awe evoking, reminding us of our mortality. And yet, in a bit of wordplay, the rabbis imagine that we should read Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement, as Yom Ki-Purim—a day like Purim.
Of course, the wordplay is only the contrivance through which a deeper comparison is made. On Purim we recognize that we are sometimes forced to wear masks, hide behind them, and become someone we are not. We hide our pain or sorrow or pretend to affectations that mask who we really are.
If Purim is about our tendency to be inauthentic, on Yom Kippur, we seek to remove all pretense. We must face who we truly are and admit the truth to ourselves and sometimes to others who we care most deeply about. Most of the year is Purim, we fill roles that present the self we believe we need to be—or want to be. The two holidays stand in a certain opposition, and they also complement each other.
We can only be our Yom Kippur self—exposed and unguarded—occasionally. Most of the time we assume a persona, it is also a manifestation of our authentic selves. We engage with our children, our spouses, our bosses, our employees, our clients, our friends in ways that fit the person and the situation. Far from being a false self, it is an appropriate self. Though the masquerade of Purim is superficial, the assumption of an appropriate persona, fitting the situation, reflecting a curated version of ourselves reflects an understanding of the person and the situation. An awareness of the power and value of our personas and the ways that they reflect on our character will hopefully inspire and strengthen us to present our best selves to the world.
Are you aware of your own personas? Do they reflect your authentic you? Are there times when the persona that you project is in need of revision? How could you cultivate your various personas in ways that are authentically you and better suited to the circumstances?
— Rabbi Ron Stern