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March 5, 2004/Adar 12 5764, Vol. 56, No. 24
Lighten upEditorialWe thought about making this week's front page a Purim "Passion" mockery. But that would have meant casting Mel Gibson as Haman, perish the thought, and the Anti-Defamation League's Abraham Foxman as Esther, perish the thought even more.We did not want to fall into the trap of painting Gibson as our mortal enemy, or melodramatically portraying "The Passion" a greater threat than it already is. The world has enough real villains, real flesh-and-blood tyrants who have their hands on levers of power that inflict pain and destruction upon the innocent. Yet the world, we hope and pray, has more potential and actual heroes and heroines who can save the day. And that leads us back to Purim, which begins at sundown March 6. This is our time of the year to step back and take everything - and that really means everything - a little less seriously. Purim is a time for children and mischievous adults to play dress-up. It is our opportunity to relax, at least for a day. We can resist being consumed, obsessed and depressed with what's going on in the world around us. We can turn off the TV, and set aside our daily newspaper and weekly newsmagazines. Instead, we can celebrate a time in Jewish history when everything seemed lost, but at the last moment we used our power and influence to rise above our oppressors. We can have a drink. Or two. According to one Purim tradition, we should become so intoxicated that we cannot tell the difference between "blessed be Mordechai" and "cursed be Haman." And while it makes no sense to drink until we pass out, making a toast with a spirited "L'chaim!" never hurt anyone. One of the serious teachings of the holiday is that while Passover celebrates our liberation from slavery, Purim recalls our liberation from oppression. On the former, we witness the divine power of the plagues; on the latter, we remind ourselves that in our day, we cannot wait for divine intervention - we have to liberate ourselves. When we read the story of Purim and hear Haman's name, we make noise and yell, "yimach shemo," "may his name be erased," reminding ourselves of the need to erase the injustice in our world. When we hear at the story's happy ending - "They were to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor" (Esther 9:22) - we remind ourselves of the obligations of mishloach manot and mattanot le'evyonim, to exchange gifts with one another and also to give to the poor and provide care for the homeless. Purim begins Saturday evening. A tradition declares: "It's Adar, the month of Purim. Be happy." So let's all lighten up. Happy Purim. |
