03/13/2025 Torah Commentary

This evening, March 13th, we celebrate our most unique holiday, Purim.  Although Purim is based on the Book of Esther (Megilat-Esther), it appears to be a holiday that appeals more to our hedonistic side than to our spiritual side. Reinforcing this notion is that fact that the Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible in which G-d’s name does not appear.  A superficial reading of this unique Biblical book might even make us question why the book was included in Hebrew Canon.  A closer look at the Book of Esther, however, helps us to understand the profound wisdom of the rabbis for having included the Book of Esther in Hebrew Scripture, and the fact that Purim is much more than just having fun. Purim teaches us the meaning of hope.

The concept of hope runs throughout Jewish history. The Book of Esther is no exception as it is about hope, faith and creative problem solving. Too many of us do not really understand hope.  We often confuse it with the idea of “optimism.”  Hope is not merely about making things better, but rather hope, as understood in the Book of Esther, is about justice.  The concept of hope symbolizes that in the end wrongs will be righted, but to do so we need to be creative problem solvers. To hope is to trust that in the end justice will prevail in our lives. The Book of Esther teaches us not to believe everything we see or read. It reminds us that all too often people manipulate the truth for their own selfish gain. Politicians from both the left and the right are famous for hiding their true intentions beneath a cloak of trivial, absurd or meaningless phrases. 

The Book of Esther teaches us that while “optimism” is a perspective on the direction of history, hope is a trait found within the human character.  In a world where powerful people often do not say what they mean, hope is a necessary survival tool. It also teaches us that no situation is hopeless if we have the wisdom to look beyond the superficial and use our creativity. 

To hope does not mean that at times we may not expect the worst. Instead, hope is the notion that for life to be worth living, we must be prepared not merely to trust, but to embrace our lives and the talents that G-d has given to each of us. To embrace life, however, we must recognize that life is filled with disappointments that must be confronted and from which we must learn.

To hope is not to blindly assume that history — be it personal, professional, or national — is a march toward progress.  Active hope is when faced with adversity we look into the depths of our character to find the solutions to life’s problems. Queen Esther was such a person. Faced with an untenable situation, instead of surrendering to fate, she chose to try to change fate and to fashion her own and her people’s destiny.  To face hope, to live with hope, and to embrace hope is to understand that G-d has given each of us the capacity to steer through life’s troubled waters while seeking the safe shores of righteousness.

When we read the Book of Esther in this light, Esther is more than a mere beauty queen, but a role model teaching us how we must deal with the many “Hamans” of Jewish history.  Her life reminds us  why the Jewish people’s national anthem is called “Ha’Tikva” meaning “Hope.”