“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Metzora/Hagadol
7 Nissan 5776/ April 15,
2016
The newfound unwritten
law that has evolved in recent years is that shalach manos delivered on Purim must
have a theme. The theme must directly connect between the costumes worn and the
contents of the shalach manos given.
In fulfillment of that
‘obligation’, this year the Staum family had an equestrian theme. We donned our
equestrian/horse jockey gear about two weeks before Purim and were photographed
by a professional photographer. [The pictures are taken as a chesed in exchange
for a check for tzedakah.] The photographer subsequently emailed the picture to
Chani, who then forwarded it to a neighbor who superimposed us onto a
background of a farm setting complete with a barn and horses. [Ironically,
on Purim day itself, for various reasons, no member of the Staum family wore
the jockey costume. We hold like those authorities who rule that as long as it
is clear that you have a theme you fulfill your ‘theme obligation’, even if you
don’t actually dress accordingly on Purim. Other authorities disagree. Please
note that the purpose of this forum is not to issue any halachic rulings. Speak
to your Rabbi.]
When we received the
finished picture, Chani excitedly showed it to our children. Not familiar with
the concept of superimposing a picture, our five year old daughter Chayala
looked at it and said, “I don’t remember being there!”
On Seder night we have an obligation to view ourselves as if
we went out of Egypt .
Although the redemption
happened over three thousand years ago, it has different meaning in every
generation. The year after the miracle of Purim the Jews in Persia had a different appreciation of the
exodus than the Jews in Babylonia did. In Rome
71 C.E. (the year after the second Bais Hamikdash was destroyed) it had
different meaning than it did for the Jews in Spain
1493, and in Siberia or Auschwitz it had different meaning than it does for us
in America
and Eretz Yisroel today.
On a more personal
level, we ourselves relate to the concept of exodus and personal liberation
differently throughout the stages of our own lives.
The story does not
change, but we do, and therefore we never stop telling the story and learning
its lessons.
Because the exodus
from Egypt
is what enabled us to become the Chosen People, it is not just a one time,
historical event, but something that has an effect on us forever. That was the
night we realized our uniqueness, and every generation connects and recognizes
that uniqueness in a different manner.
Every day at the
end of Shema we state the verse “I am Hashem, your G-d, that took you out of
the land of Egypt to be for you for a G-d. I am
Hashem, your G-d.”
Rav Schwab zt’l
explains that the words “I am Hashem, your G-d” are stated twice because they
refer to two different manifestations of G-d’s connection with us. At times
G-d’s Presence is clear and we can easily recognize the divine Hand guiding and
protecting us. But throughout most of history G-d’s presence is harder to
discern. In the words of Dovid Hamelech (Tehillim 91) “He, the most High,
dwells in secret; in the shadow does G-d (Shakkai) dwell.”
In some generations
we can easily see ourselves as if we were freed from Egypt . But more often than not in
exile we have had to superimpose ourselves. We have had to remind ourselves
that the exodus was an eternal event and granted us eternal freedom. Since that
fateful event, despite endless physical pain and persecution, the Jewish spirit
has never again been able to be vanquished.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum