“RABBI’S MUSINGS (&
AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh
Parshas Teztaveh/Parshas Zachor - Erev Purim
12Adar 5777/ March 10,
2017
“So I was on a roll — I was an
executive with a nice salary, annual bonuses and stock options, all the perks.
Everything was on track…
And on Monday, January 7th,
2008 at three o’clock in the afternoon, in a small conference room on the top
floor of our building, the President of the company wanted to have a quick
meeting with me which wasn’t unusual since he was my boss, but the meeting
turned out to be even more brief than expected.
He fired me.
And I’ll never forget how his
words just sucked the breath right out of me. And I left the conference room in
a dazed state and I went home and curled up in my bed in the fetal position for
three hours. And while I could go on in vivid detail about how I felt, what it
did to my self-esteem, my finances and so on. What I now realize is while that
event created the greatest amount of discomfort I had ever felt, it was that
discomfort, the departure from my ordered life that forever changed it for the
better.
You see, friends, what makes
you comfortable can ruin you, and what makes you uncomfortable is the only way
to grow…”
--Bill Eckstrom (TED talk – University of Nevada)
Almost every one of us has
‘skeletons in their closet’, things from our past that we would like to keep
buried and hidden. In addition, there may be facets of our personalities that
we try to keep beneath the surface. But, like it or not, those components of
ourselves, affect us and are very much part of us. The question in life is do
we run from our past or do we seek to embrace our past and utilize it to grow
by incorporating those vulnerabilities into who we become.
In the Purim story, Haman enacts
a decree calling for genocide and complete obliteration of the Jewish Nation.
It is a vile, hateful, and nefarious decree. Then, within three days Haman is
dead, hanging on the very gallows he constructed for Mordechai. However, all is
not well, because the evil decree has not been annulled.
Esther breaks down in tears
before Achashverosh and implores him to annul the decree. Achashverosh is not
forthcoming, replying “Something written in the name of the king, and sealed
with the ring of the king, cannot be repealed.” However, the king allows them
to pass another decree, which allows them to defend themselves.
While the actual details of the
Purim story may be a matter of history, the challenges, emotions, and lessons
of the story are contemporary. Par for the course of being human means that we
have deficiencies, vulnerabilities, character defects, and mishaps. At times,
we beg G-d to remove those challenges and deficiencies. We become weary of our
internal struggles and wish that we could just be free of their shackles.
The nonverbalized response from
on high is that our challenges are “written in the name of the king, and sealed
with the ring of the king” and therefore cannot be repealed. However, it is
within our ability to fight back and to defend ourselves from that internal
strife. In fact, it is our mission and responsibility to do so. In so doing, we
become greater and far more valuable people.
The
incredible joy of Purim lines in the turnabout. All the energy invested in the
destruction of the Jewish Nation, ended up being the vehicle of our enemies’
destruction and our elevation. When one is able to transform negative energy
into positive energy that is a tremendous accomplishment, and a source of great
celebration.
On Purim, we
could not run from our adversaries; we had no choice but to face them and
overcome them. Purim reminds us of the power of transformation. Instead of
running from our past, we need to turn around, face those skeletons, and
utilize those challenges to propel us to greater heights, in which we can help
others as well.
“V’napoch Hu”
– the inversion of Purim is not merely one component of the story. Rather, it
is part of the essence of the holiday. It is the ability to reclaim the past
and use it as a stepping stone for the future. Our ancestors merited it back
then, and we have the ability to draw from, and to capitalize on that spiritual
energy every year.
You see, friends, what makes you comfortable can ruin you,
and what makes you uncomfortable is the only way to grow!
Shabbat Shalom
& Good Shabbos
Freilechen Purim
& Purim Sameiach,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum