“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”
Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Terumah/Parshas
Zachor
7 Adar 5781/February 19, 2021
PURIM
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BENEATH THE MASK
I have
never been good with names or faces. I joke that my wife never forgets a face,
and I never remember one. So, while she will meet a woman and recognize her
from kindergarten, I will meet a student and not be able to remember why he looks
familiar. (Well, not that bad, but close…)
During
the last few months when everyone walks around wearing masks it’s even worse
for me. Last week, someone came over to me and, in a friendly manner, greeted
me and asked me how I was doing? He must have noticed my confusion, because he
pulled down his mask for a moment so I could see his face. I cannot say that
helped me recognize him, but I had to pretend it did.
On Friday
night, in our tribute to our mothers/wives, the Eishes Chayil (woman of valor),
we state: “She does not fear for her house from snow, because her entire house
is dressed in wool.” Simply understood, this means that her family does not
fear the winter when it snows because she makes sure they have warm clothing to
insulate them.
On a
deeper level, it is a reference to her ability develop the inner essence of every
member of her family.
I must
admit that I don’t like winter or cold weather. However, when stepping out into
the cold stillness of a winter morning after a night of snow, it is a truly
majestic and beautiful sight. Everything is covered with a blanket of white, concealing
everything beneath it. Everything looks the same.
When we act,
dress, and speak in a certain manner in order to fit in with everyone else, we compromise
our individuality and uniqueness. But the woman of valor isn’t afraid of her
family falling into that pattern. She works hard to develop the inner greatness
of her children; she strives to demonstrate to them why they are special and
what they can contribute. The truth is that wearing a wool sweater doesn’t actually
warm a person. Rather, it insulates the inner body heat the person has so that
he doesn’t feel the outside cold. The greatest gift we give our children- and ourselves
– is to discover and develop our latent inner greatness.
The woman
of valor doesn’t fear the external faceless cold of a lack of identity and
inner self worth, because she provides her family with wool to maintain their
inner warmth, personality, and identity.
Rabbi
Dovid Orlofsky relates that when asked why yeshiva students dress in “black and
white” (black pants and white shirts) every day, he replies because they know
what to wear in the morning and don’t have to decide. When the questioner persists
that wearing the same clothing as everyone else strips them of their identity,
he replies that if one’s identity is the result of the clothing he wears, then
he has no idea what having a real sense of identity means.
On
Purim, it is customary to wear a costume and mask. We laugh when we see someone
in a good costume because it’s funny when it looks like someone/something is
approaching us, but then the person takes off the mask and we see that it’s
someone else.
On a deeper
level, Purim reminds us that in our daily lives we wear many masks that hide
our true identity. For one day a year, we pull off our masks and reveal our
true inner identity. We celebrate who we are and allow our natural love for our
fellow Jews to flow between us.
We eat
hamantaschen which mostly conceal the delicious filling mostly obscured by the
dough, to remind us that the inner beauty and essence of most people,
especially ourselves, is often hidden from view by the daily bustle of life.
There is
a mitzvah to drink on Purim more than we are accustomed to, to show us that
beyond our inhibitions lies a pure essence that yearns for greatness and to transcend
the anxieties, foibles, resentments, and self-consciousness that impedes our
progress.
We
cannot sustain a Purim life. Soon enough the day ends, and we return to our regular
programming. The wise person, however, doesn’t quickly forget what it was like
when he pulled off his mask and connected with his inner greatness. He uses the
experience to help him realize that he shouldn’t be afraid of being just being
another face in the crowd because he realizes the greatness he has within.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,
R’ Dani and Chani Staum