Dear Friends,

Today is the holiday of Purim, a story that took place 2,500 years ago, but one that also feels too relevant right now. The Book of Esther, which tells the Purim story, is an extraordinary work of literature. It includes satirical commentary on diaspora Jewry, vapid leaders and evil advisors, gender, sexuality, and identity.

There is so much to learn from the Purim story, and I find myself thinking about two essential messages.

The first message is characterized by the Hebrew phrase “nahafoch hu,” which translates roughly as, “things were turned upside down” or, “fate was reversed.” In the story, this phrase describes the sharp reversal of fortune that saves the Jewish People, but, as a broader theme, it speaks to a society and a world where everything feels chaotic and unpredictable. On a theological level, God’s comforting presence and steady hand is absent. God isn’t mentioned at all. The Book of Esther shines a light on just how scary and overwhelming it can feel to live in a world like this. What is one to do?

The answer to that question is the second message, one of the most profound and hopeful ideas from the Purim story and Judaism. Nahafoch hu means that, yes, things can feel upside down; but it also means that things can flip around and change for the good at any time. And, most importantly, we have a role to play in making that happen — just like Esther. This is, perhaps, best captured by Mordechai’s memorable charge to Esther just before she courageously goes to the King to save the Jewish People, “Mi yodea (who knows) if it was for precisely this moment that you became queen?”

Esther takes her place in the long line of her people. She knows who she is and where she comes from. She has the courage to stand up and demand — even of the unpredictable King — her people’s safety, security, and dignity. When she does, she rewrites the Purim story and changes the outcome for the better. She refuses to be paralyzed by the chaos and the evil; instead, she asserts her relational, political, and moral agency, and takes her place as one of the great heroes of Jewish history. She is a model of empowerment and hope for all of us.

Like Esther, we were put on earth, in the roles we are in, with the power we have, to use them for good right here and right now. We can be honest about the ways our world feels upside down, and vigilant about the dangers of an amoral society where evils like antisemitism and other forms of hatred can take root and gain momentum. Purim teaches us that one proud, confident Jew can rewrite Jewish history, and one courageous person can, indeed, change the world.

Chag Purim Sameach (Happy Purim!) and Shabbat Shalom.