HHMI Newsgroup Archives

Torah/Commentary:  Parashat Pekuday -- (Exodus 35:1-38:20)


Commentary on the Weekly Torah Reading for 4 Adar II, 5760 (March 11, 2000)


by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin


EFRAT, ISRAEL, Yom Revii (Fourth Day - "Wednesday"), 1 Adar II, 5760
(March 8, 2000):  A charming rabbinic midrash describes this world as one
which
"everything is topsy turvy, with those who deserve to be on top wallowing
on the bottom and those who are supposed to be on the bottom reveling on
top".  This then is a world of illusions and delusions, a global masquerade
party in which no one really is what he/she appears to be:  in short, the
world is a Purim masquerade ball.

It is fascinating that the festival of Purim expresses precisely this
message, at least from one point of view.  The great Halakhic decisor, Rav
Moshe Isserles, not only permits masquerading in costume on Purim, but even
allows men to dress up as women and women to dress up as men.  The Talmud
commands that "everyone is required to drink on Purim until he can no
longer distinguish between praising Mordechai and cursing Haman" - in
effect, exchanging Mordechai for Haman and Haman for Mordechai.

Perhaps the reason for this celebration is the very nature of the Scroll of
Esther itself, the marvelously whimsy tale we read on Purim which, behind
its almost contrived plot, contains some very profound truths about human
nature and the vagaries of history.  Each of the characters of the
marvelously told tale is in actuality very different from what he/she
appears to be:  each of the characters is indeed playing a masquerade, as
so many of us do in this topsy turvy world of false impressions.

The Scroll opens with an exaggerated and pompous description of the regal
power of King Ahasverush who, from all appearances seems to be an
omnipotent potentate.  However in reality all decisions are made for him,
including the banishment of his beloved wife Vashti, but he doesn't even
have the power to rescind his own decree against the Jews at the conclusion
of the story.  Despite the external pomp and circumstance, he is
manipulated and controlled rather than being the one in control who
manipulates others.
 
For Haman, the events which transpire around him are actually very
different from the way they appear to be. He seems to be riding high,
especially when the King - who has given him almost autocratic control over
all of the other Ministers - asks him for suggestions as to how to honor an
individual who is deservant of great praise.  Haman is certain that the
King means to honor him, whereas in reality the recipient of the Kings good
graces is non other than his arch enemy Mordechai.

Undaunted, Haman is further assured of his high estate when queen Esther
invites him to a private tete a' tete which she has planned for herself and
the king.  Little does he realize that Esther planned for the king to
become outrageously jealous at what she knows he will perceive as a menage
a trois - and so the moment of Haman's greatest pride contained the
seeds of his imminent fall and destruction.  Perhaps on a much deeper
level, Haman who decreed death to the Jews is certainly viewed as the
sinister villain of the Purim tale.

In reality however he is really one of the heroes, because it was he who
woke the Jews up to the fact that they were different.  In effect he
prevented the Jews from completely assimilating, even causing queen Esther
to come out from behind her disguise and to heroically reveal herself to
King Achashverosh as a Jewess.

Haman represents the many anti-semitic leaders of foreign nations - from
Pharaoh to Stalin - who have prevented our assimilation by decreeing all
sorts of laws against the Jewish people and Jewish religious practices.
Jewish History testifies that, tragically, countries devoid of Jewish
persecution like Alexandria, Egypt and K'ai Pheng Fu, China prompted Jewish
intermarriage and dissolution, whereas "the more we were persecuted the
more we increased in number and in strength".

From this perspective, it is no wonder that we must drink on Purim in order
to feel happy, because how can one truly rejoice when Haman is needed to
remind us of our unique status and ultimate destiny?  Indeed, we must drink
until we can no longer distinguish between praising Mordechai and cursing
Haman!

Esther appears to be a Jewish assimilationist who lives with a Gentile King
as the Queen of Persia.  Mordechai can be seen as a political opportunist
who takes advantage of his niece's high office.  The
real Esther and Mordechai, however, are revealed in the fullness of their
glorious heroism when Mordechai demonstrates publicly against Haman's
decrees and Esther puts her life on the line for her people and her G-d.

The most topsy turvy characteristic of all:  G-d's name does not appear
once in the Scroll of Esther, the story line seems to unravel in the course
of human events brought about by human beings, whereas in truth it
is the hidden finger of the Divine which inexorably leads to the fall of
Haman and the victory of Esther and the Jewish people.

All of this is most relevant to the festival of Purim, which we have
already begun to anticipate with the new month of Adar:  "with the coming
of Adar we increase our merriment".  This also bears an important message
germane to this week's torah portion of Pekuday.

The portion opens with the second description of the magnificent structure
and exquisite embroidery of the Sanctuary.  It is fascinating to note that
the very same descriptive terms, the T'chelet (royal blue) and the Argaman
(royal purple) which are so important a feature of the Sanctuary are used
to describe the magnificence of Ahashverush's palace.  The kingdom of the
King of Persia is
described in terms of honor (Kavod) and Glory (Tifferet) in the Scroll of
Esther (1:4), the very same words used to describe the priestly garments
once again artfully described in our portion of Pekuday.

Achashverush's palace appeared to be a sanctuary of priests.  In reality it
was a den of inequity and licentiousness filled with immorality and
intrigue.

The portion of Pedukay highlights the priestly vestments.  Garments however
are even more superficial than skin-deep.  They speak about what we look
like, but not necessarily who we really are.

There is an amazing story told of the religious advisor of Yeshivat Mir who
would always remain alone in the study hall at the close of the Yom Kippur
Fast after he exhorted his students to immediately break the fast so that
no one would fall ill.  One particularly faithful disciple, anxious to see
what his teacher and mentor would do and say immediately following the
Great Fast, stayed behind, hidden under the bench.

What he saw was his Rebbe still clad in his high hat, large prayer shawl
and rabbinic frock coat, pacing back and forth, repeating again and again
the verse with which Father Jacob expressed his deepest fear to his mother
when she ordered him to masquerade as his brother Esau:  "Perhaps my father
will feel me and I will be in his eyes a pretender and deceiver."

Perhaps Purim helps remind even those garbed in the most magnificent of
priestly vestments that what one is inside is far more significant than the
impression one makes outside.

Shabbat Shalom from Efrat,

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

*******************************************************************

Return to Newsgroup Archives Main Page

Return to our Main Webpage


©2011 Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by Web Design by JB.