08 Mar SHABBOS IS IN THE AIR: PURIM AND PUTIN

“Zachor, Remember what Amalek did to you when you were leaving Egypt. That he happened upon you on the way, and he cut off the weak ones at your rear, when you were faint and exhausted, and he did not fear HaShem… you shall not forget.” (Devarim 25: 17-19) On the Shabbos preceding Purim, we read Parshas Zachor, a parshah of remembrance, recalling the cruel actions of Amalek. Following the Exodus, Amalek staged an unprovoked attack upon Bnei Yisroel, targeting the women and children, the weak and weary, the elderly and infirm. Those who were lagging behind. Amalek exhibited its brazenness by attacking the most vulnerable. Generations later, Haman, a descendent of Amalek, continued on with the evil of his ancestors. He had his own Final Solution, issuing an edict “l’hashmid, la’harog, u’l’abed, to destroy, to wipe out and to exterminate” the Jewish nation living in the many provinces of Achashverosh’s empire. Unfortunately, there will always be Hamans in the world. The names and faces change, but the wicked continue to exist. In modern times, we experienced Hitler’s Holocaust, and in recent years, the tragic evil of terrorism. Today, the world is confronting yet another face of Amalek, emanating from Russia. Amalek targeted the weak and weary, as Russia, in its determination to conquer Ukraine, is targeting innocent civilians. So may lives in upheaval. So much pain. So much destruction. I heard a radio interview with a woman who had elderly parents living in Mariupol. She was crying. Her parents were not strong enough to leave the city. Each time she spoke with them, she wondered if it would be the last time she would hear their voices. Our Ukrainian Jewish brothers and sisters have been thrown into the midst of this turmoil. In an interview in Mishpacha magazine, Rebbetzin Ina Markovitz, wife of Kyiv Chief Rabbi Yonatan Markovitz, described how she gathered the Jewish residents to the community center. “There are no bomb shelters in Kyiv, and we have no official instructions what to do in case of an emergency. We don’t know how long our supplies will hold out.” She spoke about a group of Holocaust survivors in a retirement home. How the boom of the missiles brought back painful and difficult memories. How she davened with them, trying to calm their fears. As an update, the Rebbetzin shared that Ukrainian security forces told her husband that the Russians were bringing in brutal anti-Semitic Chechen and Muslim forces. They told the Rabbi and his family to evacuate, as their obvious Jewish look and dress would make them an instant target of these murderers. Instead of helping the Jewish community, their presence could actually endanger them further. How frightening. Once again, Jewish people are forced to flee. We read Parshas Zachor as a reminder that evil has yet to be eradicated. As Jews, we must be aware of the Amaleks in the world around us. In a few days, we will be celebrating Purim. The Megillah tells us that the name Purim comes from the word “pur”, Persian for lottery. However, the question remains, why do we call the holiday Purim? The lottery was Haman’s weapon, the first of many steps in his plan to destroy the Jewish people. Why not recall the miracle of our nation’s survival, as in Pesach, when we are reminded of HaShem’s passing over Bnei Yisroel when He struck the Egyptians? Or Chanukah, whose name recalls the rededication of the Bais HaMikdash? Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, suggests that the word Purim conveys a powerful message. Life is like a lottery. One can never be too sure, too certain of his tomorrow. There are no guarantees. Just because everything is going great, doesn’t mean that it will always be that way. Here too lies a connection to the people of Ukraine. One day they were going to work, the children were off to school, everyone was going about their normal routine, and then, the unthinkable happened. Suddenly, they are in the midst of a war, bombs and missiles raining down upon them, and having to hunker down to save their lives. While Megillas Esther means the Scroll of Esther, there is a deeper understanding. “Megaleh”, to reveal the “hester”, the hidden. HaShem’s name does not appear in the Megillah, for the miracle of Purim is a hidden one. One could look at the story of Purim and say that it was all in the natural course of events. Esther coincidentally was taken to the palace, placing her in a position to be an advocate for her people. Mordechai coincidentally overheard the plot to kill Achashverosh, bringing the King to give him a position of honor. To reveal the hidden. “Va’tilokach Esther, and Esther was taken” to the palace. The Megillah emphasizes that she did not go by choice – she was taken. The Jewish inhabitants of Shushan must have been asking, “How could this have happened”. Haman then issued an edict against the Jewish nation. Surely, they were filled with fear and trepidation. They lived through a time of hester panim, HaShem hiding His ways. We too may feel that HaShem’s hand is hidden from us. But HaShem never abandons His people, only conceals Himself to be revealed later. How did Esther survive in the palace of Achashverosh? The answer can be found in her name. Within Esther, are the Hebrew letters ס,ר,ת meaning hidden. Yes, HaShem’s guiding hand was hidden, but the letters are proceeded by an א, representing emunah in the One-and Only. It was Esther’s strong emunah in HaShem that enabled her to not only survive, but become the heroine of her people. Esther turned to HaShem with tefillah. Not only did she herself pray, but she asked Mordechai to similarly gather together all of the Jewish people in prayer. Rav Moshe Moskowitz, the Chabad shaliach in Kharkov, writes about Shabbos morning during the bombardment of the city. He went to shul expecting to find it empty. Instead, he amazingly found thirty people ready to daven. When he asked them why they weren’t in a shelter, they all replied that they would rather be davening. What belief. As the generation of Mordechai and Esther experienced a “v’nehapachu”, a turnover from sorrow to gladness, from mourning to celebration, may we too experienced only good, peace and tranquility for Am Yisroel and the entire world in the days ahead. Shabbat Shalom!