This one's a keeper.
The Purim story is chock full of drama. From Haman's wicked decree to annihilate every Jew, to Mordechai's defiant refusal to bow to Haman. King Acahashverosh's sleepless night revealing the forgotten episode when Mordechai save the king's life. Esther becoming the queen and risking her life to save the day.
Yet, there's another brave Hero in the Purim story. And perhaps this is the reason why Purim is celebrated with such joy year after year.
Unlike the Holocaust, when the Nazis did not discriminate and ruthlessly targeted anyone who was born to Jewish parents or grandparents, Purim was different.
The decree was limited to the Yehudim; those who identified as Jewish. Anyone could have renounced their faith at any time during the year (yes, nearly a full year!) before the deadline (no pun intended), and their life would have been spared.
The Midrash tells us, that not only did no one take advantage of this escape route, no one even considered it. These brave heroes stood up for their beliefs in the face of adversity, when things looked bleak with no sign of change. Perhaps this very courage was the catalyst behind the miracle, the cause for the reversal of the tide (don't eat Tide pods).
This is actually a moment of greater magnitude than Mount Sinai! At Sinai, the Jews had no idea what being Jewish was all about, they didn't know what surprises the Torah held. It was very much a blind date. If at any point we felt overwhelmed, we could have said this is not what we signed up for. We could have returned the product with free return shipping: Item not as expected.
The Purim story is when we effectively swore our pledge of allegiance. It's when we resolved not just to keep the product, but to risk our very lives to protect and preserve our relationship.
From the Rabbi's Desk
Who is the Hero?
Parkland, FL
Emotions swirling around. Evil reared its ugly head again in yet another horrific and devastating school shooting. This one perhaps strikes closer to home as several Jewish students, as well as a heroic teacher, shot while protecting his students, were Jewish.
A single senseless and callous act by an individual, leaving thousands of family members, classmates, friends, and acquaintances heartbroken. And though on the opposite side of the country, I hugged my kids a little tighter last night, hoping and praying for a safer world.
For inspiration, I looked at this week's Torah portion. It's about the tabernacle, the temporary temple that accompanied the Jews on their journey through the desert.
A central component was the mizbeach - the altar. It was not some kind of magic trick that wiped away a transgression. Rather it was an experience and a process that realigned one's consciousness. Whereas it is only natural that sometimes we may make choices that are less than ideal, this aimed to get us back on track. The music of the Levites, the contrite meditation, the holy atmosphere, all aiming to elevate the individual to a higher place.
Interestingly, no iron tools were permitted for the construction of the altar. As Rashi explains; Iron was created to shorten the life of man, and the altar was
created to lengthen the life of man. The whole point of the Temple is to bring us to a more sensitive, less selfish place.
We see a similar sensitivity with the Ark in the holiest spot. On the ark were two Keruvim (cherub-like figures). The Talmud tells us that when the Jewish people were getting along, caring for and respecting each other, the Keruvim faced each other. At times of quarrel and dispute, they would turn away from each other, symbolizing that the divine itself was disrupted from a state of harmony.
The truth is, that these messages are not just from a time bygone. Each of us can be a mini-tabernacle, creating a place worthy of being Hashem's home. We each can try to be more selfless instead of selfish, more loving and caring. We can aim to live for a Higher purpose, not to lose control to negativity. And above all, to value the precious gift of Life, and do whatever it takes to preserve and protect Life. This awareness is what we need to communicate to our children, it needs to be taught in schools, and it needs to permeate our everyday actions.
With each of us exuding care and compassion, it might just rub off on someone going through a tough time, and the positive energy may just reflect back.
Let us band together to eradicate the evil of this world with acts of love, goodness, and kindness. Kick it off with lighting the Shabbat candles this evening at 5:32pm. The world needs my light. The world needs your light. The world needs our light. Light will prevail over dark. Let us make that happen once and forever.
With thoughts and prayers for all of the families who lost loved ones,
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom!
Exceedingly Ordinary
Following last week's incredible high with the giving of the Torah at Sinai, this week seems way too plain. Gone are the lightning and thunder, the miracles and marvels of heaven touching earth.
Now they are replaced by the utterly mundane, the everyday struggles and scenarios. We just went from "the big ten" emblazoned on sapphire tablets, to the civil legalities of property damage, financial disputes, court adjudications and a plethora of other exceedingly ordinary laws and topics.
We just went from #epicrevelation to #adayinthelife.
The key to unlock this mystery is a single letter. The Hebrew letter ו - vov means "and". This is the opening line of this week's Torah reading "and these are the laws".
Let us not think that being Jewish is all about a transcendental revelation, a unique moment in time, or a specific location. Moments like that are awesome and 
serve to inspire and invigorate. But regular life; our daily interactions, behaviors, and experiences, are just as much an expression of who we are.
The Holy Temple, the Shul (synagogue), Sinai, Yom Kippur, are all integral components of our tradition and are definitely highlights. But the litmus test of whether we are properly calibrated is when we step out into the street, into our family, community, and workplace. In the ultra-ordinary, not-even-Instagram-worthy aspects of our lives, we can choose to express the divine there.
Conducting ourselves based on the principles set out in the Torah with honesty, integrity, respect, and compassion, we turn our entire world into a veritable Sinai.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom!