Purim

A couple weeks ago we celebrated the holiday of Purim, a celebration of a woman, Esther, saving the Jewish people.The entire story focuses on the choices that good people have to make in order to prevent evil and suffering. In an odd twist, G-d is never mentioned in this story. In this case Esther has to act to change the course of history. She had to risk her life to save the life of her people. Story of Esther

But she has to do more than that. The first time she overcomes her fear and faces the King, asking for her people to be saved, the king puts a stop to villain, but does nothing to change the decree of death that the Jewish people face. I always thought this was odd, that she has to ask twice, and that the king seems bored with the issue the second time she asks. He seems to feel that having killed the villain, the story is over, even if the decree that everyone in the country can rise up and kill the Jews. Finally though, he says that she and her uncle can issue a decree that the Jews can protect themselves on the first day of the attack. Again, this is a bit odd, since the decree allows the country to kill Jews on two days. So for a third time Esther must ask for the ability to prevent the slaughter by allowing the Jews to defend themselves.

Esther has to do more than just face her own fears, she must admit that this is her task to do. She became the queen in part by hiding behind a mask, one that hid her Jewishness, her uniqueness. Now she has to take off that mask and stand before the king as her true self. She must accept that she will not be saved if she does nothing and continues to hide. She must change how she views herself, which means remembering the past in a different way. In the past she was a dutiful niece who did what her uncle told her. She could lean on others for advice and guidance. But know she must stand on her own, make her own plan, take her own risks. She must remember her inner strength, remember that she has an important part to play in this story.

This is the soul of an adventuress, the soul of an adventure. We must remember that we are willing to be our true self, willing find our own sense of grace under pressure, willing to understand that the risk to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom (Anais Nin).

 Esther is told that she can stay safe, but perhaps this is what she was born to do. Her uncle says that someone else might rise up and save the Jewish people, but she will have missed her chance to live her part of the story, to live her life mission.   

Try it. Remember that you are brave. Remember that you have a soul craving that must be heeded....a craving to live life fully. A craving to be the person you would have been if you had not learned to be afraid.