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The following is from the Collected Writings of RSRH Volume VIII pages
245 - 247. It is also available at
<a href="http://bit.ly/cNwxHk" eudora="autourl">http://bit.ly/cNwxHk</a>
(Click on the link to page 245.) YL<br><br>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica"> </font><font size=4><b>Sober Thoughts
on the Joy of Purim <br><br>
</b></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>I look into the eyes of
our brethren and find them devoid of the luster which in former times
radiated from every Jew on Purim. Instead they reflect the shine of
freedom and opportunity which they now enjoy among the nations. while
they consider the joy of Purim simplistic, A "Good Purim"
greeting draws a limp response.<br>
<br>
</font>In former times the Jew, crushed by external circumstances, could
not be found in open society, Yet the Jew's life was not, as our brethren
today think, merely one of lament and misery. We had our Sabbaths and
festivals, when-completely removed from the world that rejected us-we
lived happily and satisfied by ourselves, And we had Purim, when the
desolate Jewish street became alive! Jubilation and joy abounded, and in
the evening there was a feeling of having been transplanted to a carnival
in Venice or Rome. All doors were open, everywhere the tables were set
and the colorful crowd of masqueraders filled the street. The people
outside the ghetto considered that this was the annual Jewish carnival,
and they were often envious of the genuine joy expressed by these
subjects of the Holy Roman Empire during harsh times. <br><br>
Has the Emancipation, with its newly found freedom and opportunity,
resulted in more joy, greater satisfaction and a still happier existence
than what our forebears experienced? Are we at a stage when we look
condescendingly on those who still need the old Purim celebration to
express their joy? <br><br>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica"> </font><font size=3>Purim is not a
reverie meant to escape temporarily the harsh pain and grief of life. The
true lesson of Purim is to teach us the realities of life and face them
with new vigor and courage. The spirit of Purim results in an
everlasting. true serenity. <br><br>
Do you want to know what the spirit of Purim is? <br><br>
Have you ever been in a storm on the high seas when the strong wind blew
across the sails, threw down the masts and cast the boat over the waves
at high speed? The craft seemed about to be shattered on a rocky reef,
the sailors gripped the siderails in despair and looked
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>with horror at impending
disaster. Suddenly the cruel north wind gave way to a becalming western
wind. the ship slid calmly over the smooth surface of the water and the
sailors felt as if life had been regained. Have you ever been high up in
the mountains when a storm overtook you? The sky became black, thunder
deafened your ears and torrents of rain threw you to the ground. You
tried to descend to a lower, more safe terrain. Your foot almost slipped
across the bare. wet rocks. your way illuminated only by frightening
bolts of lightning, and every moment you felt you were about to fall into
the abyss. Suddenly. the sun reappeared and the storm clouds rapidly
drifted away, the dull roar of thunder faded and the blue sky and green
fields appeared so friendly. You were overcome with a feeling of
gratitude for the Almighty Creator of nature. <br><br>
Such a calming sea wind after a tempest, the golden sun after a
thunderstorm. is the story and the spirit of Purim. <br><br>
The shaky boat of Jewish fate seemed to be
foundering in the stormy sea; the rage of the storm had already toppled
its mast and salvation was nowhere in sight. Suddenly the storm was
ordered to disappear and the ship of Judah rocked quietly and safely in
the smiling rays of the sun on the solemn sea. Should Judah not rejoice
in its regained existence? Should it not jubilate on its day of
salvation? Should Judah not have its Purim as a day of celebration and
joy? When danger passes you quickly forget the circumstances of your
salvation. You forget the faithful hand of the father who guided you
during the rough stormy days of pressure and misery. You forget the
caring mother who let healing balm drip on the wounds of hatred and
oppression inflicted by a hostile environment. You have long forgotten
the Jewish Law which brought you through life, and only rarely do you
remember the All-bountiful Who always provided for you. You imagine that
all danger has passed. There is no more hardship, prejudice or
hatred; they will never return. With ineffable conceit you look back on
the time when your mother cared for you and educated you, and you
consider yourself as already beyond her influence. With pride you
exclaim: Well, I am greater than my mother. Do you really believe that
you no longer need to remember the past? <br><br>
Do you really think that such somber times
will never recur? Do you really believe that you will rock forever on a
smooth sea, bask eternally in the light of the morning? Do you really
believe that Purim has outlived its usefulness and that you need not
distinguish it from the </font>ever-peaceful days of your life? Is
Purim no longer a holiday. a call to joy for you? <br><br>
O. you deluded ones! Look at the society which is now
freely open to you. Look around on the great marketplace of life. Has the
race of Hamans died out completely with him and his ten sons? Could you
not find someone from the Rhine to the Oder. from the Volga to the Danube
who is capable of being his successor? Be sober and observe. Indeed the
horizon of the Jew may well become somber; sultry clouds hang in the
German sky. Even in our own Jewish circles indications for gloom are
apparent. No one is secure .<br>
<br>
Thus. more than ever, it is necessary to
celebrate the Purim spirit. We must take courage in the grace which God
gave us by leading us safely through the storms of the past. so that we
may serenely and confidently persevere in the face of the Hamanlike
trials of the present and future as our fathers did in the past.
<br><br>
Let us inculcate the merry spirit of Purim
in ourselves: To remain trusting in God in both happiness and trouble. to
remain faithful to the Divine Law and our Jewish calling, to remain
confident of the future during the thunderstorms of history. <br><br>
Let us implant into our minds and our children's
minds this Purim spirit of true serenity and genuine joy, so that it will
be their companion for life, give them strength and consolation, and
protect them from the burning sun at high noon. <br><br>
Read the <font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Megillah
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>and read it also to the
still living sons of Haman. Remember how Haman of old endeavored to
destroy all the Jews and how God in His boundless love voided Haman's
plans. how He turned the sword of retaliation against him and eliminated
him and his followers. <br><br>
</font>But read also about "Mordechai the Jew," who did not bow
to any un-Jewish doctrine and acknowledged openly in the
marketplace of life, under dangerous circumstances. that he was a Jew and
would never forsake his God. Learn from him. <br><br>
This is the timeless spirit of Purim. <br><br>
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