How many times have you heard the joke
about making the Megillah reading shorter by just saying simply, “Hey, they
tried to kill us, they failed, now let’s eat!” Sadly, the story of Purim wasn’t
the first story in the Hebrew Bible where Jews were demonized, persecuted and
murdered because we were Jews. That dark distinction is found first in the book
of Exodus, where Pharaoh’s advisors convince him that the Jews should be
enslaved because they could rise up and side with Egypt’s enemies. Then
emboldened Pharaoh takes the next step with the world’s first recorded
genocide, having Jewish baby boys drowned and killed in the Nile. In the story
of Purim, once again an eerily parallel plot begins to unfold with another
kingly advisor – Haman (Boo!) spreading fear and prejudice to single out the
Jewish people. Haman riles up King Ahashverus, and the Persian people,
claiming that the Jews were not only strangers in the land with foreign customs
but, that they refused to follow the king’s laws. In both stories lies,
mistrust and xenophobia are used to further denigrate the Jewish people in the
eyes of the masses. The result is the systematic hatred of another people (the
Jews) who had been living peacefully in their country.
Frightfully, the troubles and ills facing the Egyptians and later Persians, coupled with the easy targeting of foreigners (Jews lived in Goshen, Jews dressed differently, etc.) turns what were once neighbors and countrymen into oppressors and accomplices to these evil plots. Furthermore, just as in the Exodus story the service, leadership, and dedication of the Jews to the king, country and community, was forgotten and replaced instead by virulent anti-Semitism. So what can we learn from the similarities between Passover and Purim? – namely that as Jews must stand up against intolerance, prejudice and hatred wherever, and whenever it rears its ugly head. As George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." Whether in the halls of our schools, the offices we work, the clubhouses where we socialize, or the digital domains we frequent, we must strive to be vigilant against racism, sexism, religious hatred, and prejudice. We sadly know all too well what can happen when these are left unchecked. So as we look forward to eating our hamantaschen and drowning out Haman’s name with our groggers, let each of us do our part to make sure that the lessons of Passover and Purim never fade from our collective memories and from the memory of the world.
Frightfully, the troubles and ills facing the Egyptians and later Persians, coupled with the easy targeting of foreigners (Jews lived in Goshen, Jews dressed differently, etc.) turns what were once neighbors and countrymen into oppressors and accomplices to these evil plots. Furthermore, just as in the Exodus story the service, leadership, and dedication of the Jews to the king, country and community, was forgotten and replaced instead by virulent anti-Semitism. So what can we learn from the similarities between Passover and Purim? – namely that as Jews must stand up against intolerance, prejudice and hatred wherever, and whenever it rears its ugly head. As George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." Whether in the halls of our schools, the offices we work, the clubhouses where we socialize, or the digital domains we frequent, we must strive to be vigilant against racism, sexism, religious hatred, and prejudice. We sadly know all too well what can happen when these are left unchecked. So as we look forward to eating our hamantaschen and drowning out Haman’s name with our groggers, let each of us do our part to make sure that the lessons of Passover and Purim never fade from our collective memories and from the memory of the world.
Chag Purim Sameach! – A Happy and Joyous Purim!
