Purim as G-d's Jigsaw Puzzle
By Rabbi Nosson Scherman
THE HISTORY of the Jewish people up to the Babylonian Exile is replete
with miracles. In virtually every generation, a Jew could reinforce his
belief through miracles which he had seen himself or tales of such
miracles from first person witnesses. A visit to the Holy Temple was, in
itself, an opportunity to see the active "hand" of G-d [Avos
5:8]. True, Jewish belief is not based on miracles; belief must feed
on deeper roots. Miracles can be rationalized, explained away or
misinterpreted [Mishneh Torah; Yesode Hatorah 8]. But there is
more. Reliance on miracles, even undue emphasis on miracles, can
actually dilute belief because it can make one forget that the "hand" of
G-d is as present in what, for lack of a better name, we refer to as
"nature" as it was at the Splitting of the Yam Suf (Red Sea) when
the Jews left Egypt. It is not simply a pretty turn of phrase when we
thank G-d in Shemona Esrai (the Silent Devotional Prayer) for
"the miracles that are done with us every day."
Life exists because G-d makes it exist constantly; without His
life-giving activity, the universe would cease to exist.
To the extent that early history of the Jews is a chain of miracles and
Divine intervention, it is itself a veiled picture of G-d. The very
emphasis on G-d's miraculous activity can make one forget that His
guidance is everywhere. The Hebrew word for the world, "Olam"
comes from a root that means "hidden," for, in this world, the existence
of G-d is hidden. People may pray three times a day and observe
mitzvos scrupulously, yet they are convinced that their business,
professional, or military success is based on hard work, education,
capital investment, superior strength, better planning, etc., etc., etc.
Isn't G-d at least an equal partner in their success! Of course, but He
is a Silent and unseen partner, so silent and unseen that His very
participation can be questioned.
This is the purpose of "Olam" -- world-hiddenness -- to test man
to find truth in the murkiness. The non-believer will always find bases
for doubt and blasphemy. The Mabul (Deluge) took place in the
year 1656 after creation, so the builders of the tower of Babel had
theory: every 1656 years, the foundations of the universe tremble
causing a flood; we are safe until then. Pharaoh explained away the
plagues in a similar way. Belshazzar arrived at a computation on which
to base his blasphemy. And so down
through the ages. G-d does not drill faith into our minds and hearts; He
places us in an "Olam" -- world of hiddenness and expects us to
find our way to the truth because He has given us enough tools -- just
enough, barely enough -- to find the truth if we really want to find
it.
The period of openly revealed miracles ended with Esther and Mordechai.
A new emphasis was added to Jewish history. We had to find G-d's "hand"
not in the splitting sea or heavenly fire, but in everyday events.
G-D'S JIGSAW PUZZLE
Haman was enraged and sought vengeance against the entire Jewish people.
Why? The reason was obvious: Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman.
Quixotic Mordechai refused to acknowledge the King's viceroy with the
obeisance that was common protocol in the Orient, the same obeisance
that Jacob paid Esau without a royal edict ordering him to do so.
The real reason for the sword over Jewish heads was that the Jews
allowed themselves to enjoy the feast of Ahasuerus despite Mordechai's
insistence that they refrain from going. But the feast was in the
third year of Ahasuerus' reign and the decree of extermination
was in the twelfth year. How could there be a connection? Simple
logic cried out that Mordechai was wrong!
Then the pieces of G-d's jigsaw puzzle began coming together. Suddenly
widely separate links began to move together to form a chain and
widely separated chains joined to become the anchor upon which Jewish
survival was secured. And simple logic turned out to be wrong; quixotic
Mordochai was right.
One set of links: Ahasuerus' feast would become the undoing of the Jews
later on, but first it resulted in the execution of Vashti which led to
the coronation of Esther. Because Esther was Queen, she was in a
position to approach the King to save her people and lull Haman into
complacency by inviting him to her private banquet.
Another set of links: Bigsan and Teresh plotted to kill Ahasuerus.
Because Esther secured a royal promotion for Mordechai he was
positioned to overhear them and report the scheme to Esther. She told
the King of Mordechai's loyalty. It was inscribed in the royal chronicle
there to lay forgotten until the fateful night when G-d disturbed the
sleep of the King.
Another set of links: The King promoted Haman and everyone was required
to bow to the newly risen Agagite. Mordechai refused to bow. Haman,
assured of his power and influence -- even with the Queen! -- built a
gallows and came to seek royal permission to hang Mordechai just when
Ahasuerus learned that it was Mordechai who had once saved his life.
When the appropriate climactic time arrived, G-d's pieces came together
and formed the destruction of Haman and most of Amalek, and salvation
for the Jews.
G-D's ABSENT NAME
G -d's Name does not appear in the Megillah -- the only one of
the twenty-four sacred books where such a phenomenon occurs. True,
commentators show how the word "HaMelech" -- the King -- is
always a reference to G-d, King of the Universe and His name appears
occasionally in acrostic form. Nevertheless, these hidden appearances of
His name are still in marked contrast to the rest of Tanach, the
complete Bible.
Precisely. The miracle of Purim happened at the end of the Babylonian
Exile, a time when G-d was behind myriad veils of concealment, a time
when Jews were asking with poignant, tragic sincerity whether they owed
Him more allegiance than a wife spurned or a slave set free. And the
miracle happened in Elam, a spiritually forlorn province, almost
devoid of Torah.
Yet it was at that time and in that place that "random" links began
coming together and forming chains of salvation, chains eternally
binding the Jews to the earlier days when G-d was everywhere. The
miracle of Purim showed them that G-d was still everywhere, would
always be everywhere, even when His presence could be divined only in
the actions of this king or that, in acrostics of random events, in
bafflements of history that, to the believing eye, spell out --- "I
am the first and I am the last; and beside me there is no G-d [Isaiah
44:6]".
It was Esther who asked the Sages to establish Purim as a festival for
all generations. The Sages refused on the grounds that, to do so, would
inspire the jealousy and enmity of non-Jews. To which she responded that
the story was already inscribed in the royal annals of Persia and
Media.
To proclaim a festival and inscribe the tale in a sacred book would
indicate that the chain of coincidental events leading up to the
salvation was an open, obvious miracle. This, the Sages said, could not
be done. The Jews were still under the dominion of the Persian Empire
and its rulers would not respond kindly to a Jewish claim that G-dly
intervention had been employed to best the highest officials of the
empire.
Esther replied that such fears were groundless. The story is already
inscribed in the royal annals, she countered. It is universally
recognized that a miracle took place. There are simply too many
coincidences and they fit together too well. Even the Persians and Medes
recognized that G-d had taken a "hand" -- albeit a gloved, concealed
"hand" -- in the events. The link, came together too well for it to be
anything else [Resisei Laylah Chapter 56].
Of the ten (Sefiros) emanations of Kabbalah, the last is kingship. The
king, as ruler of the nation, represents the public manifestation of
authority and government. He may have ministers and advisers whose
counsel and machinations help determine the course of events, but it is
the king who is the only, ultimate symbol of government. Nowadays, for
example, a chief of state is higher in the order of protocol than a head
of government. A prime minister may wield effective power, but he does
so in the name of the state; and the state is represented by the person
of the king or president. The state is embodied in him.
In the Heavenly order, kingship represents the final stage of G-d's
will, His revelation on earth. It is the culmination of a lengthy chain
of events resulting in His revelation.
Nowhere more than in Megillas Esther is this revealed. In the
Megillah, G-d's name does not appear, but when all was done, His
presence was recognized everywhere. Every piece fit, His jigsaw puzzle
was perfect. And Esther could truthfully tell the Sages that everyone
knew it. Everyone realized that G-d rules the affairs of man -- directly
as He had in Egypt, the desert, or the Land of Israel; or from the
concealment of nature and coincidence as He had in Shushan. Because He
does not appear in the Megillah, He is there more meaningfully
than in any other sacred book. It is in the Megillah that we see
kingship, the final emanation of G-d's infinite wisdom and power as it
is manifested in the apparently mundane affairs of this planet.
(ibid]
This may be the deeper reason why G-d is alluded to in the
Megillah by the word "HaMelech" -- The King. It is in the
guise of temporal, natural rule of earth that His essence is represented
most truly.
No, He is not concealed. He only seems to be. It is for us to find Him
in every event in our lives. Megillas Esther shows us how if we
but read its