Posts tagged Purim
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities (Shabbat Tetzaveh)
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities (Shabbat Tetzaveh)

Especially during times of great uncertainty, we may not buy into the mystic’s belief God’s hand is literally or metaphorically hidden in everything — so Mordechai’s question invites Esther — and by extension all of us -- to focus, not on the power of God’s presence, but on the power of human action! When faced with a challenge, do we, like Haman, fall into victimhood and cast blame? Or, like Esther, do we step up as the person we want to be, find an opportunity to be kind and do good?

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Adam LavittPurim, uncertainty, purpose
Embodying Joy (Shabbat Rosh Hodesh Adar)
Embodying Joy (Shabbat Rosh Hodesh Adar)

Much like the vaccine, the Jewish calendar repeats, administers a dose of hope or freedom – and then, because everything fades with time, delivers a “booster dose” the next year: spiritual practice, liturgy, and sacred story that helps us integrate the experiences we had during the year. In this way, Yom Kippur is a “booster shot” for forgiveness, Sukkot a “booster shot” for gratitude, and Purim a “booster shot” for joy: Misheniknas Adar marbim b’simcha / "Whoever enters Adar," the sages declare, "increases in joy."

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Adam LavittPurim, Adar, joy
Shabbat Zachor

The Purim story is fundamentally an us-versus-them story. And even though it was written some 1500 years ago, it speaks across the centuries to the culture wars and political struggles of our day: The failure of our leaders to reach across the aisle to address the climate crisis, the widening wealth gap, or global health threats like the new Coronavirus. To compromise on their personal agendas, or set aside their egos, in order to focus on the well-being of humanity and our planet.

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Adam LavittCoronavirus, polarization, politics, Purim