Dear Friends:
My wife and I were privileged recently to speak at a Shabbaton with some wonderful college students, most of whom were experiencing the first Shabbos of their lives. They had been looking forward to this event for months. Their dedicated rebbeim had spent endless hours organizing an exhilarating experience. The students were spread out among many families in a religious community, where they ate the Friday night meal. Sometime during that meal one of the hosts told a group of students something like this: “When Moshiach comes, we are all going to Israel, but you are not going, because you are not religious.”
I don’t have words to describe this. It is almost beyond comprehension that any person could say such a thing, especially someone who has volunteered to accept as Shabbos guests young people who are trying to return to Torah. But it happened, and the reaction was predictable. The students suffered terrible anguish, with tears and even a mid-Shabbos phone call to a relative who replied, “See, I told you not to go! They are trying to brainwash you!”
Do I have to tell you? This is shocking! One ill-chosen word can undo months and even years of patient teaching and nurturing. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)
Isn’t it interesting how the Book of Proverbs places “death” before “life” in this sentence! Perhaps the author, King Solomon, is warning us about the spontaneous eruption of words from the tongue. Perhaps he is trying to make us aware that the Satan is lurking in every corner. We are never safe. Never can we relax our vigilance over our thoughts, words and actions. One word could cause disaster.
We cannot allow ourselves to assume that we will be saved when the Redemption comes.
“The mouth of a fool brings destruction…” (Proverbs 18:7)
And so, my friends, we come to Purim, a holiday in which the Jewish People celebrate our redemption after an extremely close brush with total annihilation, G-d forbid. We imbibed and enjoyed the feast of Achashverosh. As a result, we almost disappeared from the stage of history. If the lesson were not relevant today, we would not be celebrating Purim now.
We are still sitting at Achashverosh’s banquet!
It is well to remember that not one of us is sure whether we will be included in the Redemption. “Who will live and who will die”? We do not know.
When my wife and I were new to the Jewish way of life, one of our acquaintances through the Hineni organization was looking for a place to spend Passover. We had no room, so I called a person who I knew was involved in inviting guests. He asked me whether the proposed guest was Shabbos observant. I said, “no.” In fact, that was really the point; if she had been observant, she would be unlikely to be looking for a place to spend the first Pesach of her life.
“Well,” he said, “I’m afraid we can’t have her. She might make the wine non-kosher if she touches it.”
I was shocked. I asked Rebbetzin Jungreis what to make of this conversation. I remember her words: “I wonder if the host is ‘kosher enough’ to touch that wine.”
Mordechai and Esther called upon the Jewish People to fast and to unite. “Go assemble all the Jews … and fast for me.” (Esther 4:16) Are we not in terrible danger today? Don’t we have to do exactly the same thing? Are we taking seriously the threat to our existence? Do we comprehend the power of the Hamans in today’s world? Do we “remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you were leaving Egypt?”
Rabbi Moshe Wolfson Shlita”h, the beloved Mashgiach of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, recently was quoted to the effect that the Protecting Angel of Yishmael (the Moslem Nations) may have fallen. Even if the Angel has fallen, we are still not in a position to assume that our future is assured. A titan losing power is dangerous until the very end. Perhaps he is MOST dangerous at the end! As the saying goes, “it is darkest before the dawn,” and we know that Moses himself had to pass through intense darkness just prior to standing in G-d’s Presence at Mount Sinai. Who will replace the heads of state toppling like dominos in the Arab world? Will future conditions be stable and peaceful? Perhaps they will be -- G-d forbid – more violent and unpredictable. We do not know.
My friends, we must be very careful. “Mishenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha… When the Month of Adar comes, happiness increases”! But simcha comes only through returning to G-d. As Esther said, “Do not imagine … that you will be able to escape in the king’s palace any more than the rest of the Jews.” (Esther 4:13).
The Children of Israel merited the Redemption because we paid attention to Esther’s plea. There is no other holiday like Purim and no other Megilla like Esther. “The Megilah … does not mark the end of a chapter, but the beginning of the obliteration of Amalek. This chapter will come to an end only at the time of the future redemption, when G-d will grant Israel respite from the enemies who surround her. Then Amalek’s memory will be completely wiped out and the manifestation of G-d’s Name and His throne will be complete.” (Book of Our Heritage, Page 445).
It is within our power to bring about the day of complete Redemption and Salvation from our enemies, the day when the world will be returned to its primeval purity and beauty. Perhaps it will be this year; clearly it will not be long. We know what we must do! If we truly desire the Redemption, our Father in Heaven will help us!
Perhaps we do not even have to merit it, but only to desire it with all our hearts. After all, it says in our prayers that our Father in Heaven will bring a Redeemer to the Children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov “l’ma’an shemo b’ahava … for His Name’s sake, with love”!
He is waiting to save us!
BUT WE HAVE TO WANT IT!
May this be the year “the Jews [have] light and gladness, joy and honor”! (Megilas Esther 8:16)
Roy S. Neuberger
© Copyright 2011 by Roy S. Neuberger
