Venahafochu
Venahafochu is a key word in the Purim story. It literally translates as “and it upturned upside down”
In the Megillah story everything was pitted against the Jewish people.
The 13th of Adar had been decreed by Royal edict as a day of death and destruction of the Jewish nation in its entirety
“From young to old, children and women”- the first recorded attempted Genocide.
This decree was made in the month of Nissan and hung over the Jewish people for almost a year.
But then by strange coincidence the situation turned around 180 degrees.
Esther reveals her identity to Achashverosh and the plot to destroy her people.
Haman is hung on the very gallows he designed for Mordechai his arch-enemy!
The signet ring given to Haman is transferred to Mordechai as well as Haman’s palace, transferring power from the ultimate anti-Semite to the great prophet Mordechai!
Haman’s ten sons are also hung and the Jewish nation successfully defend themselves against the anti-Semites.
The Megillah really represents the ongoing and unfolding story of the Jewish people. God’s name is not explicitly mentioned in the Megillah, representing the concealment of the Divine in the life of the Jewish people. Yet God does not forget his covenant with us. He is orchestrating the “coincidences” behind the seen. It is just a question of awakening our faith and spiritual senses to see Hashem behind the mask of history.
The Megillah is not only the story of the Jewish people but of each individual soul. In our lives things may sometimes seem on the surface terrible but in the blink of an eye Hashem can turn things around. However it first takes a change of perspective from us before we see any change. So too the Jews in the time of Esther fasted three days as she prepared to approach King Achashverosh without a royal appointment which was a huge risk to her life. Once the Jewish people started to look “heavenward” then the keys to unlock the redemption in the story of Purim began to turn.
One of the wonderful Purim customs is dressing up in costumes! This is not just a childish concept “just for the children”. Every Minhag is holy and contains profound depth. Fancy dress on Purim is no different.
We all put on masks when dealing with different people. A mask is persona that projects a certain image of ourselves outwards to others. This is necessary as not everyone should have access to our deepest core. Every mask serves to conceal aspects of us as well as to reveal other aspects. For example how we express ourselves to our loved ones is very different to colleagues at work and so on.
However sometimes we can fall into the trap of putting a mask on for ourselves! This is when we become deluded about who we really are fooled by faulty perception of self.
Purim is about facing ourselves directly in the mirror and confronting who we really are; both the good and the bad.
Only when we face ourselves truthfully can we successfully move past trauma and pain in our lives.
We then stop numbing pain with all forms of distractions and instead begin the process of self-development
When we put our masks on this Purim we are really removing our old mask that conceals our greatness and we reconnect to our essential core which is the Divine spark in each of us with all its infinite potential. This is why Purim is pregnant with joy.
That is actually the deeper meaning of “getting drunk” on Purim. Not so much through alcohol but spiritually drunk with the overwhelming Joy at the greatness and infinite value of our Divine Souls!
Purim then is really the quintessential day of Jewish pride. Being proud of who we are and where we come from no matter our current religious or spiritual level.
Purim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom !!!