Purim 5775: Ker Iber A Velt Heint
Turn Your World Upside Down
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
This week the entire world was focused on Bibi Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. The connection between his speech and Purim was obvious for all to see. The parsha of this week that all this occurred in is parshas Ki Tisa. Parshas Ki Tisa discusses the sin of the golden calf and it’s atonement. Moshe Rabbenu put his life on the line to save the Jewish people, which teaches us the truth of what a Rebbe and leadership is all about.
Nowadays also, people dance after the golden calves of our times. Most say the golden calf of our time is the pursuit of money in its many ways. We go after the golden calf by bending the truth or by being insincere or by compromising our values to fit in; all of these things lead back to a desire for money.
This year is the 75 anniversary of the arrival of the Previous Rebbe to the shores of America. The Previous Rebbe arrived saying that not everything revolves around money when he declared that America is not different. Although the Rebbe’s great concern for the physical needs of every Jew is legendary and known, nonetheless he demanded that it not come at the expense of keeping Shabbos and having a good Jewish education. The Rebbe went head on into battle with the notion of America being a melting pot, and that we all had to fit in to survive.
Today after seventy-five years of achievements’ we see that the Rebbe was correct. America isn’t different. Still the dance of the golden calf haunts us in new and different forms; be it trimmed beards or a lack of tznius and or a relaxed attitude toward bringing the geula today. Why do we have these challenges? Because we fear that we will be mocked. We feel that we must be moderate to fit in and be accepted. We fear being viewed as a fanatic.
In a sicha on Purim in the 1960’s the Rebbe explained that Haman made a successful argument by telling Achashverosh that the Jews are different. When Ester defended the Jews she didn’t argue about that, she only said that they are “Ami-my people”. In other words, they ARE different, but being different doesn’t mean that we cannot exist! Actually by being different we can be special; and just like my (Ester) being different didn’t stop me from becoming queen, so too every other Jew.
A lesson we can take from this is that we don’t only have to look at what our enemies are saying we need to look at who we are and what we are saying and doing. The Rebbe brought a story in the sicha of a Jew who met a wealthy and modern Jewish investor on Wall Street. The investor had big pictures that he proudly displayed on his office wall of his grandparents. He spoke to his visitor about the greatness of his grandfather, how he was a great Rabbi etc. The visitor then asked why he too wasn’t following his tradition the way his grandparents did. The investor answered that although they were great in their time, nowadays it’s a different world. So what is this man saying about Judaism today? Unintentionally he is messaging the same idea that Haman did in his time! The Jews are different and inappropriate Chas v’ Shalom! Haman wanted to ‘hang up’ Mordecai HaYehudi in the air on a pole like a portrait!
By comparing world events to Purim and this week’s parsha we learn an essential message for our times. We have the inspiration from Chassidus and from Purim that helps us recognize the golden calf of today and it gives us the strength not be drawn into the dance of the golden calf. By reminding ourselves of the 75th anniversary of the Previous Rebbe’s arrival to the US and his message and his accomplishments we stay aware not to fall into the traps of the phony messaging and pier pressure of today. The message that it’s a new reality, and that if we make a truce and recede there will be peace in our times is not true!
Haman’s tactic was to say that the Jews are “mfuzar u’mefurad bein ha’amim- that the Jews are spread out and are not united”. He realized that his ability to conquer us depends on us being disconnected and against each other. Our lesson is achdus- unity and ahavas Yisroel. We do our best to see the potential in each other, to see each person’s ability to stand up during the challenges and the enemies of our time. We work in unison to strengthen each other with the positive message of bringing the geula today.
We need to be reminded that we are not a nation standing alone rather a nation standing with Hashem.
We need to take great pride in what makes a Jew different, being a representative of Hashem, the Echod HaEmes in this world, and together as one, as “Ami” the people of Queen Ester, as “Am Mordecai” go to greet Moshiach today!
A good Shabbos