The Weekly Shtikle - Purim

I recently heard a beautiful perspective on a thematic element of the megillah from Rabbi Gershon Schaffel of Skokie, IL.

 

Esther's life is obviously turned upside down when she is chosen to become queen. Any aspirations she had of living a purely frum life feel by the wayside as she took her place in the palace of one of the most powerful kingdoms in history. Just about the only thought that could get her through this predicament was that somehow, this was all for the best and part of HaShem's master plan.

 

Although the story of the megillah moves rather quickly, in truth, it was more than five years for which Esther had to survive on this one glint of hope. Sure enough, the stage was set when Haman's decree came down. When she initially resists Mordechai's plea to beseech the king to intercede, Mordechai retorts with a mussar schmooze of sorts. He ends with (4:14) "who knows if perhaps it is for this very reason that you have been put in this royal position." Indeed, it was no longer time to wonder what greater good was behind the unfolding of events of years prior. This is it.

 

In the beginning of the next perek, as Esther prepares to make her daring appeal, the pasuk recounts (5:1) "Vatilbash Esther malchus." The simple meaning is that she put on her royal clothes, with the word malchus meaning bigdei malchus. However, on a deeper level, this pasuk is telling us that Esther, having absorbed and internalized Mordechai's message, finally embraced her role as queen. All these years, she had only tolerated her situation without any vision or understanding of why she had been put there. Now, she was truly able to seize the day and realize her destiny. And we all know the rest of the story.

 

This can certainly serve as inspiration for anyone who finds themselves in a life predicament which may just not seem right.  The true challenge is to embrace the destiny of the moment.

 

Purim samei'ach!

Mishenichnas Adar marbim be'simchah

Please see my Purim archives for some more insightful (hopefully not inciteful) thoughts on Purim. 

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Dikdukian Posts on Megillas Esther

                                                                                                                                                     

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