David Ben-Gurion mused: “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you have to believe in miracles.” Jews have many opportunities to recognize and celebrate miracles. On Chanukah, we recall the miraculous Hasmonean victory and we re-enact the miracle of oil each night. We recall the miracle of Manna and its double portion – Lechem Mishneh – with two Challot every Shabbat. On Purim, we celebrate the paradigmatic survival of the Jewish People despite genocidal threats.
The Book of Esther, the liturgical heart of Purim, never mentions God. The miraculous salvation of Persian Jewry is brought about through the self-sacrificing efforts of loyal Jews. We understand that God’s Presence is implicit in the actions of Esther and Mordechai. We recognize the “hidden” God, just as we recognize our own children behind their Purim masks and costumes (our indulgent protestations to the contrary notwithstanding!). Megillat Esther anticipates the wise Rabbinic dictum: “La samchinan a-Nisa – We do not count on miracles” (Pesachim 64B, Kiddushin 39B, etc.). We must take principled action to effect such remarkable miracles as good health, loving relationships, genuine freedom, Jewish continuity, and – as Ben-Gurion understood – to secure the future of the Jewish State. Or, as TV’s NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs puts it: “Miracles take hard work.”
(Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of Northern Jersey and the National Chaplain of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.)
David Ben-Gurion mused: “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you have to believe in miracles.” Jews have many opportunities to recognize and celebrate miracles. On Chanukah, we recall the miraculous Hasmonean victory and we re-enact the miracle of oil each night. We recall the miracle of Manna and its double portion – Lechem Mishneh – with two Challot every Shabbat. On Purim, we celebrate the paradigmatic survival of the Jewish People despite genocidal threats.