Lechem Mishneh<\/em> \u2013 with two Challot every Shabbat. On Purim, we celebrate the paradigmatic survival of the Jewish People despite genocidal threats.<\/p>\nThe 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\u2019s Presence is implicit in the actions of Esther and Mordechai. We recognize the \u201chidden\u201d 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: \u201cLa samchinan a-Nisa <\/em>\u2013 We do not count on miracles\u201d (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 \u2013 as Ben-Gurion understood \u2013 to secure the future of the Jewish State. Or, as TV\u2019s NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs puts it: \u201cMiracles take hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n(Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the rabbi of Temple Emanuel of Northern Jersey and the National Chaplain of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.)<\/em><\/p>\n
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