The Decree That Cannot Be Revoked

This Purim lands differently.

The two nations with the largest Jewish populations in the world are at war in Persia. Not the Persia of ancient memory, the one on today's map. Against an enemy that has vowed, openly and repeatedly, to destroy us. An enemy that has funded, armed, and directed others to fulfill that vow for decades. We can count the dead. We can count the wounded. We can count the hostages. This is not ancient history. This is Megillah reading come to life.

And I do not believe that is a coincidence.

So let me tell you what I see in the Book of Esther this year. Because the parallels are not subtle. They are not a stretch.

In the Megillah, Haman, the enemy of the Jewish people, convinces King Achashverosh to issue a decree for our total destruction. Written instructions were dispatched to every province of the empire: "to destroy, massacre, and exterminate all the Jews, young and old, children and women, on a single day" (Esther 3:13).

Now pay attention to the language. The decree was written. And it was sealed. Those two words, written and sealed, should sound familiar to every Jew.

B'Rosh Hashanah yikatevun, u'v'Yom Tzom Kippur yechatemun.

On Rosh Hashanah it is written. On Yom Kippur it is sealed.

This is the language of our Yom Kippur liturgy. It describes how the Almighty inscribes our fate in the Book of Life. First it is written. Then it is sealed. And once it is sealed — it cannot be revoked.

This is exactly what happens in the Book of Esther. The king's decree, once written in his name and sealed with his ring, cannot be overturned. The text says it plainly: "An edict written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet may not be revoked" (Esther 8:8).

The decree of destruction stands. It cannot be undone. That is a terrifying reality. It was terrifying then. It is terrifying now.

So what happens? Mordechai repents. He tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth and ashes, and cries out in the streets. Esther purifies herself — fasting for three days before she risks her life to approach the king. Their repentance sets the stage for what comes next. But it does not erase the decree. Nothing can erase the decree.

Instead, the king does something extraordinary. He issues a counter-decree. He cannot undo the order to destroy the Jews. But he can authorize the Jews to defend themselves. And that is exactly what he does:

"The king permitted the Jews of every city to assemble and fight for their lives; if any people or province attacks them, they may destroy, massacre, and exterminate its armed force..."" — Esther 8:11

Read that again, it is the same harsh language as the decree written against us, to assemble and to stand for their own lives. The king issued the decree. But it was up to the Jewish people to execute it.

The authority was granted. The permission was given. But nobody was going to do it for them. The Jews of Persia had to stand up, organize, arm themselves, and fight. Together. Against every enemy who came against them.

This is the lesson of Purim for the Jewish people, then and now. We are still in exile. The decree of those who wish to destroy us has not been revoked. It has been written. In some places, it has been sealed. But the counter-decree is also in effect.

Stand together. Stand strong. Do not bow.

I encourage every Jew reading this to find a place to listen to the Megillah reading this Purim. This is a special year.

There is a special mystical significance to hearing the Megillah read aloud. Not just reading it yourself, but hearing it. May Haman's name be blotted out forever.

I will close with this. This morning at the Nice Jewish Runners Meet, I walked past the butterfly garden on the trail and took this picture.

It's been a harsh winter here. The garden looks bare. The plants are cut back, the leaves are brown, and it doesn't look like much right now.

But imagine how the garden will look by Passover.

Chag Sameach

Adam