Among observant Jews, one of
the most frequently asked questions of this past week has been: “What are you wearing for Purim?”
This
question has nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with creativity as
Jews have dressed up as characters from the Purim story throughout the ages in
celebration of this festival. More recently, the traditional cast of characters
– the Brave Queen Esther, her
Noble Uncle Mordechai, the Disgraced Queen Vashti, the Dastardly Haman, the
Foolish King Ahashverosh -- have given way to contemporary characters, drawn
largely from popular culture or current events.
The most joyous holiday of the Jewish year, Purim celebrates the deliverance of the ancient Persian Jewish community from destruction. As told in The Scroll of Esther – written in the 4th century BCE and included in the canon of 24 holy books known as the Tanakh – the evil plot to annihilate the Jews of Persia plotted by Haman, the advisor to King Ahashverosh, was overturned by Esther, the Jewish maiden who beguiled and married the king.
However,
as we approach the lighthearted festival of Purim this year – which begins tomorrow evening, at the conclusion of Shabbat
-- my heart is heavy because of the recent silencing of Jewish women’s voices in Israel, lifted in prayer at one of Judaism’s most sacred sites, the Kotel.
Suppressing
the voices of women is antithetical to Judaism. From our matriarch Sarah, to
the prophet Deborah to Queen Esther, our tradition teaches us that women’s words are to be heeded and honored…not stamped out.
But Judaism does have a tradition of stamping out sounds that
are undesirable. In synagogues around the world, tomorrow night’s recitation of
The Scroll of Esther will be marked by the energetic employment of noisemakers
every time Haman’s name is pronounced. This ritual is one of the most beloved
and memorable of all Jewish life. Children and adults alike bring everything
from the traditional wooden groggers to
more contemporary implements like metal pot covers and bull horns to drown out
the name of Haman, and by extension, all evil in the world.
Bearing this custom in mind, it seems that the religious
authorities in Israel are confused. Instead of drowning out the name of Haman,
the Chief Rabbinate has taken upon itself the task of silencing Esther.
But Purim
is the holiday of reversals. Using her wiles and wisdom, Queen Esther reversed
Haman’s evil plot against the Jews
of Persia. In the spirit of reversal – and justice -- I propose that
this Purim, we don the mask of the heroine of the holiday, Queen Esther, by honoring the voices of Jewish women.
As we
endeavor to usher in an era of religious pluralism to Israel, let us access our
inner Esther, pondering her bravery as we advocate for the participation of
Jewish women in all realms of religious life.
Imagine
if efforts had been made to silence Queen Esther, who saved the Jewish People
from extinction centuries ago. What
a terrible thing to envision – a world without the
redemptive efforts of Queen Esther; a world without the prayers of women!
As the
father of three remarkable young women, the thought is inconceivable. It leaves
me, quite literally, bereft.
This Purim,
let us discover our inner Esther, drawing on the fortitude and moxie of that
ancient Persian heroine to honor – not silence – brave and bold Jewish women.
