Purim is one of the most joyful holidays we have. It appears to be a very light Jewish holiday about costumes and special pocket-filled pastries. But Purim actually contains depth that includes the entire realm of reality, and all its various layers.
Since the beginning of time humanity has always revolved around two conflicting forces — reception and bestowal. This is an ideological struggle that exists in every single person and throughout humanity. How do we solve this, and know who is right?
The whole point of the negative forces is for us to balance them with an addition of positive forces, which only humans are capable of doing.
Haman represents a simple method of reception for the self based on our ability to take whatever we can, without limitation.
Mordechai represents a wider and more mutual method, based on the principle of man being a social being.
We see how in our time Haman’s method is more popular, where everyone is attracted to looking out for him/herself, and the people around us. And if there is some time left over, we think about less fortunate people. We are still not able to tie the personal good to the collective good. These forces are still struggling, with each pulling the blanket to their side.
Mordechai’s method is that humanity is one whole, an entire chain of life made up of many levels. The human/speaking part of the whole is now being revealed to us in a negative manner. Pressure is being applied externally through all kinds of phenomena such as volcanoes and the coronavirus.
The whole point of the negative forces is for us to balance them with an addition of positive forces, which only humans are capable of doing. We are the only creatures that have a choice in how we treat everything in the whole.
What do we have to gain? An addition of emotional and intelligent powers, which comes from all the completion we’re doing in places where nature is revealing rejection toward us. There is no other way for us to acquire this addition to our desirable development except through this completion of ourselves. Otherwise we will continue to advance from blow to blow. We will reach our development no matter what. But it will be through great suffering.
There is a better way. All we need to do is add mutual support to everything we’re doing at the moment without changing how we’re used to doing things. Mordechai suggests that this is how we can advance to good by being good. The simple method identifies a single common goal, and implements it through mutual support and consideration. We need to remember that there are other people in the world who we must take into consideration as well, apart from ourselves.
Speaking practically, what is really required of us?
Tanks? No
Money? No
Oil? No
So what is required? A basic understanding of human nature and the nature of the world we live in, and everything else will be built in our network of connection. There is no scenario where we are not reaching a world that is all good, where every person can enjoy every moment of their life.
The effort to make this change will really be worth it for all of us.
Happy Purim!