The real thing

“Isn’t it nice to know that in this world of imitations (imitation diamonds, imitation meat, etc.) that you can still get the real thing? The Mercedes Benz 200987663zx V.9!!! The Real Thing!” Paraphrased 

Sign on an office depot door, witnessed by Rabbi Schusterman.  “We’re sorry for the inconvenience this door is not automatic.”

What a world we live in where the real things in life are Mercedes Benzs’ and inconvenience is actually having to push open the door!

The Kabbalah teaches that this world is an Alma Dishikra – a false world.  Because what you see is never the whole thing or the real thing.  Everything in life has layers and various dimensions.  For example, when a person speaks there usually is more meaning and depth in their mind and heart than they actually express in words.  When you look at an Orange you don’t see the fruit and when you look at a new born baby you have no clue what this child is really capable of and what they will turn out to be in life.

The story of Purim which we celebrate next week Thursday evening and Friday is the ultimate example of this.  The name Esther – the heroine of the story – means to hide.  If you look at any one single event of the story we don’t find anything miraculous about it.  Vashti refused to show up so her husband killed her (that’s what kings did in those days). Esther was beautiful and was picked to be the new Queen.  Haman was an anti-Semite and the king liked money more than anything else, so for a few Bitcoins he agreed to be done with the Jews.  Mordechai is in the right place at the right time, saves the king’s life and the king who is suffering from insomnia decides to honor Mordechai as a way to resolve his frustration and to get a better night sleep.  Esther invites the king and Haman to a feast, she pleads for her life and her people, and the king, all too eager to please his beautiful wife, agrees to hang Haman and let the Jews live.  The end.

Nothing miraculous here.  Well, not on the surface anyway.  But beneath the surface like everything else in life, is the Hand of G-d is orchestrating events to work out just the way they are supposed to.  This is the lesson for us in our lives.  Never accept face value as being the whole story, the whole challenge, the whole purpose in life.  There is always a deeper message and a deeper experience to be had.

If ever a masked year had a deeper story, this is it.  We’ll look back at these days and hopefully know what really was beneath the mask.  If we have been looking for the deeper message we may already know.  

Good Shabbos and Happy Purim.

Rabbi Schusterman

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