Parshas Tzav and Purim- Blessings and Curses in Our Time This - TopicsExpress

Parshas Tzav and Purim- Blessings and Curses in Our Time This week has been one filled with pain hardship from the missing Malaysian plane, the crisis in Ukraine, to the passing of Rashi Minkowticz, a 37 year old chabad shlucha who passed away suddenly. Last year at this exact time there was the tsunami in Japan, violent protests in Libya, to the brutal slaughtering of the Fogel family in Itamar, Israel by terrorists. It is not coincidence that the world seems to be collapsing and darkness engulfing us at this time... isnt this the story of Purim? Evil seems to dominate and Hashem is nowhere to be found, Gods name is not mentioned even once in Megillat Esther! But that is our challenge and our mission, to reveal the light and uncover Godliness when it is most difficult. I do not think it is coincidence that all the tragedy came right before Purim Gadol (the 1st 14th of Adar is Purim Katan, now we are approaching the Great Purim). There is a mitzvah (unfortunately only once a year) on Purim to become so inebriated with wine that “you cant tell the difference between blessing Mordechai and cursing Haman” But what does this mean?? We should not tell the difference between a tzaddik and a rasha, between good and evil?? To become inebriated means to rise above ones own self-consciousness and ego, to access a higher truth, where there is no distinction between good and evil. One’s love-bond to God becomes so deep, one’s vision so vast, that the truest and usually hidden truth becomes a reality: that every single moment is an opportunity for closeness with God and its not clear which builds intimacy more, the joy or the pain, the blessing or the curse, Mordechai or Haman. The point is not to (God forbid) actually curse Mordechai or bless Haman, but to transcend our personal ego where we become insulted or flattered and everything is subjected, and to reach a higher truth that deepens our relationship with Hashem. Tradition teaches that the end of days will be marked by constant revealed miracles. Most say this will not be the sea-splitting type (the revealed redemption of Egypt) but rather the Purim story type (the more hidden non-obvious redemption). We will all be writing our own Megillat Esther, or Megillat Aden, or Book of you and me. Our spiritual vision will become so clear that we will see every circumstance of our life as a revealed miracle. Look at your life and the lives around you. It is happening now. You are a miracle in the making. Nahafoch Hu-Everything will turn upside down. As surely as Haman was hung on the gallows, so all our pain will be turned to joy and everlasting bliss! May we merit to internalize the message of Purim- that there is no difference between the blessing and curse- without Haman there would be no Purim story, there would be no transformation of the Jewish people where we re-accepted the Torah but this time with joy, love, and passion. People have responded to the darkness with so much light, with such open arms and hearts, it is transforming people for the good…continue spreading the light and may we merit this Purim to truly live the Purim story, to have the ultimate redemption in our days where we can look back at this time of hardship with so much Haman and evil and terror and at our lives in general and see God and the miracles so clearly, above our limited perception, even though He is so hidden right now. Have a BEAUTIFUL Shabbos and a very Happy Purim!!!! (Purim is this Sat Night and Sunday. For the laws, story, and more beautiful words on Purim check out chabad.org/holidays/purim/default_cdo/jewish/Purim.htm) -(based on the teachings in PurimBursts by Sarah Idit Schneider)