3 minute read
Act as if everything depends on you
Rabbi Adam F. Miller
This month, we will celebrate the holiday of Purim, the jubilant and exuberant observance of the Persian Jews overcoming the evil machinations of Haman. The Book of Esther contains all the classic story elements — heroes, villains, violence, the just victory of the oppressed and even off-color adult humor. What it lacks is the presence of God.
God appears nowhere in the scroll — and it is the only book without God explicitly named in Tanach, the Jewish Bible. Some sages connect the role of King Ahaseurus with God. Yet, that leaves us with the unsatisfactory image of a God who lets evil happen and seems oblivious to the fate of the people Israel. Perhaps the answer lies more in the teaching of Rabbi Isserman. The people prayed for their salvation and acted to make it a reality.
In this explanation, God may be seen in the innumerable coincidences that fill the story. How else does one explain Mordechai discovering the plot to kill Ahaseurus, Esther crowned as queen, and Haman’s horrible timing that leads to his downfall. More importantly, salvation was found not by waiting for God to act, but through the deeds of Mordechai and Esther. While the rest of the people appear to accept their fate, these two work to undo Haman’s mischief. Their efforts make them partners with the Divine and are the reason that the Jews live to tell the tale, groggers and all. We will celebrate Purim with a spiel and carnival celebration on March 4.
Taking it upon ourselves to make the world better is not limited just to the stories from the past. A little more than 60 years ago, there was no Jewish community in Naples. Five families decided to change that reality, forming the Jewish Community Center of Collier County. Embracing the spirit of Mordechai and Esther, those five families prayed to God for the courage, wisdom and strength they would need, and then acted upon their vision. Later, that first synagogue would be known as Temple Shalom.
While those visionaries hoped to plant the seeds for a Jewish community in Southwest Florida, I doubt that even their wildest dreams could have envisioned what now comprises our Jewish community. Temple Shalom has over 900 households and is the largest synagogue between Tampa and Miami. Our Jewish Federation of Greater Naples constructed the remarkable Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center and drew an enormous crowd for the opening event. Our Jewish population continues to grow and thrive with six synagogues and more Jewish programming than any one person could possibly partake of. All of this exists because those first five families acted as if everything depended upon them to make our world more whole.
The lesson of Mordechai and Esther lives on beyond our efforts to build this amazing community. Each one of us has the potential to not only pray to the Holy One for the blessings we need, but to take it upon ourselves to act, recognizing that it is our sacred obligation to be God’s partners in making this world more whole and holy.
I encourage everyone to find ways to move beyond praying to God and waiting for action and, instead, work toward the words of Ghandi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” May the spirit of Mordechai and Esther inspire us all to create a world that is more whole and holy.
Rabbi Adam Miller serves at Temple Shalom.
