It’s Purim, the funniest holiday of the Jewish year. On the other hand, the Shabbat before it is known as Shabbat Zachor, in which we must remember what Amalek did to us – the Amalekite people cowardly wounded Am Israel when our forefathers left Egypt. Amalek is the people from whom descends Haman, the powerful viceroy who, centuries later, planned to massacre the Jews in all the provinces of ancient Persia. This story is remembered on Purim.

The memories we have of the past, whether personal or acquired through tradition, often shape the way we see the world. We are rarely able to have an objective and balanced memory, taking into account both positive and negative aspects. In the case of Purim, we are usually directed to remember the dangers, the threats, the destructive aspect of the society around us. The current times, so threatening for the Jewish People and for the State of Israel, reinforce this defensive view.

What I propose today is that, starting this year, we create an affective memory, with positive and more optimistic perspectives, based on Megillat Ester itself. Let’s see:

Those days of Purim will never cease among the Jews, and the memory of them will never end among their descendants. (Esther 9:21) Because of this verse, rabbinic tradition looks upon Purim as the only holiday that will remain during the Messianic Era.

But why will a minor holiday such as Purim remain, while more significant Chagim such as Pessach, Shavuot, and Sukkot will no longer be necessary? The following analogy may help clarify:

Two people were given the same mission: to identify their friends in the middle of the night. One of them came with a flashlight, with which he could illuminate the faces of his friends and identify them without difficulty. The second person decided to look with the naked eye, which forced her to look for her friends by sharpening her ears, to listen to their voices and their footsteps.

The first person soon discovered his friends, even in the darkness of the night, without further effort. The second took longer, but also managed to accomplish the mission. However, as he learned how to listen actively, he developed a great sensitivity that would help him not only at night, but also through daylight.

What are we talking about, anyway? In 1981, the Brazilian singer and songwriter Gilberto Gil composed a beautiful song that goes like this: “If I want to talk to God, I need to be alone, I need to turn off the lights, I need to silence my voice”. Our Sages teach that, before talking to God, we must learn how to listen to God.

We learn from our tradition that to the Jewish People were given two ways to recognize the Presence of God. The first is explicit: during the Exodus from Egypt, our ancestors witnessed with their own eyes, publicly, how God performed miracles and gave us the Torah, in the light of the day. The second is more subtle – active listening.

Paraphrasing Gilberto Gil: “If I want to listen to God, I need to be alone, I need to turn off the light, I need to silence my voice”.

It is necessary to silence the body and mind, to turn off the light of daily distractions and to train active listening in order to discover what is hidden from the eyes. Since we cannot see God, we need to develop the ability to listen to His Spiritual Voice and His Spiritual footsteps.

Despite all the mess and noise Purim causes, the holiday inspires us to seek God where the Divine doesn’t seem to be. It is a mitzvah to listen to the reading of the Megillah, which recounts the leadership of Esther, the heroine whose name refers to the Nistar, the Hidden. Even if in a playful way, we train listening in order to recognize Divine Providence during the dark periods of our lives.

Thus, when the sun rises and peace reigns again, with the Presence of God resplendent in all its brilliance, our subtler perception will remain keen and awake. Whether in good times or bad times, “those days of Purim will never cease among the Jews.”

Uri Lam is Rabbi at Congregation Beth-El in São Paulo, Brazil, and is father of 3: Yael, Ariel and Itay.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)