The main thrust of the Purim experience is the rejoicing and frolicking enjoyed by all. Costumes, exchange of edible gifts and family feasts are the order of the day.

Even the mention of Haman’s name evokes playfulness, where we each try to outdo the other in constructive noisemaking. The fact is, however, that a focal point of Purim is the message of the recurrence of anti-semitism. The Megillah identifies Haman as the Aggagite, a descendant of Amalek, the arch-enemy of Israel. In our tradition Amalek represents evil incarnate, a force seeking to wipe out the Jews. Rabbi Joseph Soloveichik described it as follows:

Suddenly, the Persian Jew discovered that he is hated. No one hates the United States or France, though particular policies may be vehemently decried. The mere existence of a Jew, however, irritates Amalek and his hatred can erupt suddenly and violently and be translated into mass murder. The very presence of Mordechai arouses… Haman; he just can’t bear him. As Haman clearly declared: “Yet all this [honor] is worth nothing to me, as long as I see Mordechai the Jew sitting at the King’s gate”. (Esther 5:13)

This is the tenth year since the tragedy of 9/11. Just this week I read in the press where a member of the UK’s House of Lords, serving as the health spokeswoman of the Liberal Party, challenged the State of Israel to provide proof its representatives did not harvest organs during the IDF’s valiant recent humanitarian effort in Haiti (a great kiddush Hashem).

Rabbi Soloveichik, who passed away in 1993, did not live to see the events of the last few years and the apparent targeting of the United States and Israel as objects of persecution.Withal, whether Amalek is Fascist, Communist, or Radical Islamist, the Jew has too often become the target of his irrational and absolute hatred. Although Jews as liberals are uncomfortable with this idea, the tradition has insisted that as long as there is an Amalek, the Jews are unsafe. 

The closing message of Purim, though, is the triumph of the Jew over evil and anti-semitism. Let us hope and pray that once again this recurring result comes true in our day, and let us hope against hope that the Amalek in our midst will once and for all be obliterated for all time. Happy Purim!

Rabbi Robert D. Block

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