Purim comes on the full moon of the Hebrew month of Adar, the 11th month in the Hebrew calendar. Adar brings with it an air of mystery, trickery, and unexpectedness. In Massachusett and Pawtucket territory, where I currently live, Adar brings false spring: a tease of warm, humid days interspersed with freezing, windy ones. Daffodil and crocus shoots emerge in my garden, hopeful in the bright spring sun, cowering as the chilling clouds blow in.ย
The book of Esther, the central tale of Purim, follows Esther, a Jewish woman who has become queen while concealing her Judaism.ย The story is woven with unexpectedness throughout, with things that are not-quite-what-they-seem. The story culminates with Esther interceding with the King on behalf of her people.
Esther becomes afraid at the prospect of approaching the king, something she knows puts her at risk of death. Her relative Mordechai, who is her main supporter outside of the palace, asks: โืึผืึดื ืืึนืึตืขึท ืึดืึพืึฐืขึตืช ืึผึธืึนืืช ืึดืึผึทืขึทืชึผึฐ ืึทืึผึทืึฐืึฝืึผืช / uโmi yodeโa lโet kaโzot higata lโmalchut? / And who knows if for this moment, you attained this power?โ Mordechai challenges Esther to own the power that she has. More than that, Mordechai challenges Esther to use this power not only for her own good, safety, and protection, but to leverage that regal power for the good of the collective.
Estherโs response, then, is: โืึตืึฐ ืึผึฐื ืึนืก ืึถืชึพืึผืึพืึทืึผึฐืืึผืึดืื ืึทึฝื ึผึดืึฐืฆึฐืึดืื ืึผึฐืฉืืึผืฉืึธื ืึฐืฆืึผืืึผ ืขึธืึทื / lech kโnos et-kol-haโyehudim haโnimtzaโim baโshushan vโtzumu alai / go, gather all of the Jews found in Shushan, and fast for me.โย Esther calls for a fast of solidarity. When she approaches the king, she is not acting alone without support. Rather, she does so accompanied by the whole Jewish community outside the palace gates and she does so on behalf of that very community. Their collective fast shows Esther that she is not alone.
Estherโs story calls us toward interdependence. In her book Emergent Strategy, Adrienne Marie Brown grounds the concept of interdependence in nature: โMany trees grow from a common root system underground, are one being reaching up in many bodiesโbirch, ash, mangrove. Oak trees wrap their roots around each other under the earth. Mycelium, the threading that makes up most mushrooms, communicates between treesโ (p. 85).ย ย
Just as a mushroom is the fruiting body of a whole underground network, and just as the shallow root systems of redwoods intertwine and hold each other up in strong winds and on steep hillsides, so too was Estherโs risk-taking possible only because of the network that lifted her up: she is courageous because of this collective solidarity held in many connected bodies and spirits.ย
May we be inspired by Esther: willing to use our access to power toward transformation for the good of the collective. May we be inspired by the Jews who fast with Esther, to remember that change never happens at the hand of one person, one moment, alone. May we be transformed in this season of lengthening days, leaning into interdependence and creative adaptation to meet the demands of the moment. In times of crisis, may we remember that we can neither shoulder the burden completely alone, nor can we expect that it can happen without us.ย
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We can also look to the rituals of Purim for inspiration on how to enact more interdependence. We inherit four mitzvot, four rituals that are part of the Purim celebrations:ย
- Listening to the megillah. We are called to listen to every word of the megillah. Whether you are able to or choose to access a reading, consider this mitzvah of attention: to what can you give the gift of attention, attentiveness, curiosity, attunement?ย ย
- Gifting. Mishloach manot (literally translated as โsending portionsโ), is a practice of gifting. Share your food, medicine, crafts, time, attention.ย
- Mutual aid. Matanot lโevyonim, (literally translated as โgifts to the poorโ), is a practice of mutual aid, of sharing resources in order to help people meet their basic needs. While matanot lโevyonim is traditionally money or food, thereโs room to be creative. What do you have to offer? What are the asks coming from your neighbors, your community members, or folks around the city?ย ย
Sharing a meal. By gathering in beloved community, sharing a festive meal. Bless the food and the people!
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Becca Heisler is an educator, ritualist, folk herbalist, and rabbinical student. Originally from the Chicago area, she spent six years making home on Lisjan Ohlone land (Berkeley/Oakland, CA) where she worked for Wilderness Torahโs Bโhootz, Bโnaiture, and Neshama Quest programs.ย ย She has since relocated to Massachusett and Pawtucket territory (Cambridge, MA), to start rabbinical school at Hebrew College. She spends her days in conversation with the ancestors through prayer, text, and watching the magnolia buds slowly emerge as the snow and ice begin to melt.
