AWAKE,AWAKE

As we prepare to celebrate the Holiday of Purim,I am reminded of the Rabbinic statement "Should all the Holidays be annulled , Purim will endure" Our Rabbis of old spoke with great foresight.They saw the inevitable future of the hatred that continues to be espoused against the Jews which is implied in the Holiday of Purim.They knew that Israel's role would demand at times agonizing sacrifices.They saw Mordechai perennially confronting a hostile world with some Haman arrayed against him.

    Leo Tolstoy wrote "Anti Semitism is a mad passion akin to the lowest perversities of diseased human nature. It is the will to hate". A study of world history shows us how true these ideas are. This is in essence the story of Purim, a story that  bespeaks Anti Semitism.

   Today more than ever the statement that" History repeats itself" is so applicable. With all of our modern advances it is a sorry state of affairs that hatred still exists in our time and  this venom of hatred is directed towards the Jewish People in particular and towards our glorious state of Israel. How ironic it must seem that the story of Purim took  place in the country that is now known as Iran, a country that is once again in the throes of hatred,killing and total disrespect for human rights. I can just see the modern Esther and Mordechai waiting fearfully for the despicable modern day Haman to vent his hatred once again against the Jewish People only this time we are blessed with a country that will protect us with a strong and indefatigable Jewish army.

      Purim comes to remind us  that we need to be ever vigilant to the hatred and venom that exist and there is an urgent need to cry out, AWAKE, AWAKE  and recognize the monsters that lurk in the world and parade around in their human religious garb, who are bent on Jewish genocide.

    Yet with all of our apprehensions we will celebrate Purim in the most joyous way because as Jews we celebrate Life. The glory of the Jewish People is that we posses the confidence of a Mordechai and Esther that there is a Divine  Providential design that will bring the Geulah Shlemah removing all hatred from our midst.

It is to this end that we need to strive and dedicate our efforts. This is the time  to rededicate ourselves to a greater allegiance and commitment to Judaism.

   It is my fervent prayer in echoing the words of the  Megillah  "ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר

"For the Jews there was light and joy, gladness and honor".   כן תהיה לנו ,So may it bar for us in our times. Wishing everyone a Freilichen Purim.