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PURIM

בייה

5774EXODUS MAGAZINE - MONTREAL

March2014

Dear Friends, On Behalf of Chabad Russian Youth Center, We Wish You a Happy,

a spectacular Purim evening.Children and adults you are invited to celebrate

Megilla Reading, Purim Masquerade, Gifts for ALL Children, Pizza, Hamantashen, Fun for the Whole Family

What:

When: SUNDAY March 16-th, 2014 at 17:30

Where:At Our Synagogue - 7370 COTE-S.-LUC Road, On the SECOND Floor, Suite # 111

For Additional Information Please Contact Rabbi Moshe Reikhtman at : (514) 777-9161

Wishing You a Happy Holiday !

PURIM !

The world is changing. New technologies are plummeting us to lower depths of disconnectedness or propelling us greater heights of interactivity, depending who you ask. Power is shifting in the stage for global military and economic superiority. New paradigms are being created in virtually every field of inquiry before we even have time to adjust to the old ones.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. The world is definitely changing, but human behavior has for the most part remained the same. It is ironic that we find a way to dispose of the offensive byproducts of our existence through gentrified sanitation control mechanisms, but that we somehow ignore the equally offensive and dangerous byproducts of unhealthy and insensitive living; that we continue to innovate devices and software that enable and encourage uninterrupted communication, but we spend little time or energy improving the substance of that communication and interaction. It is especially ironic when the spiritual technology to deal with these maladies of the mind and heart have been around for over two centuries.

The areas of life readily accessible for improvement – thought, speech and action – are termed “garments” in Chassidic thought. They are part of us, but at the same time somewhat external, like our clothes. The garment metaphor implies that every healthy human being has the ability to control their thought, speech and action much the way we change or remove our clothing. Even thought, the most elusive of the three garments because we cannot easily remove it entirely except through intense concentration and meditation, is quite malleable when we consider that we can turn our thoughts effortlessly from one subject to another.Speech and action are even more controllable, since we can simply hold ourselves back from speaking or acting offensively. Our inner feelings and our intellects, on the other hand, require years of painstaking, incremental advancement to fully master; we cannot easily change how we feel our how we understand certain things the way we can change how we speak about them or react to them.But just because the area is superficial, doesn’t meanour approach to it has to be.

It is tempting to dismiss the outer garments as inconsequential, superficial manifestations of who we are, but mastering them is the secret to experiencing growth and discovering the inner self. Unlike the intellect and emotions, the outer garments are completely under our dominion; I might not always be able to dictate how my mind processes ideas or how my heart experiences emotions, but I can always control what I think about, what I say, and what I do. Always. The outer garments provide the most fertile ground for change because they are malleable by even the gentlest force of will.

This approach should not be confused with the cognitive behavioral approach of medieval ethicists and modern psychiatrists, who crush the human spirit by denying us its power. The idea of controlling the outer garments does not focus on treating symptoms through behavior modification. Though this is sometimes necessary in extreme situations when time or circumstances do not allow for the process of real change to play itself out, it is never really desirable. Behavior only deals with the outer self, and ignores completely the inner self and the power I have to transform from within. Denying this power is an excuse, an escape from the responsibility it entails; it is much easier to say that I cannot, and meekly whither away, than to acknowledge that I can, and face the subsequent battle.

This is why the term garments is used, to emphasize that the cognitive behavioral approach to change – where we condition ourselves to overcome addictions or negative behaviors through physical consequences or stimuli (much the way dogs are trained) is, quite literally, only skin deep. The individual is not transformed by the process, which ignores the cause of the malaise. In some cases the behavior is improved, but often at the expense of real inner discovery. I could spend my whole life continuously modifying my external behavior without ever changing who I am. Or I could empower myself to change what I am into, which garments I immerse my being into – changing not merely what I think, but what I am into thinking; not what I say, but what I am into speaking; not what I do, but what I am into doing.

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March 2014 Adar II 5774

OBSHINA.CA

contents| JEWISH SOUL

Hide & SeekYou ask how can we reconcile the attributes of G‑d of mercifulness and kindness with cosmic catastrophes such as volcanic eruptionsand the like, involving the loss of human life, etc... — From a letter of the Rebbe

| MADE YOU THINK

Fight or Laugh: Purim TodayPurim, even if we strictly follow all the rules pertaining to the holiday, it features a certain aspect that is not only about good humor, but also about mischief, and at times even rowdiness.. — by Adin (Even Yisrael) Steinsaltz

| MADE YOU THINK

Balancing the Past and the Future Why such exhilaration at merely surviving a tragedy that was only narrowly averted? Relief, I can understand. But to turn the day into a carnival? Just because we’re still here to tell the story? —by Jonathan Sacks

| JEWISH THOUGHT

Have You Herd?In our free‑spirited society, where individuality and independence reign, who wants to be seen as a "copycat" and follower of others? As someone who cannot think or act on their own? — by Simon Jacobson

| LIFE ON EARTH DEATH BY SECRETS: A PURIM STORYRabbah and Rabbi Zeira held their Purim feast together. They became drunk. Rabbah got up and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, Rabbah pleaded for divine mercy, and brought Rabbi Zeira back to life... — by Tzvi Freeman

| LIFE ON EARTH DEATH BY SECRETS: A PURIM STORYGet the what, where, why and how for celebrating Purim. Featuring a summary of the story, and a how‑to guide to the four mitzvas.

MONTREAL JEWISH MAGAZINE

Hide & SeekFrom a letter of the Rebbe

j e w i s h s o u l

In reply to your letter, briefly: You ask how can we reconcile the attributes of G‑d of mercifulness and kindness with cosmic

catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions and the like, involving the loss of human life, etc.

There are many circumstances involved in each event, in addition to time and location. However, there is one general answer to such apparently inexplicable occurrences, which will become clearer through the following illustration: Suppose one encounters an individual for a brief period of time, finding him asleep, or engaged in some arduous toil. Now, if the observer would want to conclude from what he sees during that brief period of time as to the nature of the individual he had observed, he would then conclude that the individual has an unproductive existence—in the first instance; or leads a life of torture—in the second. Obviously, both conclusions are erroneous, inasmuch as what he saw was only a fraction of the individual’s life, and the state of sleep was only a period of rest and preparation for activity, and—in the second instance—the toil was a means to remuneration or other satisfaction which by far outweighs the effort involved. The truth is that any shortsighted observation, covering only a fraction of time or of the subject, is bound to be erroneous, and what may appear as negative will assume quite a different appearance if the full truth of the before and after were known.

Similarly in the case of any human observation of a world event. The subject of such an observation is thus taken out of its frame of eternity, of a chain of events that occurred before and will occur afterwards.

Obviously, we cannot expect to judge about the nature of such an event with any degree of accuracy. A volcanic eruption or earthquake and the like are but one link in a long chain of events that began with the creation of the world and will continue to the end of times, and we have no way of interpreting a single event by isolating it from the rest.

The difference between “G‑d is All” and “All is G‑d” is in the approach and deduction. In the first instance, our starting point is G‑d, and through study and research we can deduce that G‑d’s Being is revealed even in material and “natural” things. Our study of the Unity of G‑d and His other

attributes will lead us to recognizing the same attributes in nature and the world around us, the practical results of which find expression in unity among mankind and the practice of G‑d’s precepts as the proper application of G‑d’s attributes in our own life, etc. One who sets out on this path dedicates himself wholly to communion with G‑d. He is averse to all material aspects of life, including even the bare necessities connected with his physical wellbeing, and tries to avoid them as much as possible. Being engaged in spiritual communion with G‑d, he considers all material and physical necessities, even those permitted by the Torah, as a hindrance in his consecrated life. However, his intelligence convinces him that the material and physical world is but an expression of the Divine Being, and that in them, too, G‑d is to be found.

In the second part of the statement, “All is G‑d,” the starting point is the outer shell of the universe and all material things in it, a study of which will lead to the conclusion that there is cosmic unity in the whole world and that there is a Divine “spark” vitalizing everything, and, consequently—One Creator. Hence he serves G‑d even while engaged in the material aspects of life, and does so with joy, inasmuch as it is in them and through them that he recognizes the greatness of the Creator and they help strengthen his unity with G‑d.

Thus we have two ways in the service of G‑d, of which the first is the easier one, while the second leads to a better fulfillment of the objective—to make this lowest physical world an abode for G‑d. EM

Purim is the most unusual Jewish holiday. When it comes to all other holidays, although being joyful is a mitzvah, they

also feature a serious side, and the joy has limits and restrictions. On the other hand, in Purim, even if we strictly follow all the rules pertaining to the holiday, it features a certain aspect that is not only about good humor, but also about mischief, and at times even rowdiness.

This is a puzzling matter, as the celebration of Purim followed a difficult and highly threatening period. During most generations, the people of Israel faced threats, wars, and enemies, yet most of these incidents were no different than the clashes and wars experienced by all other nations. However, the event that took place before Purim was essentially different and much graver, as this was no war, but rather, a plan to exterminate a people.

It was the first display of anti‑Semitism in history. Haman and all his collaborators were indeed defeated, yet over the generations we discovered that anti‑Semitism may have started with Haman, but it did not end with him. Amalek’s seed is still in the world, and it flourishes even in our cosmopolitan and enlightened era.

Over the years, many explanations and “justifications” were given to anti‑Semitism: Religious ones, racial ones, and cultural ones. The fact such explanations are so numerous proves there is no truth to them and that they merely serve as a veneer for a more basic and hidden matter. That is, just like the existence of the people of Israel, despite all the suffering and distress, is an inexplicable mystery, anti‑Semitism is also very mysterious.

As anti‑Semitism is irrational in essence, we may be able to defend ourselves against it but we have no way of uprooting it. Jewish attempts in the last hundreds of years to resolve the problem using opposite means – extreme assimilation on the one hand, and the establishment of an independent state on the other hand – did not resolve the problem, but rather, merely changed or diverted it to other avenues.

The conclusion of this is that we only have two possible responses. First, we can do our best, as was done in the days of Esther and in other generations, to defend ourselves against evil and fight it. This needs to be done in any case, even if only to gain a respite from the outbreaks of hatred.

The second possibility is to laugh. Laugh

not only about the defeat of our enemies’, but also about the absurdity, ridiculousness, and inherent contradictions of anti‑Semitism. The laughter does not mean that there is an answer, yet this is our way of declaring that we have removed ourselves from the irrational interaction of hating Haman. We laugh at Haman, Ahasuerus, and all their successors, because after all we shall prevail and stick around, and they shall become the subject of jokes.

Just like everything else in Judaism, joy should be expressed with actions. We therefore express our joy not only with high spirits, but also with the serious actions in the wake of the laughter. Indeed, immediately after Purim, we start the 30 days of preparations for Passover, where we clean the chametz in order to clear everything that is not us, thereby polishing our own essence, which does not belong to “them,” but rather, to “He who chose us from all the nations.” EM

Adin (Even Yisrael) Steinsaltz is a world renowned scholar and rabbi, author of many books on Jewish mysticism, as well as the comprehensive Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud. He resides in Jerusalem.

m a d e y o u t h i n k

Adin (Even Yisrael) Steinsaltz

FigHt or LaugH: Purim today

If you’re driving through a Jewish area on Saturday night or Sunday, March 15‑16, don’t be surprised if you see lots

of children in the streets wearing costumes, fancy dress and masks, or people going from house to house delivering presents of food and drink. The reason is that we’ll be celebrating Purim, the most boisterous and exuberant of all Jewish festivals.

Which is actually very odd indeed, because Purim commemorates the story told in the book of Esther, when Haman, a senior official of the Persian Empire, persuaded the king to issue a decree to annihilate all Jews, young and old, men, women and children, on one day: a warrant for genocide. Thanks to the vigilance of Mordechai and the courage of Esther, the decree was not carried out, and ever since, we’ve celebrated by reading the story, having parties, giving to the poor and sharing gifts of food with friends.

I used to be very puzzled by this. Why such exhilaration at merely surviving a tragedy that was only narrowly averted? Relief, I can understand. But to turn the day into a carnival? Just because we’re still here to tell the story?

Slowly, though, I began to understand how

much pain there has been in Jewish history, how many massacres and pogroms throughout the ages. Jews had to learn how to live with the past without being traumatized by it. So they turned the day when they faced and then escaped the greatest danger of all into a festival of unconfined joy, a day of dressing up and drinking a bit too much, to exorcise the fear, live through it and beyond it, and then come back to life, unhaunted by the ghosts of memory.

Purim is the Jewish answer to one of the great questions of history: how do you live with the past without being held captive by the past? Ours is a religion of memory, because if you forget the past, you’ll find yourself repeating it. Yet it’s also a future oriented faith. To be a Jew is to answer the question, Has the messiah come?, with the words, Not yet.

There are so many parts of the world today where ancient grievances are still being played out, as if history were a hamster wheel in which however fast we run we find ourselves back where we started. Purim is a way of saying, remember the past, but then look at the children, celebrate with them, and for their sake, put the past behind you and build a better future. EM

Rabbi Dr. Sir Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth and a member of the House of Lords, is a leading academic and respected world expert on Judaism. He is a the author of several books and thousands of articles, appears regularly on television and radio, and speaks at engagements around the world.

m a d e y o u t h i n k

Jonathan Sacks

BaLancing tHe PaSt and tHe Future

PURIM IS THE JEWISH ANSWER TO ONE OF THE GREAT QUESTIONS OF HISTORY: HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH THE PAST WITHOUT BEING HELD CAPTIVE BY THE PAST?

j e w i s h t h o u g h t

History is witness to the often devastating effects of mob mentality. Nowhere was this more evident than

in the last century’s Nazis, who demonstrated in real life the horrific consequences of blind obedience.

Groupthink. Herd mentality. Brainwashing. Cults. Bandwagon effect. Witch hunt. Lynch mob. There are many terms that express one of the things abhorred today: Conformity. Calling someone a conformist is considered an insult. In our free‑spirited society, where individuality and independence reign, who wants to be seen as a "copycat" and follower of others? As someone who cannot think or act on their own?

From the Salem witch hunts to George Orwell’s chilling account of a "Newspeak" world, where everyone is expected and forced to think and speak the same words, we are all repulsed by the forces that demand annihilation of the individual voice.

And, yet the group and community play a vital role in society. Without it we have no cooperation, growth, and all the benefits of cross‑pollination. So how do we balance the two — the individual and the collective, without compromising one or the other?

How do we protect against the abuses of groupthink while maintaining the value of the community?

Thinkers, psychologists and politicians have been struggling with this issue through the centuries.

Fascinatingly, a 3300 year old document offers us a formula that balances individuality and community.

Let us take a fascinating trip down the corridors of history tracing back to the earliest roots of social communion (the "mother" of modern social media), to the inception of the concept of "community."

As Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt, we read a story called “Vayakhel”. Vayakhel means to gather, rooted in the word kahal, community or group. Moses gathered the people, and thereby instituted the custom of gathering together on a regular basis to study and pray and commune.

What is the power of this gathering? In one words: Synergy. How did Moses assure that he group would not decline into mob mentality? By assuring that the communion was divine — driven not by self‑interest, but by fulfilling a higher calling. And by insisting that the group is only an extension

of individuals.Before Moses gathered the people together,

they were a bunch of individuals — all children of Abraham, Isaac, And Jacob, who were fierce individuals whose lives were all about non‑conformity and building a whole new way of looking at the world.

One truth is that materiality dictates conformity, and spirituality dictates individuality. Materiality is synonymous with survival — doing what you have to do to survive. Survival creates a need to work together. Spirit is not defined by material needs, so spirit allows itself to soar. Transcendence — that souring of the soul — is very individualistic. We all do it differently.

Long before there was a gathering at Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were a group of individuals. The Midrash says that though millions of people stood at Mt. Sinai, the Ten Commandments were spoken in the second person singular. You would think that since G‑d was addressing a group, these commandments would have been spoken in the plural.

Here's the rub: The Midrash says that everyone standing there heard the Ten Commandments as if it was being spoken

Simon Jacobson

Have you Herd?

j e w i s h t h o u g h t

only to him or her.It's like going to a concert. Have you ever

been at a concert and you felt the music move you? (Thousands of Grateful Dead‑heads can back us up here.) The experience is yours, even though you might be surrounded by an arena of 20,000 people. The music and words of the band resonate inside you. The whole arena is crowded by other individuals who are having their own unique experiences of hearing the music. You're standing together in the same place, but your experience is distinctly your own.

Like experiencing music, everyone at Mt. Sinai heard what they as individuals needed to hear. Once you have this kind of individuality, you can bring people together to be more than the sum of their parts. (To go back to the concert metaphor, it’s the synergy or feeling of togetherness that the group experiences.)

If there was no individuality in the first place, when you bring together a group they will become conformists. But if each individual consciously chooses to join with his fellows, then you have a synergy that is greater than the sum of its parts.

So in this light, does religion demand a

herd mentality? Does religion want to draw you toward the herd to refute or combat a perceived enemy, or does it fundamentally want you to be an individual who takes part in a synergistic experience?

Truth be told, that history is witness to terrible abuses in the name of religion and faith. We have seen how religious” authorities have used mob mentality to wreak havoc and destruction. Let's be real clear about this: Any religion that demands a mob mentality from its members is not true religion or true faith; it's an establishment that is serving the interests of a small group in power.

True religion — as defined by Torah — has first and foremost absolute respect for the dignity of every human being created in the Divine Image. The true experience of religion is making choices based on the wishes of your soul in fulfilling its calling, not based on self‑interest and the influence of the material world.

It is difficult to escape the influence of the material world and the drive for survival. Yet, Torah provides us with methods and tools to access your free soul within.

Consider the following exercise to guide you toward experiencing spirituality as an individual, rather than as a member of a

herd: The purpose of this is to ultimately create communities that are synergistic.

Go into a quiet room. Close your eyes. Focus on your inside. Do you hear anything? The answer should be no. But then think about the silent gentle sound of your own self untouched, unstimulated by your outer senses. This is your soul — the still small voice within you. As you spend a few minutes doing this on a daily basis you will begin to access your soul and learn to soar on the wings of your soul by listening to its soundless melody. Once you open your eyes and return to "regular" life, take a few random moments throughout the day to recall the experience of your soul. This will help bring awareness of your inner purity into your conventional activities. Do this regularly, and you will experience true and sustainable change.

This will help you discover how to live from the inside out, rather than from the outside in. EM

Rabbi Simon Jacobson is the author of Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe and the director of the Meaningful Life Center (meaningfullife.org).

We’ve explained why Midrash and aggadah are so vital to our Torah diet. We’ve explained

that these stories speak to us from a higher plane of reality. And we’ve also demonstrated that even if you don’t get it, you still do get it—meaning that you’ve still got truth even if you’re clueless to the meaning inside.

We’ve also provided some guidelines to determine whether a story is an anecdote or a parable. Now, let’s take a test case. Let’s look at a story of the Talmud and see what’s meant literally, what’s meant to point to something deeper, and how it could be true for everyone on their level.

Aside from context, one of the giveaway signs of down‑to‑earth literalness is practical application. If you see a story cited in the determination of a halachah (Jewish law) —what to do and what not to do— you know that at least the relevant details must stay tied down to the ground.

Here’s an example. First, the Talmud presents us an opinion on a very practical matter:

Rabbah taught, “A man is obligated to

get drunk on Purim until he cannot dis-tinguish between ‘cursed is Haman’ and ‘blessed is Mordechai.’”

Fine so far. But then the Talmud proceeds with a relevant anecdote:

Rabbah and Rabbi Zeira held their Pu-rim feast together. They became drunk. Rabbah got up and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, Rabbah pleaded for divine mercy, and brought Rabbi Zeira back to life. A year passed, and Rabbah said to Rabbi Zeira, “Come, let us hold the Purim feast together!” Rabbi Zeira replied, “Miracles don’t happen every day.”

In this case, I guarantee this is not meant to be taken at face value. Rabbah was one of the star sages and respected teachers of the Talmud, well‑known for his righteousness. That is implicit in the story itself: if you or I would “plead for divine mercy,” do you think we would be successful at bringing our victim back to life?

Besides, if this were a compulsive

behavior issue, would Rabbi Zeira have no concern other than the unlikelihood of a repeat resurrection? How about “I’d feel safer celebrating with someone a tad less bloodthirsty”? And what about Rabbah? He seems to have felt no remorse whatsoever for his recklessness—on the contrary, he’s quite gung‑ho about doing the whole thing again.

So, we’re out to find some clues to the deeper meaning of this story. Maybe they weren’t really drunk? Maybe Rabbah didn’t really murder Rabbi Zeira? Maybe these are just allegories with some spiritual meaning?

But not so fast: Think of what this story is out to tell us. Quite obviously, that there are still limits to drinking, even on Purim. Some people just shouldn’t get drunk (or drink at all). After all, the entire story comes framed within the context of the halachah preceding it. In fact, several classic halachic authorities take the anecdote as the Talmud’s rejection of Rabbah’s teaching—better not to get drunk, lest you murder your colleagues and find yourself incapable of resurrecting them.

l i f e o n e a r t h

Tzvi Freeman

deatH By SecretS: a Purim Story

“There is one people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom…” The evil Haman used these words to convince King Ahashverosh to destroy the Jewish people. His argument emphasized “scattered and dispersed,” to imply that the Jewish people are not united and thus open to attack.The Jewish response was “Go, assemble all the Jews...” (Esther 4:16), “To gather together to defend themselves...” (8:11), “The Jews gathered together in their cities...” (9:2).In other words, they recognized that the unity and togetherness of the Jewish people would be the antidote to Haman’s slander of “scattered and dispersed.” There is an obvious analogy between these events of Purim and the present exile and anticipated redemption. Our tradition teaches us that the present exile was caused by gratuitous hatred. The internal corruption of disunity and divisiveness led to the dispersion of Israel from the Holy Land. Conversely, it is unity and gratuitous love for one another that will remedy this sad condition and bring about the Messianic redemption and restoration. Indeed, the major effect of Moshiach will be to correct the entire world to serve G‑d in unity, as it is said: “For then I will turn to the peoples a pure tongue that all shall call upon the Name of G‑d and serve Him with one consent!” (Zephaniah 3:9)Mystical texts note the analogy between the terms “Purim” and “Yom Kippurim.” Moreover, they state that the holiest day of the year is called “Yom Ki‑purim,” which could be translated “A Day like Purim.” This suggests that Purim has an advantage over Yom Kippur.The advantage of Purim is seen in the most obvious difference between these two days: Yom Kippur is a fast‑day on which we must afflict ourselves by refraining from basic human needs such as eating, drinking, bathing, etc. Purim, on the other hand, is a feast‑day celebrated with festive eating, drinking and merriment.Purim thus celebrates man’s involvement with the physical reality of G‑d’s creation. The use of material substances in context of man’s service of‑and relationship with‑G‑d, imbues these substances with spirituality. It sublimates them to their Divinely intended purpose. Purim manifests the intrinsic oneness of the universe which is rooted in the Oneness of its Creator, which the ultimate goal of the coming of Moshiach.

f u t u r e t e n s eMOSHIACH MUSINGS

That’s the rule of thumb we’re talking about, mentioned by Ramban (Nachmanides) and others: As soon as you see a practical, halachic application within a story, you know there’s some relevant details here with which you cannot tamper.

Internally, as well, the story resists a non‑literal interpretation: If Rabbah didn’t really kill Rabbi Zeira, then how could he resurrect him? And if he didn’t really resurrect him, then what is Rabbi Zeira’s concern about non‑repetitive miracles?

What we appear to be dealing with in this case is a real‑life anecdote told in figurative terms. Rabbah and Rabbi Zeira were drunk, but not from the wine; and Rabbah slaughtered Rabbi Zeira, but not with a slaughtering knife. Everything was good, very good—to the point that Rabbah was ready to go it again. Just not something that us amateurs should attempt without clinical supervision.

“When wine enters,” the Talmud tells us, “secrets come out.” Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, in his classic Shnei Luchot ha-Brit, describes how great sages and holy men would consume much wine and celebrate—and the channels of their mind would open so that the deepest secrets of the Torah would flow out of their mouths. He cites stories of the Talmud to this effect. Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, in his commentary to the Torah, Ohr ha-Chaim, describes how it was these secrets that emerged through the drinking of wine that carried Nadav and Avihu, the two sons of Aaron, to death as their souls departed from their bodies in ecstatic divine love.

Now, Rabbah was able to imbibe these secrets and remain alive, as his name implies: rab means “great.” But Rabbi Zeira could not contain such intense light: ze’ir means “small.” So Rabbah’s sharing of mystical secrets created such a great thirst for divine union in Rabbi Zeira’s soul that it departed, and his body was left dead. 7 The next day is no longer Purim—no longer a day for escaping all bounds and limitations, but a day for fulfilling your purpose down here on earth inside a physical body—so Rabbah dutifully resurrects his colleague.

The next year, Rabbah had no regrets, and was ready to perform the same clinical procedure on Rabbi Zeira once again—take him for a ride up to heaven and back again the next morning. Or perhaps he figured Rabbi Zeira had enough time to also attain a higher level, and would be able to hang in there.

But Rabbi Zeira, being a humble man, was not so sure. Certainly, he desired with all his soul to attain such divine ecstasy once again, to escape his body and return, to have both heaven and earth in a single 24 hours. But perhaps this time his soul would not be willing to return—or perhaps this time Rabbah would not be capable of a repeat of last year’s miracle. Ultimately, after all, we fulfill our purpose of being while alive on this earth.

Whatever the case, the lesson remains the same: Don’t get carried away with your wine, no matter its substance. Keep your feet on the ground. If you know you’re the type to be easily carried away when drinking, avoid it altogether.

Only that now the message reaches to many more echelons of society, to each person on his own level—the spiritual mystic with his Zohar, and the teenager with his friends at a party. The teenage drinkers would likely not be too impressed by Rabbi Zeira’s ecstatic expiration of the soul. And even if they were, it’s not really something you want to start talking about with them—who knows, they’ll probably want to try it for themselves.

So, the beautiful woman of secrets peeks out from a small window, concealing what needs to be concealed from the passerby on the street while revealing what needs to be revealed to the wise‑hearted seeker. Each takes what he needs to take, and leaves behind what does not belong to him as of yet. EM

Tzvi Freeman is the author of a number of highly original renditions of Kabbalah and Chassidic teachings, including the universally acclaimed Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. Tzvi’s books are available online at www.chabad.org.

p e r s p e c t i v e s

Last month, two Turkish businessmen stopped for lunch in a fish restaurant during a business trip to Edirne in the

Babaeski region. At some point during their meal, the

restaurant owner figured out that they were Jews. Rather than show them the hospitality Turkey is renowned for, he said he won’t serve Jews, and began cursing them and the Torah. He then took a long knife off the counter and threatened to kill them.

The men ran for their lives.Anti‑Semitic attacks have become regular

events in Turkey. In December, after leaving an anti‑corruption rally in Istanbul, a young woman was attacked by 10 to 15 supporters of Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan who had just left a support rally for the premier. They accused her of being a Jew, as they beat her up.

In an interview with The Times of Israel, Turkish opposition MP Ayken Kerdemir said that Erdogan has cultivated Turkish anti‑Semitism. “He is not only capitalizing on the existing sentiments, Kerdemir explained. Erdogan is “fueling some of that anti‑Israel and anti‑Semitic feeling… with his rhetoric, conspiracy theories, campaign slogans and actions.”

Kerdemir explained that Erdogan’s cultivation of anti‑Semitism in Turkish society will continue to affect Turkey’s behavior and social values long after he is gone. “Even after Erdogan and AKP are gone, even if [the opposition party] CHP comes to power, it will take us quite some time to mend inter‑societal relations through dialogue, awareness raising and sensitivity training.”

Once you let that genie out of the bottle, it is very hard to stuff it back inside. Erdogan’s anti‑Semitism is not opportunistic. He isn’t simply exploiting a popular prejudice for his own benefit. He is an anti‑Semite. And his anti‑Semitism informs his behavior toward Israel. In Kerdemir’s view, Erdogan’s uncontrollable hatred of Jews makes it impossible for him to agree to reconcile Turkey’s relations with Israel.

As he put it, “Erdogan’s core values vis‑à‑vis Jews and Israel prevent him from dealing with this issue in a tolerant, embracing and sustainable way.”

Against this backdrop it should surprise no one that this week Erdogan sunk prospects for a renewal of Turkish ties with Israel.

Immediately after he took office 10 years ago, Erdogan began systematically downgrading Turkey’s strategic alliance with Israel. This process, which began gradually and accelerated after Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian elections, reached its peak in 2010.

In May 2010, Erdogan sponsored the pro‑Hamas flotilla to Gaza whose aim was to undermine Israel’s lawful maritime blockade of the terrorist‑controlled Gaza coast. The flotilla’s flagship, the Mavi Marmara, was controlled by the al‑Qaida‑aligned IHH organization. Its passengers included terrorists who, armed with iron bars, knives and other weaponry tried to kill IDF naval commandos when they boarded the Gaza‑bound ship to enforce the blockade. In the ensuing battle, the commandos killed nine IHH terrorists.

Erdogan used the incident on the Mavi Marmara as a means of ending what remained of Turkey’s ties to Israel. For three years, he insisted that he would only restore full diplomatic relations if Israel ended its blockade of Hamas‑controlled Gaza, apologized for its forces’ actions on board the Mavi Marmara, and paid reparations to the families of the IHH terrorists killed in their assault on the IDF commandos.

In March 2013, Erdogan relented in his demand that Israel end the blockade and acceded to a reconciliation deal offered by the US in a three‑way telephone call with Prime

Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.Following the phone call, Netanyahu

apologized for “operational errors,” by IDF sailors aboard the Mavi Marmara and offered to compensate the families.

Negotiations toward the reinstatement of diplomatic relations were to ensue immediately. But just after Netanyahu made his required gesture of appeasement, Erdogan began delaying the talks, while continuing his anti‑Semitic assaults.

Talks eventually did start. And according to Israeli sources, they were about to conclude this week. Netanyahu was beginning to build political support for his decision to agree to Turkey’s demand for a massive $20 million settlement of claims against Israel by the dead terrorists’ families.

But then Erdogan walked away.On Tuesday, Erdogan reinstated his initial

demand that Israel must end its lawful naval blockade of terrorist‑controlled Gaza before he restores ties to the Jewish state.

In many quarters of the Israeli media, Erdogan’s action was met with surprise. Reporters who for years have insisted that Israel can make the problem go away by bowing to Erdogan’s demands are stumped by his behavior.

But they shouldn’t have been.It isn’t simply that Erdogan cannot reconcile

with Israel because he hates Jews. As is almost always the case with anti‑Semites, Erdogan’s anti‑Semitism is part of his general authoritarian outlook informed by a paranoid

Caroline Glick

WHy turkey iS done

p e r s p e c t i v e s

mindset.Erdogan sees a Jewish conspiracy behind

every independent power base in Turkey. And his rejection of Israel is an integral part of his rejection of all forces in Turkey that are not dependent on his good offices.

Over the past 10 years, and with ever increasing brutality, paranoia and intensity, Erdogan has sought to destroy all independent power bases in the country. He purged the military by placing hundreds of generals in prison in his delusional Ergenekon conspiracy in which they were accused of seeking to overthrow his Islamist government.

He has destroyed most of the independent media in the country and sent hundreds of journalists and editors to prison.

The same is the case with independent businessmen.

Over the past year, Erdogan destroyed whatever remained of the plausible deniability he initially fostered between himself and the systematic abrogation of civil rights and the rule of law in Turkey.

This week, 17 people were sentenced to two years each in prison for “deliberately insulting the premier and not regretting their actions,” during a small demonstration in 2012 protesting the government’s health policy.

Also this week, Erdogan acknowledged that he calls television broadcasters in the middle of news shows and orders them to stop the broadcast of information he doesn’t want the public to know. This has included ending the live broadcast of a speech in parliament by the opposition leader, ending coverage of the mass anti‑government demonstrations last summer, and removing a news ticker that reported on the corruption scandals surrounding Erdogan and his cronies.

Erdogan has also reacted to the corruption investigations of his cronies by firing the public prosecutors and police officers involved in the investigations.

To maintain the public’s support for his burgeoning dictatorship, Erdogan has adopted populist economic policies that have sunk the Turkish economy. To buy the public’s allegiance, Erdogan has borrowed heavily internationally and artificially lowered Turkey’s interest rates, even as the local currency dropped in value in international markets and Turkey’s current accounts deficits outpaced Greece’s on the eve

of its economic meltdown.As David Goldman explained in a financial

analysis of Turkey’s incipient economic meltdown in The Asia Times, rather than raise consumer interests rates, Erdogan has blamed the Jews by railing against “the interest rate lobby.”

Indeed, since he first invoked the term during the anti‑government demonstrations last August, Erdogan has taken to blaming the interest rate cabal for all of Turkey’s woes.

Goldman argues that part of Turkey’s credit crisis owes to its apparent reliance on interbank loans from Saudi Arabia. In part due to their anger at Erdogan for his support for the Muslim Brotherhood, the Saudis have apparently stopped loaning to Turkish banks.

The Saudis’ action has pushed Erdogan into the waiting arms of Iran’s ayatollahs. In an interview with Business Insider, Australia, terror financing expert Jonathan Schanzer said Turkey and Iran were able to minimize the impact of the international sanctions on Iran’s energy sector. Between June 2012 and June 2013, the Turkish‑Iranian “gas for gold” sanctions‑busting scheme brought Iran $13 billion in hard currency.

Erdogan’s hatred of Jews, his authoritarian mindset and his Islamist ideology informed his decision to transform Turkey into one of the leading sponsors of terrorism. In addition to its massive support for Hamas, beginning in the 2006 First Lebanon War Turkey began providing assistance to Hezbollah.

Then there is al‑Qaida. Turkey has long harbored al‑Qaida financiers. And according to IDF Intelligence head Maj.‑Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Turkey hosts three al‑Qaida bases on its territory that enable terrorists to transit between Europe and Syria.

Erdogan’s ideological underpinning directs his embrace of Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah and al‑Qaida. But his decimation of Turkey’s economy has made him view Iran as Turkey’s economic savior. And that in turn pushes Turkey even deeper into the jihadist camp.

Obviously in this situation, the chance that Turkey will agree to reconcile with Israel, at any price, is nil.

The surprise that many Israeli journalists have expressed over Erdogan’s seeming about‑face on the reconciliation deal brings us to the

larger lesson of his transformation of Turkey.These journalists believe that Israel’s bilateral

relations with other countries are based on tit for tat. If I do something to upset you, you will get upset. If I apologize and try to make things right, then you will be satisfied and everything will go back to normal.

This simplistic view of the world is attractive because it places Israel in a position of power. If the only reason that Turkey is mad at Israel is that Israel will not apologize for its response to Turkey’s illegal aggression, then Israel should apologize and pay whatever damages Erdogan demands.

Moreover, Israel should make Erdogan believe the sincerity of its apology by maintaining faith with the myth that he is a responsible actor on the world stage, rather than a prominent sponsor of terrorism and the hangman of Turkish democracy and economic prosperity.

Appeasement is a seductive policy because it is gives its purveyors a sense of empowerment. And at times, when faced with a simple, limited dispute it can work.

But Turkey’s rejection of Israel is not a linear response to a specific Israeli action. It is a consequence of the nature of Erdogan’s regime, and due to his anti‑Semitic and anti‑Israel incitement, it is increasingly a consequence of the nature of Turkish society.

Kerdemir argued that Turkish anti‑Semitism does not necessitate a rejection of Jews and Israel. And that’s true.

The problem is that when anti‑Semitism is tied to several other political and economic pathologies, as it is in the case of Turkey, it is impossible as a practical matter for any accommodation to be reached.

The sword‑wielding restaurateur who responded to the mere presence of Jewish diners in his establishment with murderous rage is no more exceptional than lynch mobs in Ramallah. And as Turkey’s economic plight worsens and Erdogan’s embrace of Iran and jihadist groups tightens, Turkey’s behavior will only become more extreme, unappeasable and dangerous. EM

Caroline B. Glick is the senior Middle East Fellow at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, DC and the deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post.

ERDOGAN’S ANTI-SEMITISM IS NOT OPPORTUNISTIC. HE ISN’T SIMPLY EXPLOITING A POPULAR PREJUDICE FOR HIS OWN BENEFIT. HE IS AN ANTI-SEMITE. AND HIS ANTI-SEMITISM INFORMS HIS BEHAVIOR TOWARD ISRAEL.

J ewish morale was at an all-time low. The Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed, the nation conquered, and for almost 70 years, Jews had been dispersed in foreign

lands. The prophesied end of Exile had not materialized, and the blight of assimilation had set in. Just then, the enemy arose to carry out his evil plans. This time it was Haman. Descended from the Jew-hating tribe of Amalek, Haman devised his scheme to solve “the Jewish problem” once and for all, by annihilating every Jew, men, women and children, throughout the world, in a single day.

And it almost worked. Were it not for Mordechai. A descendent of King Saul and advisor to King Achashverosh, Mordechai sensed the danger. Donning sackcloth and ashes, he went to the gate of the palace, crying aloud, rallying the Jews to return to Torah. His niece, Queen Esther, called for him. He told her that she must go to the king and plead for her people. Officially in disfavor, she feared to go but saw that she had no choice. She undertook a three-day fast of penitence, and called upon the whole Jewish people to do likewise. Then she went to the king.

It is a story of great courage and self-sacrifice — first and foremost by Queen Esther and Mordechai and ultimately by the whole Jewish nation. For throughout the duration of the whole year, not one single Jew chose to convert, even to save his life. The nation was awakened to a wholehearted return to Torah and mitzvot, and throughout the year strengthened their faith and observance. And in the merit of this, they were able to rise up against their enemies and destroy them, on the 13th of Adar, the very day destined for the “final solution.” The Jewish people had shown their true character. They had earned the right to leave Exile, to return to the Holy Land and rebuild the Temple. As it was in those days, so may it be with us today. Each year in fulfilling the special mitzvot of the Purim festival, we reaffirm our commitment to the eternal values of the Torah ... and we share in the very same merit that redeemed the Jewish people in the days of Mordechai and Esther.

One of the Purim mitzvot is the reading of the Megillah — the Scroll of Esther, in which the miracle of Purim is recounted. The Talmud tells us that “whoever reads the Megillah backwards does not fulfill his obligation.” Our Sages explain that “backwards” does not only mean in reverse order; it also means that whoever reads the Megillah merely as ancient history has missed the point. The Purim story is directly relevant to our contemporary world. As the Megillah itself tells us, that when we celebrate Purim each year, the miraculous events of Purim are “remembered and re-enacted” in our lives.

Throughout our history, we have seen miracles. Despite centuries upon centuries of persecution, we have survived and flourished, by the grace of G-d. Yet we have remained in exile for nearly 2,000 years, hoping and praying for the final and complete redemption — the redemption that will end suffering and exile forever. May the observance of Purim be a precursor to the coming of Moshiach, our Righteous Redeemer, whose imminent arrival will bring about a better life for all the nations of the world.

The Purim Story

Purim GuideTHE 4 MITZVAHS OF PURIM:

Listen to The MegillahSATURDAY, MARCH 15 (EVENING)SUNDAY, MARCH 16 (DAYTIME)To relive the miraculous events of Purim, we listen to a public reading of the Megillah (the Scroll of Esther) on Purim eve and again on Purim day. Whenever Haman’s name is mentioned, we twirl noise-makers and stamp our feet to “drown out” his evil name. Tell the children Purim is the only time when it’s a mitzvah to make noise!

Send Gifts of FoodAT LEAST TWO KINDS OF FOOD IN EACH GIFTSUNDAY, MARCH 16 (DAYTIME)On Purim we emphasize the importance of Jewish unity and friendship by sending gifts of food to friends. Send a gift of at least two kinds of ready-to-eat foods (for example, pastry, fruit, beverage), to at least one friend on Purim day. It is proper that men send to men and women to women. Sending these gifts should be done through a third party. Children, in addition to sending their own gifts of food, make enthusiastic messengers.

Give Gifts to the NeedyTO AT LEAST TWO PEOPLESUNDAY, MARCH 16 (DAYTIME)Concern for the needy is a year-round responsibility for the Jew. On Purim, particularly, it is a special mitzvah to remember the poor. Give charity to at least two, but preferably more needy individuals on Purim day. The mitzvah is best fulfilled by giving directly to the needy. Even small children should fulfill this mitzvah.

Eat The Festive MealSUNDAY, MARCH 16 (DAYTIME)As on all festivals, we celebrate Purim with a special festive meal on Purim day when family and friends gather together to rejoice in the Purim spirit.