New Thoughts on Purim: Light vs. Dark

The Sitra Ahra, or Dark Side as it is referred to popularly, is present at all times.  It particularly loves opportunities of mazel.  Mazel?  Yes, you see whenever the Sitra Ahra gets wind of someone’s good fortune it whispers in their ear all kinds of noxious thoughts….like “They’ll take it away from you”….or  “Why are they being nice to me?  What they want?”….or “God likes me -- but not them.”  Not happy with our lot, afraid that others might steal it away, we listen to the quiet voice of the Sitra Ahra.

Now this is one of the main hidden elements of the Purim tale.  Think of the primary villain of the megillah.  Haman’s name itself conjures up many associations.  For example, Haman connotes “the manna” (man in Hebrew is manna).  Haman appeared to Shushanites as the one who would feed the people.  And precisely what did Haman feed them?  Insecurity and doubt.  Haman stealthily fed enough poison so that the subjects would believe their existence was threatened by a “certain people” almost invisible, yet lurking in the dark shadows.  What Haman purported to deliver through the veil of darkness was a sustenance that would uncloak the messenger of destruction.

If Haman is the symbol of the Sitra Ahra then who are the heroes of the story? Esther and Mordecai?  Of these two figures Mordecai is the easier.  He is the voice of God.  Mordecai speaks the language of truth.  His words are uncomfortable.  They are unsettling.  Mordecai tells all who will hear him what they must do to unmask the lie.  The words cause such discomfort that no one wants to heed him.  Wasn’t this the reality of the pre-Holocaust Germany?  The lie was more comfortable, more acceptable than the truth which demanded self-reflection and personal responsibility. 

In fact, found inside Mordecai’s name is the Hebrew root, m’red, meaning rebellion.  An interesting inversion of reality: Haman is the provider and Mordecai is the inciter, the trouble-maker.  The lie has become truth and truth has become the lie.

Then comes Esther.  The root of Esther’s name is ‘secret’.  That is, Esther is hidden from sight. True, she hides her faith from the king but that is not the core of the narrative.  What reaches out from the megillah is the fact that Esther is hidden from Esther.  Remember, Esther is not even her real name: it is Hadassah.  Esther has forgotten who she is/was.  The turning point of the story is when Mordecai forces Esther to look sharply into the mirror of her soul and she perceives her Self there.  She has become so convinced of the force of the Sitra Ahra that she has accepted the lie as reality.

Images of light and dark pervade the extraordinary and simplistic tale of Purim.  Yet, the tale is as vital as the primal force of life.  Listen for the voice but do not heed it.