A year later in a pandemic, remain vigilant

There was no official start of the COVID-19 plague. On the Jewish calendar, we got serious about it around the holiday of Purim, which fell out last year in the beginning of March. In 2021, Purim falls this coming Thursday evening, Feb. 25, and Friday, Feb. 26. For me, Purim is the auspicious date of an inauspicious anniversary.

The festival of Purim is based on the Bible’s fascinating Book of Esther, which describes the harrowing story of the Jewish people under the reign of Achashverosh (some scholars say he was Xerxes) of the Persian empire. An official in the government named Haman sought to destroy the Jewish people and cast lots to set the date of the destruction. Hence the name Purim, the Persian word for “lots.” Queen Esther, who was Jewish, stood up and beseeched her husband the king and succeeded in thwarting the evil plot with her uncle Mordechai. The ensuing triumph was then established as an annual holiday of thanksgiving for the saving of the Jewish people.

Although the name Esther is very popular as a Jewish name, it is actually derived from the Persian. The rabbis of the Talmud (Chullin 139b), however, trace the name to Deuteronomy 31:18, where God says He will “surely hide His face” from the Jewish people: “Anochi hasterastir et panai.” In a play on words, the rabbis are saying that the Book of Esther represents a time when God is not found, is “hidden,” when the Divine Presence seems to be obscured. Yet, in the end, the people are saved.

It is interesting to note that the name of God does not appear even once in the entire scroll of Esther. This absence leads scholars to question its inclusion in the Biblical canon. However, Jewish tradition says that although God is not directly present, His guiding hand is evident in how all the random details of the narrative come together at the conclusion of the story.

Purim also is a time when we dress up in costumes and many wear masks! (How fitting for a corona-era holiday!) This custom further highlights the theme of hiddenness in Purim.

It has been a year of the coronavirus and restrictions are still in place. We need to remain vigilant, despite our “fatigue,” to keep each other safe — with vaccines, with masks, with social distancing, still. We need our faith even now! Because we may not see God, we still must have faith that the Lord is watching us, is with those who suffered losses, and is giving strength to caregivers to assist the ill.

I pray that God grants wisdom to the scientists and doctors to develop not only a vaccine but a cure to this dreaded disease. The holiday of Purim can inspire people of all faiths to renew the belief that God is with us.