Was that coincidence, or the Divine Hand?

THE story is told of a man rushing to a crucial job interview but unable to find a parking spot. In his desperation, though not particularly religious, he turns his eyes heavenward with an urgent plea: “Dear God, if you find me a parking spot, I promise I will attend services weekly.” Miraculously, as soon as he finishes, a car in front of him pulls out, leaving him a spot right outside the front door. “Never mind,” he says. “I managed to find a spot anyway.”

Tonight and tomorrow, the Jewish world celebrates the colourful and joyous festival of Purim. The Book of Esther vividly recounts the extraordinary events marking the salvation of the Jews in Persia and beyond from a decree of mass annihilation some 2,400 years ago. Among the most visible customs of this holiday is the wearing of mask and costumes. Beyond mere carnival fun, these costumes hold deep significance.

Unlike the overt miracles of Passover, the splitting of the sea and the manna from heaven – where the Hand of the Divine was unmistakable – the Purim story unfolds as a seemingly natural, yet clearly Divinely orchestrated series of coincidences leading to the salvation of the Jewish people.

This has huge bearing on our daily lives: How often do we dismiss remarkable chains of events as mere coincidence? “We just so happened…” is a phrase we casually utter, seldom pausing to acknowledge the Divine Hand orchestrating these occurrences.

Truthfully, nothing reminds me more of the Creator than nature itself – the incredible miracle of waking up each morning. In Judaism, we offer a short prayer of gratitude immediately upon rising. We thank God daily that we have clothing to wear, utter category-specific blessings on all we eat or drink, and recite a prayer witnessing the emergence of tiny spring buds on a branch of a fruit tree.

These brief blessings and prayers – mere whispers – are designed to prompt us to recognize that there is nothing natural about nature. Random processes are anything but, and nature is simply God’s subtle way of managing the intricate details without ostentation. This level of Divine action transcends the awe-inspiring, sea-splitting interventions; it is more nuanced, diverse, and pervasive than a capital-m Miracle. Like the natural world, the scroll of Esther does not explicitly mention God. (In fact, the Hebrew name Esther is closely related to the word Hester meaning hidden). Yet, if one chooses to look, God’s presence is subtly woven into every aspect of the narrative. This leaves us with the freedom to believe or not, to achieve or not.

Let us take a few moments each day to look beneath the surface, discover the Divine, and be thankful. ■■Rabbi Mendy Lent serves as Rabbi to Nottingham Hebrew Congregation and together with his wife Brocha run the Nottingham Chabad Jewish outreach organisation.

Take a few moments each day to look beneath the surface, discover the Divine, and be thankful