A D’var Torah for Purim by Hazzan Jesse Holzer
This period in our Jewish calendar, punctuated by the festival of Purim, is filled with revelry and joy. We dress up in character, disguising our true identities, as we read from the Book of Esther. Our masks mimic all that is hidden in our Megillah. Queen Esther hides her Jewish identity for most of our story, while God is not mentioned a single time. Yet there is much more that is disguised in our text.
I’d like to focus on an early interaction in our story. King Achashverosh, who disguises himself as a capable leader of 127 provinces, simultaneously holds a party that lasts for literally half a year. When the heroine Queen Vashti, filled with dignity and self-worth, refuses to attend the king’s party wearing only a royal diadem, Memucan, the king’s foremost advisor, responds:
Queen Vashti has committed an offense not only against Your Majesty, but also against all the officials and against all the peoples in all the provinces of King Achashverosh. For the queen’s behavior will make all wives despise their husbands, as they reflect that king Achashverosh himself ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come. This very day the ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard of the queen’s behavior, will cite it to all Your Majesty’s officials, and there will be no end of scorn and provocation! (Esther 1:16-18)
A royal edict is signed and sent in every language and script, lest there be any misinterpretation, so that “all wives will treat their husbands with respect, high and low alike.” (Esther 1:20)
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The decree is veiled as an edict for the respect of your spouse, so deeply concerned with the emotional state of every man in the kingdom. What is it really? An edict to silence anyone who has self worth, anyone who desires equity and equality in their relationships.
Unfortunately, you don’t have to travel back two millennia to find leadership writing laws under the guise of protecting one group of individuals, while negatively impacting another. Right here in my home state of Florida, our state legislature recently considered two bills that pose a direct threat to already marginalized communities.
Last week, Bill 1557, titled “Parental Rights in Education,” became law. It bans public school districts from encouraging classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity, which has the potential to cause serious harm to LGBTQ students in the state.
Senate Bill 148, entitled “Individual Freedom,” aimed to prohibit Florida’s public schools and private businesses from making people feel “discomfort” or “guilt” based on their race, sex, or national origin. What’s the real intent? The bill was an attempt to revise history and keep white people from feeling uncomfortable. And while it died in committee this time, you can be sure bills just like it will continue to be introduced.
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Unfortunately, bills like “Individual Freedom” and “Parental Rights in Education” are popping up around the country. We all lose when we don’t have honest conversations that deepen our understanding of history and each other. (Kudos to Rabbi Seth Goldstein for drawing our attention, in last week’s (M)oral Torah, to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, which so many history curricula gloss over.) When leaders put on a charade of protecting parental rights, what they are really doing is putting on the mask of bravery to cover their fear of actually confronting history. When leaders choose discrimination and censorship, when they care more about excess for some rather than access for all, Achashverosh is still among us.
The story of Purim reminds us that when unjust laws are in play, we must remain steadfast and diligent in our pursuit of justice. Vashti chose the higher moral ground when confronting an inappropriate and chauvinistic request. 
Esther risked her own life in unmasking her Jewish identity to save her people. Remember, in the public’s eye, it was Achashverosh’s decree, not Haman’s, to exterminate the Jews. Achashverosh’s edicts mimic the dangerous decisions of today. May we continue the perpetual work of unmasking tyranny and discrimination, of uncovering what’s really at play. May you be proud of your work, never hiding who you are: heroes fighting for fairness for our people and all peoples.
Hazzan Jesse Holzer has been the Cantor of the Jacksonville Jewish Center since his ordination as a Hazzan from the H.L. Miller Cantorial Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2008. Hazzan Holzer currently serves on the Executive Council of the Cantors Assembly and plays an active role in the greater Jacksonville community through his involvement with organizations such as OneJax and ICARE.
