Thursday, December 29, 2016

Change Can Make Your Head Spin

Change can happen so fast that it will make your head spin.  And that is precisely what may happen after the Middle East Peace conference in France AND Trump's inauguration, both of which are taking place in the last half of January. 

In the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on its thirteenth day ... on the day that the enemies of the Jews were expected to prevail over them, it was turned about: the Jews prevailed over their adversaries. - Esther 9:1

If as I expect the 70-Nation Conference issues an unbalanced negative proclamation, like the United Nation's resolution days before Hanukkah, the stage will be set for an action by Israel to defeat its adversaries.

It is easy to draw analogies between today's unfolding events and the biblical stories of both Hanukkah and Purim. In Hanukkah Jews rose up to take back their biblical property.  In Purim, which is just around the calendar corner, Jews rose up to defeat our enemies who were plotting against us, and win back favor with the King.  Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu says already has the evidence to show President Trump who was plotting against Israel.

In my last paragraph there were two big clues for anyone else who loves the Story of Purim, from the Book of Ester.  Have a bit of fun speculating who best fits the roles of Mordecai, Hamman, Vashti, the good Queen Ester, and King Ahasuerus in the story unfolding in the Land of Israel today.  And why not have some fun with this idea .... Purim is a story of victory and celebration! So as the Story of Purim instructs, pour yourself a glass of wine!

On a more serious and ominous note, it needs to be pointed out that in the Story of Purim, while King Ahasuerus of Persia recognized that Haman was an evil doer, and gave his moral support to Mordecai, but he could not fight the battle for the Jews. The Jews still had to lift up their own swords. And the next adminstration will have to root out Haman. There was a price to pay for the victory we celebrate on Purim.

Events turned very fast in the Story of Purim.  And they can today as well.  As the artist Picabia said, "Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction.
Photo of Picabia on display at MOMA in NYC.

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