Purim is not just a celebration of a miraculous salvation from annihilation thousands of years ago. It is a powerful reminder of the eternal reality of the Jewish people — that we face enemies who seek to destroy us in every generation, but when we unite as a proud, strong nation rooted in our faith and our land (which, unfortunately, the Jews in the Purim story failed to do), we overcome them and bring light to the world.
What happened on October 7th was a horrifying wake-up call for the Jewish people. Just as in the time of Haman in ancient Persia, the mask of Jew-hating antisemitism was ripped off, revealing the pure evil that seeks our destruction. It’s not because of what we do, but it’s because of who we are. And just like in the Purim story, the true battle is not merely physical, it is spiritual.
Haman wanted to destroy us because we were different – because we refused to assimilate and abandon our connection to Hashem and His Torah. We were different.
The same hatred fuels our enemies today — from Shia Iran and Sunni Qatar to the global leftist movements that justify and celebrate the massacre of innocent Jews.
For generations, so many Jews believed that if we just “acted like everyone else,” if we embraced “progressive” values, if we create alliances with all the other “marginalized” communities, fought for human rights, and placed less emphasis on the “old-fashioned” ways of our ancestors, the world would finally accept us.
But Purim teaches us the secret to Jewish survival:
– We don’t survive by hiding who we are.
– We don’t survive by appeasing the world.
– We survive and thrive by standing strong as a united Jewish nation, with faith in God and the strength to defeat evil. Eventual, total victory comes ultimately in our ancestral homeland.
October 7th shattered the false belief that we could escape Jew-hating antisemitism through assimilation and progressive values. It exposed the failure of those Jews who abandoned their identity and believed that if we just supported “social justice” causes, the world would love us.
October 7th shattered all of those illusions.
Just as Esther and Mordechai refused to bow to Haman, today we must refuse to bow to the global pressure trying to force us to surrender our homeland and our identity.
Today, the Jewish people are once again facing an existential battle against evil — not just for the survival of Israel, but for the moral foundation of the entire world. When Jews stand strong, rooted in our identity and our land, we are the light that leads humanity back to truth and morality.
This is exactly what the world is witnessing today as Israel fights this war. We are not just defending our homes. We are standing on the frontlines against radical Islamic evil that threatens the whole freedom-loving world.
Just as in the Purim story where the Jews united in fasting, prayer, and action, today as well, our victory is linked with our unity, belief and strength.
Just as in the Purim story, where the Jews rose up and defeated their enemies, we must rise up and destroy the modern-day Islamonaz*i Amalek that seeks to annihilate us.
The story of Purim is happening right now.
The masks are off. The world is choosing sides. And the Jewish people must once again step into our divine mission: To be a proud, strong, moral nation in our homeland, with the clarity and strength to defeat evil and bring blessing to the world.
May we awaken as many Jews as possible, as swiftly as possible, and hasten the Geulah (Redemption) by internalizing and living with the understanding that Hashem is behind everything today and orchestrated events in the Purim story.
On that note, I am profoundly blessed to be part of a community here in Israel led by Rabbi Shlomo Katz, who passionately teaches the truth that is so ingrained in me as well: That the Jewish people’s return to our ancestral homeland is not merely a historical accident but a divine mission to fulfill our God-given purpose as the chosen people. We are chosen to be a light unto the nations and to repair the world, and to do so from our homeland.
In his words, “We here in Eretz Yisrael, we need you… it would be so beautiful and so right if we could figure out the rest of our journey to our destiny together with the rest of the mishpaha (family).”
We are home where we are suppposed to fulfill our purpose as individual Jews and as the Jewish nation. If you are not here yet, join us. We are making history! What are you waiting for?
Purim Sameach!!!
Am Yisrael Chai!