Opinion
Purim lesson
Meir Shalev
Published: 03.03.07, 14:07
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13 Talkbacks for this article
1. Purim advice
Paul Usiskin ,   London UK   (03.03.07)
The best advice from friends that our politicians could get is to prove that they are Clean of Hand and Pure of Heart (Psalm24). I am not just a friend in the sense of being an Hovev Zion, but a proud Israeli national and liberal Zionist. I am not one of those easily dismissable leftists who believes that in order for our country to be at peace with itself Israel should appease all Palestinian demands. I reflect the Israeli consensus that not only yearns for a negotiated settlement for a 2 state solution, but also wants to see a political horizon promoted by politicians who reflect the message of the Psalm. And this is symbolised in the first time I saw these words - emblazoned on the tombstone of the murderer Goldstein. No one could be less suited to these words and currently neither can too many of our elected leaders. My friendly advice then is for a national clean up, a clear agenda that will provide us and our neighbours hope and an end to the pernicious occupation that perverts the Jewish moral values embedded in the Zionism that created our state.
2. i like the story of the king and i think the advise is
hala ,   jerusalem   (03.03.07)
any one even a king must follow his feelings if it is not affect the nation .. other wise he must aske the advise .super advise from responsible people // becouse of that in the second time the king aske the servants .. sure he want to follow his feelings // as a person not a king
3. Purim advice #1?
Yisraeli   (03.04.07)
One who lovingly quotes Tehillim (Psalms) yet gladly willing to give away the land of which the psalms talk about to his enemies? and then has the chutzpah to say "pernicious occupation" of the very same land. Now there lies one foolish Zionist who hasnt a clue about Jewishness let alone Zionism. And finally let me enlighten you to your contradictory in terms of your statement "Jewish moral values embedded in the Zionism that created our state" My my, obviously you know so little on the subject. Better for us all you stay in Londonistan.
4. Boorish ignorance isn't satire
Ilan ,   Ariel   (03.04.07)
He might be a moron, but he isn't all that amusing.
5. the point is per the saying that the adviser paid or no are
Simon Mohammed ,   Falls Church VA USA   (03.03.07)
not the payer. what we can learn from this, is the personel best judgment should be based on the innocent feeling that every human has. it loos like it is a metaphysical option but that is the coorect thing to do is combined with logical processing thinking. Go neutral Good Luck
6. enjoyed the insights
m   (03.04.07)
lovely peice of insight about accepting advice from his servants and not his ministers, and food for thought,how one lot dealt with it on a national level and the other on a personal. But this issue about jew marrying a Gentile is an interesting study I would like to see developed further, because even Samson wanted to marry outside his people.However we are not told if Esther went on to have children, they are not recorded as far as I can see up to this moment. Not recorded with the tribes of Israel.
7. Yisraeli 3
Baruch Nili ,   Jerusalem,Israel   (03.04.07)
I read your comment to our friend in London and I waited for your enlightenment and I wait still. He is right to refer to Tehilim and to be doubtful of using its words for Goldstein. I also understand what he means by our Jewish moral values being the bedrock for the Zionism on which our state was founded. What are your moral values Yisraeli? And what is the horizon you offer our next generation? Purim is a sad time, marred by the shadows of the past and especially the acts of the Goldsteins of our people. Surely you are not amongst those who see him as a hero? If you do then all you offer us is another Metzada.
8. THE TRAGEDY OF PURIM!!!
al mann ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (03.04.07)
The accent is always given to personalities and side-effects without ever getting to the real point. That's the way history is taught as an assemblage of stories, wars, numbers of dead, and dates of occurrence. Therefore, the past has no real meaning for the present generation. There are no lessons to be learned, and certainly no lessons to be taught. I would suggest deepening the value of the study of history from a very practical point of view. On Purim, we see the exiled B'nai Yisroel living in ancient Persia while refusing to go to their land now being reinhabited. Ezra and Nehemia lead the B'nai Yisroel to its home. As usual, there are those who remain in the exile and don't get the Eternal message to return home. Haman enters the picture and begins to cause trouble for this minority people, who ostensibly pose no threat to the Persian-Medes empire. Even then the nations of the world wanted to rid themselves of this strange people. So, edicts were passed and signed by the King in order to begin this Holocaust. The people almost wholly assimilated, as evidenced by their attendance at the King's great party, begin to realize that their fate was being thtreatened, their essence was being threatened. They didn't know what to do until they saw Mordechai crying and praying, while sitting dressed with sackcloth and in deep mourning CRYING OUT to g-d to seek redemption for his people. The people, came to mordecai, designated him as their Shaliach Tzibbur, and sat with him also dressed in mourning clothes, while Esther went to plead her case before the King. There was a precedent for crying out and it occurred in Egypt. The redemption came as a result of all the people crying out. All sectors of the Children of Israel cried out and they were redeemed from their bondage. Today, as I look around at our leadership, who is there to lead the people to cry out to G-d for help and redemption from those who seek our destruction? The secular leadership has no idea. The poor school children think of Purim as a Masquerade having no content. The adult population thinks the children are cute as they parade in their costumes and some adults become drunk trying to drown away the troubles plaguing them. With all this what is there to be so happy? Who will cry out for us now?
9. #8
Ephraim ,   Diaspora   (03.04.07)
Number 8, You asked, "Who will cry out?" The answer is obvious, It is you. The message is in your heart as shown in your response, so why not you. Are you not Judah? Go sit in the gate! Put on your sackcloth. Cry out against the wicked Haman! Someone must step into the breach. You live in the Holy City. It all starts with one.
10. Miracals
Edithann ,   USA   (03.04.07)
It's a wonder this silly story survided .. Mordachi was an instigator..with no thought of his people...so what else is new?
11. 8 & 9
Baruch Nili ,   Jerusalem,Israel   (03.04.07)
8, you begin by saying there is nothing to learn then you teach us brilliantly. 9, we are all crying out. That there is no one to hear isn't true. There is Ha'Shem and it seems to me that number 1 in London is crying out too. So that makes 4 of us. So now there are 4 voices all crying out for the same reason - despair at what we have come to. It doesn't matter that we are approaching this from different locations, geographically or politically. After number 1 has clearly identified himself as an Hovev Zion, and that describes all of us doesn't it? Purim is no longer a time to be happy. It may once have been. But now if we agree that we speak from a shared perspective, is crying out all that there is?
12. Purim is Beyond Sorrow & Beyond Joy!
Binyamin ,   Eretz Yisrael   (03.04.07)
Don't miss the message of the Scroll of Esther! Esther = the "Hidden" (/"Nistar") Queen. The article and the talkbalks still react to the masks as if they were a reality in themselves, rather than merely reflections of the truth from one's own perspective which is distorted because by its own nature it is limited. *G-D IS ONE!* When Israel hears this message loud and clear, and acts accordingly - loyal beyond our intellects and faithful beyond our emotions - the masks become unnecessary and fall away by themselves. As we're taught by the prophet Zechariah, "Lo be’chayil ve’lo be’koach, ki im be’ruchi, amar Hashem Tzeva’ot." ( "not by might and not by strength, but by My Spirit, said the Lord of hosts.") "Sisu v'Simchu, b'Simchat Torah, u'tnu Kavod L'Torah!" CHAG PURIM SAMEACH - Happy Purim to all souls who love the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov - His Holy Name is a Blessing Forever!
13. The reason the Flavian revolt failed Baruch
Daniel ,   Formerly Israel   (03.05.07)
Was that the Jews were divided and barbarous and hated and killed each other more than they fought the Romans. But what you are proposing Is ridiculous. You are sayinhg that because a past battle for indipendence failed because of immorality and division, we shouldn't fight anymore. Today's Jews are much more moral than the ones of 2000 years ago. I am one of the most right-wing Jews on Earth, and I wouldn't call for the killing of all Jews of other faiths or for the massacre of our enemies. I would call for a war against those who want to destroy us and for that war to be waged as humanely as possible (whiile keeping the basic objective of security in sight). Sure if we ignore morality and back people like Goldstein we are not deserving of victory, but if we let our past mistakes weigh us down in the present and if we lack faith in our own goodness and morality we will be destroyed and all our morals and values and good peaceful intentions will be destroyed along with us.
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