I am sure that, over the years, you’ve seen cartoons where someone is held upside down to get all the change out of his pockets. Well, the Jews and the world have been turned upside down. What do we find?
We find a world in which evil is embraced. Good is reviled. Terrorists are reassured. The war mongers are coddled, while the successful and the peace lovers are rejected. Friends have become betrayers.
This week was Purim. The whole story is one of “V’nahafoch hu.” All was reversed. Up was down and down was up. That is why we get inebriated on Purim and why we wear masks. Nothing is as it seems. Jews seemed to have been doomed by Haman, yet he ended up in the noose. The Jews of Shushan were terrified by the surrounding anti-Semites, yet they defeated them in battle. The country was ruled by an indecisive king, and things changed from day to day. (Sound familiar?)
The greatest things about Jews emerge when they are in trouble. The current war in Gaza brought about incredible unity and Jewish pride from Jews all over. Yet, we witnessed Jews becoming turncoats (the Reform, and organizations like T’ruah and JStreet), while those we thought were political friends declared their hostility toward Jews. We spoke about this last week (“A Jew Scrubs the Floor for the White House”), but it got only worse since then. We now see clearly how our good “Shomer” was just a complicit stooge to set the stage for Israel’s abandonment by the Biden administration.
But turn a good Jew upside down. Shake him for all the pennies in his pocket, and what do you find?
You find that while he is inebriated, not one foul or lewd word comes from his mouth. You find that even though he may or may not be in the company of females, nothing inappropriate is even alluded to. You find talmidim (students) hugging or calling their rebbeim to tell them how much they love them.
We all know what happens when non-Torah people get drunk. The worst comes out in thought and in action.
Despite every reason to feel despondent and gloomy, due to all the hate that surrounds us, we mask up and enjoy the holiday. Adults and children alike.
Turn us upside down, and with our loose change we support the poor.
We are G-d’s Chosen People for a reason. Be proud of that!
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld is the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, former President of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, and the Rabbinic Consultant for the Queens Jewish Link.
