We all know the story.
The Jews are persecuted. We survive. Let’s eat food.
Actually, Purim is more than that. There are four mitzvot of Purim, two of which are related to food.
But, when it comes to food, each holiday has its unique foods. On Purim the Talmud and Code of Jewish Law urge us to drink wine (or grape juice) in large quantities. Why on Purim are we highlighting wine?
The obvious reason is that the Purim story centered around wine. Achashverosh made a big party with wine and Esther revealed her Jewish identity at a Feast of Wine.
But, that only transfers the question to the story itself. The Purim story is a stark reminder of Hashem’s involvement in every detail of our lives. As displayed in the events of Purim, G-d was ‘working behind the scenes’ to put in place the dramatic salvation of the Jewish people.
So, why did He design the events to focus on wine?
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Grapes taste great. But, any vintner will tell you that the real value of grapes is when they are transformed into wine.
In Jewish tradition wine is considered so special that it has its own blessing (Boreh p’ri hagafen). Wine is designated as the beverage used for marking Jewish events such as Kiddush on Shabbat and festivals.
What transforms grape into wine? A squeeze! All the ingredients are present in the fruit, but for joyous wine to flow -- the grape must be squeezed, thereby "upgrading" the fruit.
Similarly, the Jewish people were ‘squeezed.’ But, this squeezing was not an end in and of itself. Rather, it was a medium to reach an even greater goal. When a Jew is squeezed, the ‘wine’ that is deep inside comes to the fore.
This was the true purpose of the challenges that the Jewish people faced in the times of Purim.
And, this is the purpose of the challenges that we face today as well.
The next time I am faced with an obstacle, I will look at it as a squeeze. And, it’s only through the squeeze that my ‘wine’ can be revealed. Challenges only exist to bring out the best in me.
L’Chaim!