The story is told of a CEO who was running late to a very important meeting. This was going to be the biggest business deal of his life, worth millions. He pulls up at the office building in his car, looking frantically for a parking spot. None are available. Though not much of the religious type, he calls out to G-d: “If you find me a parking spot in the next two minutes, I’ll give $10,000 to charity.” He desperately circles around the parking lot for another minute and calls out: “G-d, I’ll give $100,000 to charity if you find me a place to park in the next 90 seconds!” Ten seconds later a car pulls out of a spot directly in front of the building. As he zooms in, he shouts out: “Never mind G-d, I found one myself!”
The Book of Esther, read on Purim, is unique among books of the Bible. In all its pages the one word blatantly missing from the text is “G-d.” That’s right, in the entire Megillah G-d’s name is nowhere to be found.
It might seem easy to explain this as a lack of faith in G-d or as a politically correct way of dealing with our non-Jewish neighbors. Clearly, however, a methodical perusal of the text exposes a people very devoted to their faith. Prayer, thanksgiving, fasting and good deeds are just some of the revealing elements of the Jewish people’s response to the impending tragedy. In fact, Haman’s key argument to convince King Achashverosh to sign on to his plan of Jewish annihilation was, that their “laws are unlike those of any other nation.”
Quite the contrary, explain the mystics. The Book of Esther tells a powerful message of G-d’s hidden hand. The amazing tale of Divine Providence displays how G-d is the master puppeteer, pulling the strings of reality – even in the post-Biblical era, when sea-splitting miracles don’t seem to occur any more.
Taking this point a bit further, I imagine the Book of Esther is telling us even more. Often, it is easy for us to search for G-d when the going gets tough. We naturally turn to G-d in the face of challenge and tragedy. We frequently ask, “Where is G-d?” when we are still desperate. We search for G-d under the rubble in Haiti and under the piles of debt.
But do we search for G-d when we are winning? After we have already found the parking spot?
The story of Purim was written after the great miracles occurred. And it is a subtle reminder that we ought to search for G-d even when we are not forced to by our pain and distress.
Similarly, this week’s parsha Tetzaveh is the only parsha in which Moshe’s name is absent from the Torah since his birth.
The mystics explain that this isn’t do to a shortcoming. Quite the contrary, it’s due to Moshe being present in a way that transcends his name.
May this year’s Purim give us ample reason to find G-d in abundant spirit, goodness, health and prosperity.’Chaim!