Purim will be held in a week, on March 13-14. It is considered the most joyous festival of the year. Yet, it’s not mentioned in the Torah. It’s a Rabbinic holiday, enacted to commemorate the story of Jewish salvation from the evil decree of Haman in Ancient Persia.
How can a Rabbinic festival elicit more joy than G-d’s festive occasions in the Torah?
*
In this week’s parsha, Tetzaveh, we are taught about the sacred attire of the kohanim (priests) in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). A kohen was only permitted to perform the sacred tasks if he was garbed in the four holy vestments. The Kohen Gadol (High Priest) was required to wear eight special garments every time he entered the sacred space. His garments were unique and royal, with golden accoutrements. In fact, it was deemed so important for the Kohen Gadol to receive proper honor that he was required to be a wealthy person. (It was not a criterion for choosing a Kohen Gadol; if he was not previously wealthy, the community would confer this status upon him by gifting him wealth).
Lest you think the excessive honor and wealth of the Kohen Gadol put him above the Law, the Torah demands the opposite. Regarding sin sacrifices, the Torah stipulates: If any other Jew sins, a sin offering must be made. This sacrifice could be either a goat or a lamb. But if the Kohen Gadol sinned, he was required to offer a bull as his sin offering.
Similarly, when the Kohen Gadol went into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, he first asked the Almighty for forgiveness for his own sins. Only afterwards did he request atonement for the sins of others.
*
We Jews have been around for a long time. As we celebrate salvation after salvation, our joy becomes greater. Our status of survival becomes a greater and greater defiance of the laws of nature. Our existence is not merely a coincidence.
The Kohen Gadol reminds us that the greater we become, the more modest and thankful we must be.
As we add the Rabbinic holiday of Purim to the retinue of joyful gratitude, it catapults us to greater heights of happiness – and humility.
A life of privilege and exalted status does not get us off the hook. It’s quite the contrary. If G-d has seen to it to put me in a position of power, wealth or good fortune – that means He entrusts more of His royal master plan in my hands. We are all privileged in some way – be it financially, socially, spiritually, health-wise, family-wise or otherwise. The better off we are, the more we ought to scrutinize our lives and hold ourselves to a higher standard.
The next time we realize that we are – at least in some way – more fortunate than someone else, let’s remember that this is G-d’s way of telling us: You are an important partner in perfecting My world, one mitzvah at a time.
As we revel this Purim, let’s also remember that we are celebrating the sacred – and awe-inspiring – mission with which we are entrusted.