Advanced Search

Purim – A “Hidden” Miracle


Question:

Is it true that God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther? If so, why not? Thanks.



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

Although the Book of Esther is part of the Bible, it never mentions the name of God, though there are veiled allusions. This surprising omission actually reflects a central theme of this holiday.

On Purim we celebrate the fact that the hand of God guides us, even at times when we do not see open miracles or obvious Divine intervention. When we read the Megillah, we are not awestruck by dramatic changes in the laws of nature, but by a series of seemingly disconnected events that ultimately resulted in the salvation of the Jewish people.

Achashverosh executed his first wife and chose the beautiful Esther as his new queen. These are not miracles, but behavior to be expected from a despotic king. Nor was it a miracle that Mordechai once saved the king from an assassination plot, thereby earning his gratitude. Each event, in and of itself, was not miraculous or even exceptional. When seen in retrospect however, the series of events is seen as engineered from Above for the purpose of evoking repentance from the Jewish people and then saving them from danger.

This theme of allusion may also be the reason behind the custom of wearing costumes on Purim. The masks and costumes show that truth always lies beneath the surface, that the physical world conceals the true spiritual reality.


Similar Questions
Holidays > Purim
Purim – A Physical Celebration
The Purim Story
Iran – Then and Now
Megillah by Phone
Why Do We Make Noise Only for Haman?
Why No Hallel on Purim?
Walled Cities and Shushan Purim
Spelling in the Megillah
Sending Gifts of Food
Hamantaschen on Purim
Masquerading on Purim
Esther's Age
Work and Payment on Purim
What Became of Esther?
Decrees and Sufficient Time for the Jews to Save Themselves
Eating Seeds on Purim
Mordechai's Relationship with Esther
Da'at Torah
Wearing Costumes on Purim
Small & Large Letters in Haman's Sons' Names
Celebrating While So Many Died
Bowing down
Kosher Alcoholic Drinks
Esther's Marrying a Non-Jew
Who is Amalek?
Purim and Unity
Purim, Persia and Iran
The Shabbat Before Purim
Parashat Zachor
Preparing for Purim
Purim and Anti-Semitism
Laws and Customs of Purim
A Month when Opposites Detract
Adar Month of Happiness and Laughter
“Remembering” Purim on Shabbat
The Thirteenth Month
The Story of Purim
Purim - Unity of the Jewish People
Have a question?
 
Gateways - Your Key to Jewish Continuity

AskTheRabbi.org is a service of the Gateways Organization © 2024
Technical problems? Please contact the AskTheRabbi Support team