In this column, we dive into the rich history of Jewish Life, the precursor to Jewish Action. Published by the OU from the 1940s to the 1980s, Jewish Life offers a unique window into the vibrant evolution of American Jewish life during the 20th century.
The article below appeared in the January-February 1971 issue of Jewish Life.
When our Sages of blessed memory met in judgment on the books that are to be included in our Biblical Canon, there were some who felt that the Scroll of Esther was not to be included in our Bible. As the Talmud Tractate Sabbath puts it: “Bikshu lignoz megillath Esther”—they wished to “hide” and remove from circulation this particular scroll. A great debate arose centering on the question whether the Scroll of Esther was written b’ruach ha-Kodesh, through inspiration of the Divine Spirit, and therefore merited inclusion in the Bible, or, whether it was not so sanctified and should become part of their “sifruth chitzonith,” part of the apocryphic literature.
Those who opposed the inclusion of the Scroll could readily point to the fact that G-d’s name is never mentioned in it;1 that the author does not ascribe the miraculous deliverance of our brethren to G-d; that the victory of the Jewish cause over their enemies seems to be all due to simply a matter of good luck, coincidence, and the accident of fortuitous circumstances. In a sense, this point of view seems to be correct for there is no single incident in the Purim story that does not lend itself to an explanation in purely rational terms. Some of the Rabbis in fact offer the answer to the question of why prayers of Hallel are not recited on Purim, whilst Hallel is offered on Chanukah, by differentiating between the miracle of Chanukah and that of Purim. They tell us that the Chanukah deliverance was due to a supernatural miracle while the Purim deliverance occurred through natural circumstances. No wonder, then, that the point of view that the Scroll of Esther should not be included in our Biblical Canon seemed to make sense. Verily, in reading the Scroll of the Purim story, one does not immediately recognize the role and handiwork of the Almighty.
Those Sages who held the affirmative opinion that the Scroll of Esther should be included presented their case and their viewpoint in this fashion: “If you read the Purim story superficially, then you are right. If your eyes see only the surface and not what is between the lines, then logic would dictate that it does not merit to be included as part of the Bible. If on the other hand, the Purim story is read carefully and with spiritual depth perception; if you look beneath the surface view and probe behind the scenes; if you see not only the incidents but the Purim experience as a whole, the entire concatenation of events, the forest and not only the trees, then you will catch a glimpse of G-d’s Divine Providence and you will recognize the Etzba Elokim, the ‘finger of G-d.’”
The portentous debate was finally resolved when the great Rabbi Akiva arose, and proclaimed that “Esther b’ruach ha-Kodesh ne’emrah—the Scroll of Esther was uttered in the spirit of Divine inspiration.” Rabbi Akiva was surely trying to emphasize to his colleagues that behind the abortive machinations of Haman; behind all the intrigues in the royal palace; behind the capricious conduct of Achashveyrosh; behind the glorious tenacity of Mordechai; behind the self-sacrificing zeal of Esther — behind all these events, there is concealed from view the operation of the Hashgochoh Ha-Elyonah, the care and concern of Divine Providence. True that every “p’rat” and every incident by itself can be explained naturally and on a rational basis. When all the pieces are, however, seen together in totality as one “geshtalt,” then we recognize the Master Plan of the Great Architect. Surely, the whole structure cannot have come about by sheer accident. “Moh rabu ma’asecha Ha-Shem—How many are thy deeds, O Lord” when you view the total oneness as a whole, when you look at the many deeds of the Lord together, then you proclaim “Ha-Shem,” you see the handiwork of G-d. The authority of Rabbi Akiva and the weight of his affirmation prevailed and Megillath Esther was recognized as sacred literature and became an integral part of our Holy Writ.
It was Dr. Chayyim Weizmann, the first President of the State of Israel, who though himself far from devout said that “a Jew in Israel who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.”
The whole debate helps us to understand that “nissim” (miracles) are of two types. There is, firstly, the type that is obvious as a miracle to all who witness it. Even one who is not spiritually attuned to feel the presence of G-d must, even with a surface glance, recognize the handiwork of the Lord. Recall the scenes at the setting when our forefathers marched out of the bondage of Egypt and the miracles witnessed when Pharoah and his hordes were drowned in the Red Sea while Israel marched forward on dry land. Here, even to a mere surface view was disclosed unmistakeably the Etzba Elokim in the miraculous deliverances. The Bible tells us: “And all of Israel witnessed the mighty Hand of the Lord and they believed in Him.” The Rabbis comment that even a simple “shifchah” (maid servant), the type unschooled in religious sensitivity, instantly recognized that here was no sequence of ordinary coincidences but that it was a miracle wrought by G-d. Such a type of miracle, one that is visible to all and unmistakable as to its Authorship, does not represent a great challenge to the “spiritual eye” of a person. Far different, however, is the second type of miracle, which is not recognizable on the surface as being from G-d. For it is only when one probes behind the scene and reads between the lines that he recognizes that it is not a mere accident but rather a revelation of G-d’s plan.
We realize, of course, that in order to recognize such events as being miraculous, there is the prerequisite that one be equipped with spiritual depth and religious insight. In Yiddish, “to see” is “tzu zehen” and “to hear” is “tzu heren,” but when you wish to imply a deeper type of seeing and a profounder type of hearing, then you say “tzu derzehen” and “tzu derheren”; meaning, to see and hear much more than what is on the surface. It implies grasping of a deeper insight.
How wise and far-sighted indeed then was Rabbi Akiva, in urging that the Scroll of Esther, the “megillath sethorim” which tells of a hidden miracle, is a Holy Scroll and is in the category of Divine inspiration warranting inclusion in our Holy Bible. It has taught all the past generations of our people to see the events around them as much more than merely accidents of a capricious history. Rabbi Akiva’s approach has inspired our people to probe deeper into the events and then with a “spiritual eye” to find concealed the operation of G-d’s Will in shaping the course of events. The Purim Scroll, “Esther eynah magidah,” which does not mention G-d’s name, and yet is part of sacred Scripture, has taught our generations to see all of Jewish history not as a meaningless and purposeless chain of events, but rather as a “gilui Shechinah,” as the manifestation of G-d’s Plan in the affairs of Man. Whether it be the destruction of the Temple and the spoliation of our Holy Land; whether it be the exile into Babylon or the exile from Spain; whether it be the rise of achsanyoth shel Torah, new Jewish settlements in North Africa, Germany, Poland, Russia, America; or whether it be the eymek habocha, the valley of tears under the Nazi rule or the heroic rebirth of our homeland as the independent State of Israel—“b’chol drochecha do’eyhu—in all these pages of history shall you read the handwriting of the Lord.” The Purim Scroll reminds us that “m’eyth Ha-Shem hoythah zoth,” that all are but integral parts of the Lord’s blueprint for Israel and Mankind.
Our Sages offer us a unique play on words giving emphasis to the point of view of Rabbi Akiva. They tell us that already in the Chumosh can we find an allusion to the sanctity of a hidden miracle: “When do we know that one can find a reference to the Book of Esther in Holy Writ? For it is written: ‘I shall hide my face from them.’” In Hebrew the spelling of the word astir (hide) is almost the same as the spelling for the word Esther. Thus, in their own way, the Rabbis sought to teach us the very same lesson that the miracle of Purim was one hidden from view.
Here is therefore the heart of the Purim story that “miracles do happen” and that G-d is always part of history. It was Dr. Chayyim Weizmann, the first President of the State of Israel, who though himself far from devout said that “a Jew in Israel who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.” We need but to learn to look at events with more depth and with an “eye of the spirit” and then we too will proclaim as did Father Ya’akov: “Behold I see now that the Divine presence is in this place and I knew it not.”
The Rambam in Hilchoth Megillah states: “Even when all festivals be annulled in the Days of the Messiah, yet the festival of Purim will never be annulled.” For Purim brings with it the message that miracles do happen and that history is, as our Prophets taught, but the unfolding of G-d’s Will. Purim reminds us that though G-d hides we can find Him. Rabbi Akiva brought us the truth: the Scroll of Esther is holy and its message is eternal for all peoples and for all times.
Notes
1. Some maintain that the name of G-d was purposely omitted lest the Persians associate the Book’s characters with their many deities. Moreover, the name of G-d was not to be written in a secular letter to be sent out to all Jewish communities. The Cabalists have, however, detected many cryptic references to G-d in the Megillah.
At the time of this writing, Rabbi Dr. Simon L. Eckstein, a”h, was rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom in Ottawa, Canada. He had received semichah and a doctorate in Hebrew literature from Yeshiva University.