13, 14 Adar II, 5768 / March 20, 21 2008 Celebration!Celebration! HOW TO PURIM the soulful meaning, customs, event schedules, and how to celebrate ERS HT IG L P M A L CELEBRATION! Purim 5768 / 2008 My Dear Friends, Wisconsin Jewry, from the revelation at Sinai to the miraculous PurimThoughts 2 PURIM THOUGHTS The other day a friend shared with me a 40 years of wandering in the desert, and time- story from his youth: and-again throughout our history. 3 THE REBBE’S MESSAGE His good hearted father would support him But then there are miracles in which G-d A Throw of Dice in every way, always responding generously to intervention is hidden behind a cloak of “the 4 THE HISTORY OF PURIM his requests and needs. As he grew older and natural order”. An expression of His love by 5 SERVICES & MEGILLAH bolder he took his father for granted. One His “pulling the strings” from behind the READINGS day – in a total departure from his character – scenes and directing nature to enable us to live his father announced that he would no longer within its course and find Him there. 6 HOW DO WE CELEBRATE? support him. “From now on you are all on your So it was in the time of the Purim miracle, Body & Soul own,” he said. Unshaken, the son responded and so it is now, every single day, 2300 years 10 PURIM RECIPES “Fine, I’m sure I will do well on my own. You later. Hamentashen and Kreplach will see” The story of Purim - beginning with 11 STORY: THE REBBE AND He immediately prepared his resume, Achashverosh’s feast, Haman’s plot, and the THE SPACE SCIENTIST filled out a number of applications and sent ultimate salvation of the Jewish people - spans them to prospective employers. But much to over 13 years. Each event meticulously planned 14 STORY: THE PROMISE THAT his dismay, the responses did not come as he by the Master of all, who placed the pieces of CHANGED MY LIFE expected, and he found himself being turned the puzzle, each in its appropriate position. 32 Years in the Making down time and again. Finally after eight Was the banishment and execution of Vashti 17 FROM OUR MAILBOX months of frustration and disappointment, he simply one of those things that happen when a Responses to the Jewish swallowed his pride and applied for a menial debouched Persian emperor gets drunk? Was Parenting Conference position in order to survive. it just coincidence that Mordechai overheard a 18 WHAT’S HAPPENING AT As much as he disliked the work he some plot to kill the king? Did Achashverosh choose LUBAVITCH OF WISCONSIN how endured and was even promoted. Little Esther to be queen because she happened to be the most beautiful woman in the empire? Photo gallery of recent events did he know that the company he worked for and programs was owned by his father who instructed the Was it plain bad luck for evil Haman that he foreman to accept him and ultimately promote happened to visit Achashverosh just when the 27 SHMURAH MATZA FORM him. King was having Mordechai’s heroic deeds read When at last he discovered the truth, he to him? Was it Esther’s charm that made the called his father to thank him for the lesson, king suddenly hang his favorite minister? for the position he was holding and for all that Or was it the unfolding of a most miraculous Celebration! he did for him prior to this experience. salvation shrouded in the garments of nature, Volume 39 #3 February 2008 luck and coincidence? G-d was hidden and Published 6 times a year by: •••• remained hidden throughout – His name does Lubavitch of Wisconsin not appear even once in the entire Megillah 3109 N. Lake Drive Milwaukee, WI 53211 We all wish to be treated well. We wish to (scroll of Esther). enjoy instant success. We want to experience Today is no different. Phone: (414) 961-6100 G-d’s open hand, but such is not the order of In this brochure, (on page 14) you’ll find a FAX: (414) 962-1740 natural world. Miracles override the course of contemporary drama, which took 32 years to E-mail: [email protected] nature, the order which G-d has assigned for unfold. It is but a reflection of the story of the www.chabadwi.org the world. entire Jewish people, and the story of each of Yes, G-d performs miracles. To lift our us in our everyday life. spirits, to empower us to face the challenges We just need to pay attention to the story, of the world and enable us to affect it, G-d is Dedicated to the Rebbe, to open up our eyes, to recognize the “Player” Rabbi Menachem M. revealing his presence by bending or breaking and to respond accordingly. Schneerson, OBM, the laws of nature. Throughout our history, whose boundless love and we as a people have experienced an array of Best wishes for a very happy Purim, teachings are an dazzling miracles. From the Exodus from endless source of inspiration Egypt to the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, Rabbi Yisroel Shmotkin and guidance. 2 Check out our weekly online magazine at www.chabadwi.org the Rebbe’s Message A Throw of Dice umerous factors contributed to the salvation that G-d really cares about one people more than another? of the Jewish people from Haman’s decree, Can it be that He is truly pleased by “good” deeds and not least amongst them Mordechai’s rousing angered by “bad” ones? Surely G-d is beyond all that. There of the Jews to repentance and Esther’s efforts might be a level of reality on which goodness is rewarded Non their behalf. Yet the name of the festival – the one word and evil is punished, but on a higher plane, these things are chosen to express its essence – refers to a seemingly minor obviously meaningless. On that level, a truly infinite G-d detail: the fact that Haman selected the date of his proposed has no concern with what goes on in the material world, and annihilation of the Jews by casting lots (pur is the prime minister of the mightiest empire on earth Persian for “lot”). Obviously, the significance can do what he chooses to a small, dispersed of Haman’s lots lies at the very heart of minority. what Purim is all about. So Haman cast lots, hoping to Why did Haman cast lots? Because “connect” to that level of reality that he was attempting to break what, to transcends the laws of good and evil– his mind, was a “vicious cycle” that to that level of reality on which, he had been plaguing him and his ilk believed, everything is up for grabs, since the appearance of the Jewish as free of any moral rules as a throw of nation a thousand years earlier. Many dice. great and powerful men, from Pharaoh to What Haman failed to realize was that the Nebuchadnezzar–not to mention Haman’s own people of Israel are G-d’s chosen people–that even ancestors, the Amalekites–had tried to destroy this on the level of divine “choice,” which transcends all logical people. Granted, the Jews have a great and powerful G-d, criteria, G-d desires them and protects them. It is true that but they also fail Him by committing sins and anger Him G-d, in essence, is beyond it all; but this very G-d chose–for with their transgressions. All one needs to do, it would seem, no other reason than such was His desire–to take the people is wait for such an opportune moment. But always, at the of Israel as His own. very last minute, the Jews repent and, time and again, their G-d is reconciled with them and saves them. The Jew always knows this in the deepest part of his soul, even if his external behavior may, at times, run awry of this Haman knew that the Jews had sinned yet again by realization. This, ultimately, is the reason why we always worshipping the king of Babalon, Nebuchadnezzar’s idol and return to G-d, and why G-d always forgives us in the end. partaking of Achashverosh’s feast; (see beginning of History - page 4,) but who knows how long their estrangement from This, ultimately, is the very essence of the miracle of G-d will last this time? Purim, and the very essence of the miracle called “the people of Israel.” As long as our plans hinge upon the virtue or iniquity of Israel, reasoned Haman, we’ll just have a repeat of the same Adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, O.B.M. old scenario. A more basic approach is called for. Can it be By Yanki Tauber, Chabad.org Special Purim presentation at www.chabadwi.org/Purim 3 The History of Purim banquet the next night. Once upon a time… That night, after the first banquet, King Achashverosh was unable to sleep, and he asked his servants to read to him from It was the year 365 B.C.E. in the city of Shushan, Persia. The his Book of Chronicles. When they reached the episode where reigning King Achashverosh hosted a series of lavish royal feasts Mordechai saved his life, he realized that Mordechai had never in his palace that went on for a hundred and eighty days – one been rewarded.