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Jewish holiday teaches alternative to revenge
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March 4 is the Jewish holiday of Purim, found in the Book of Esther.
Perhaps due to painful Holocaust memories or war concerns in Israel, the holiday becomes: "They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat." This holiday's spirituality is lost.
The Talmud tries to teach Jews a different approach. While it indeed celebrates the deliverance of the Jews over the Persian antagonist Haman, we are taught some important spiritual lessons. There is a biblical commandment in Deuteronomy 25:19 to wipe out the memory of Amalek, the tribe that terrorized the Israelites after their Egyptian exodus. The Purim connection is that Haman, the villain in "Esther," was a descendant of Amalek. So how have Jews for centuries been taught to carry out this commandment?
Not through acts of revenge, but the Talmud tells Jews to use noisemakers to "blot out" Haman's name whenever it appears in the scriptural reading.
These noisemakers are a wonderful example of sublimation for dealing with aggressive feelings. Purim, with its costuming, helps one identify with the "other" by putting ourselves in his or her shoes and by recognizing the "other" within us. The Hebrew word for violence -- alimut -- shares a common root with elem, "muteness." In other words, one of the causes of violence, the Talmud teaches, might be that people do not have other outlets to give voice to their pain or frustration. Revenge only begets more violence, while understanding and listening gives hope for reconciliation and peace.
Arthur L. Segal
Hilton Head Island
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