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Behind the Mask
Mendy, a Jewish Ukrainian refugee and student from the Alumim children’s home in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, dresses up for the Jewish holiday of Purim after arriving to Israel following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the Nes Harim Field and Forest Education Center in Nes Harim, Israel, March 17, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
JNS.org – Purim is a serious festival. Yet many people consider it merely a children’s masquerade party. The very notion of dressing up, wearing masks and creative costumes to disguise ourselves is the subject of much rabbinic commentary.
Why do we wear masks on Purim?
There is a wide variety of answers. Here are just a few:
- God initially concealed His face in the Purim story. We seemed to be on our own, facing total annihilation, until events turned around in our favor.
- The name of God is hidden in Megillat Esther, the “Scroll of Esther.” Imagine a whole book of Holy Scripture and God’s name does not appear once.
- Esther kept her Jewish identity hidden until she was called upon to save her people.
- The name Esther itself means hidden. In Deuteronomy 31:18, God says, “And I will surely hide (in Hebrew, astir) My face on that day … ”
- The miracle of Purim was not that obvious. The Jewish people’s deliverance from Haman’s final solution was masked in natural events.
And on this last note, it’s not only when God is splitting the sea or feeding us bread from heaven that we can discern the source of our miraculous survival and sustenance. God’s footprints can be seen all over His world. The Purim story is a classical saga of politics and palace intrigue, but behind the tale lies the hidden hand of God.
It just so happened that Queen Vashti was deposed, and the talent scouts found Esther. She was a nice Jewish girl who wasn’t looking to be the new queen, but she was drafted into the beauty contest and found favor in King Ahasuerus’s eyes.
It just so happened that Mordechai overheard two of the king’s palace guards plotting to assassinate Ahasuerus and told Esther, who, in turn, told the king in Mordechai’s name.
It just so happened that the king was suffering from insomnia and asked for his book of chronicles to be read to him so he could fall asleep. And the page that the reader opened to just so happened to be about how Mordechai saved the king’s life.
It just so happened that Haman arrived at the king’s palace—at that very moment—to ask for the king’s blessing to hang Mordechai, and the tables were quickly turned upside down.
And it just so happened that we had an insider in the palace, and Queen Esther was able to save the Jewish people single-handedly.
Each of these events, and there were others, could be put down to coincidence or good luck. We have all had the good fortune of having a good woman in the right place at the right time.
But when you consider all of these “it just so happened” events together, it can no longer be a random string of coincidences or simply serendipity. There has got to be a controlling hand moving the pieces on the board in a premeditated manner. We Jews call it Divine Providence.
Indeed, Purim reminds us to recognize the presence of God in natural events, too. The Creator is not only found in the supernatural.
Of course, the sun rising in the east every morning is a miracle. But when something is a daily occurrence and happens like clockwork, we tend to take it for granted. It’s only on rare occasions, like when we are on vacation and get to see a magnificent sunrise or sunset, that we even notice this magnificent miracle.
Yes, traditionally, we recite a thanksgiving blessing in the presence of a minyan—a public prayer quorum of 10 men—when we emerge from a dangerous experience safely. We Bentch Gomel, as it is called, after a voyage over the sea or desert, recovery from serious illness or freedom from incarceration. But if you think about it, we experience so many deliverances every day. Most of them go unnoticed. There are countless little miracles (and many not-so-little miracles) that occur, but they’re all part of our regular routines, so we take them for granted.
You crossed a busy highway and got to the other side safely. How many near-misses do we have when it comes to cars? My wife and I were driving home from a wedding late one night, and a car came straight at us at top speed. He was driving on the wrong side of the highway. I managed to move lanes quickly and avoid a head-on collision, which I doubt anyone could have survived at that speed! Thank God that does not happen every day.
And what about waking up every morning? And what of the food, clothing and shelter we enjoy? Do you know there are billions of people in the world who are not privileged to have these conveniences that we take for granted? If you have a home, a car and a computer, you are way ahead of half the world’s population.
And please don’t take your good health for granted. When I was a kid, I couldn’t understand why all the adults would say abi gezunt, “As long as you have your health.” What were they going on about health? Believe me, today, I understand it only too well.
We can be nonchalant about our business success, too. We may even be cynical. We can argue that our success is due to our business acumen and hard work, or we can be honest and appreciate that there are many smart, hardworking people out there who do not enjoy success. Why, then, should we?
And we can realize that God Almighty is clearly protecting Israel from all its murderous neighbors—and enemies who are not its neighbors at all—who are plotting our destruction, God forbid, or we can simply say that the Israel Defense Forces is the greatest army in the world and we protect ourselves. To be blind to all the miracles that have helped neutralize Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran is not only cynical, it is intellectually dishonest.
Whether it is in our personal lives or our national life, looking beneath the surface and reading between the lines is essential to understanding what is happening and appreciating that it isn’t just business as usual. That it isn’t even necessarily natural or logical. It is miraculous, albeit somewhat hidden from view. Our job is to probe beneath the surface to discern the hand of God in our own lives and the life of our nation.
With that awareness comes sensitivity, and then our attitude begins to change. We can verbalize and express our gratitude. We can share with the less fortunate, which is an important Purim mitzvah. We can do something for God as an expression of our thanksgiving for the little hidden miracles that keep us going through life.
May God continue to protect us all, and may we be wise enough to pierce the veil and see beyond the facade and behind the mask.
Purim Sameach!
The post Behind the Mask first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel’s Supreme Court Orders Improved Food for Security Prisoners
Israel’s Supreme Court. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
i24 News – Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday instructed the Prison Service (Shabas) to guarantee adequate food supplies for security prisoners, ruling that current conditions fall short of minimum legal standards. The decision followed an appeal filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
In a 2–1 ruling, the court found that the food situation posed “a risk of non-compliance with legal standards.” Justice Dafna Barak-Erez stressed that the matter concerned “basic conditions necessary for survival, as required by law,” not comfort or privilege. Justice Ofer Grosskopf agreed, noting the state had not shown the policy was consistently applied to all inmates.
Justice David Mintz dissented, maintaining that the existing policy already met legal requirements.
The court underscored that Israel’s legal obligations remain binding, even in light of the ongoing hostage crisis in Gaza and the fact that many of the prisoners include Hamas members involved in the October 7, 2023 attack.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir condemned the ruling, arguing that while hostages in Gaza lack protection, “terrorist murderers, kidnappers, and rapists in prison” benefit from the Court’s intervention. He added that prisoners would continue receiving only the minimum conditions required by law.
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Ukrainian Government Building Set Ablaze in Record Russian Airstrike
Illustrative. More damage caused by the Russian drone that hit the Perlina school in Kyiv, Ukraine, Oct. 30, 2024. Photo: Jewish community JCC in Kyiv, Kyiv municipality, and Yan Dobronosov
i24 News – The Ukrainian government’s main building in Kyiv was hit overnight Saturday by Russian airstrikes for the first time since the war, igniting a fire in the building, authorities said. Firefighters are working to put out the flames.
“The government building was damaged by an enemy attack — the roof and upper floors,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko said. The blaze is is burning in the area of the office of the prime minister.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched a total of 805 drones and 13 missiles overnight on Ukraine — a record number since the start of the war.
Also as a result of the strike, a baby and a young woman were killed after a nine-story residential building was hit in the Svyatoshynsky district, also in Kyiv. Rescuers are still looking for a third body, authorities said. A woman was also reported killed in the strike in Novopavlivka village.
“The world must respond to this destruction not only with words, but also with actions. We need to increase sanctions pressure – primarily against Russian oil and gas. We need new restrictions that will hit the Kremlin’s military machine. And most importantly, Ukraine needs weapons. Something that will stop the terror and prevent Russia from trying to kill Ukrainians every day,” wrote Sviridenko after the attack.
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‘Trump’s Legacy Crumbles’: Israelis Call on US President to End Gaza War
Israeli protestors take part in a rally demanding the immediate release of the hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, and the end of war in Gaza, in Jerusalem September 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, issuing direct appeals to US President Donald Trump to force an end to the Gaza war and secure the release of the hostages.
Protesters packed a public square outside the military headquarters, waving Israeli flags and holding placards with images of the hostages. Some carried signs, including one that read: ‘Trump’s legacy crumbles as the Gaza war persists.’
Another said: “PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAVE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”
“We think that Trump is the only man in the world who has authority over Bibi, that can force Bibi to do this,” said Tel Aviv resident Boaz, 40, referring to the Israeli prime minister.
There is growing despair among many Israelis at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has ordered the military to capture a major urban center where hostages may be held.
Families of the hostages and their supporters fear the assault on Gaza City could endanger their loved ones, a concern the military leadership shares, according to Israeli officials.
Orna Neutra, the mother of an Israeli soldier who was killed on October 7, 2023 and whose body is being held in Gaza by militants, accused the government of abandoning its citizens.
“We truly hope that the United States will push both sides to finally reach a comprehensive deal that will bring them home,” she told the rally. Her son, Omer, is also American.
Tel Aviv has witnessed weekly demonstrations that have grown in size, with protesters demanding that the government secure a ceasefire with Hamas to obtain the release of hostages. Organizers said Saturday night’s rally was attended by tens of thousands. A large demonstration was also held in Jerusalem.
There are 48 hostages held in Gaza. Israeli officials believe that around 20 are still alive. Palestinian terrorists abducted 251 people from Israel on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led its attack. Most of the hostages who have been released were freed after indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
NO PURPOSE
Trump had pledged a swift end to the war in Gaza during his presidential campaign, but nearly eight months into his second term, a resolution has remained elusive. On Friday, he said that Washington was engaged in “very deep” negotiations with Hamas.
Israeli forces have carried out heavy strikes on the suburbs of Gaza City, where, according to a global hunger monitor, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are facing famine. Israeli officials acknowledge that hunger exists in Gaza but deny that the territory is facing famine. On Saturday, the military warned civilians in Gaza City to leave and move to southern Gaza.
There are hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering in the city that was home to around a million before the war.
A video released by Hamas on Friday featured Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, saying that he was being held in Gaza City and feared being killed by the military’s assault on the city. Rights groups have condemned such videos of hostages as inhumane. Israel says that it is psychological warfare.
The war has become unpopular among some segments of Israeli society, and opinion polls show that most Israelis want Netanyahu’s right-wing government to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Hamas that secures the release of the hostages.
“The war has no purpose at all, except for violence and death,” said Boaz from Tel Aviv. Adam, 48, said it had become obvious that soldiers were being sent to war for “nothing.”
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since it launched its retaliatory war after Hamas fighters attacked Israel from Gaza in October 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed in that attack on southern Israel.
The terrorist group, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but today controls only parts of the enclave, on Saturday once again said that it would release all hostages if Israel agreed to end the war and withdraw its forces from Gaza.
Netanyahu is pushing for an all-or-nothing deal that would see all of the hostages released at once and Hamas surrendering.
The prime minister has said Gaza City is a Hamas stronghold and capturing it is necessary to defeat the Palestinian militant group, whose October 2023 attack on Israel led to the war.
Hamas has acknowledged it would no longer govern Gaza once the war ends but has refused to discuss laying down its weapons.