Throughout Jewish tradition, rabbis and interpreters of tradition have noticed a unique quirk of Hebrew. Two holidays seem linked by their names: Yom Kippur and Purim. The Day of Atonement is often called Yom HaKippurim. To some, it almost seems to say, Yom Ki-Purim, “a day LIKE Purim.” How can the holiest, most solemn day of the year be “like” a day of merriment, frivolity and feasting? Of course, there are many different interpretations offered. Some teach that the fasting and atonement of Yom Kippur and the joyous celebration of Purim present us two diametrically opposed, yet equally important, methods for approaching God. Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR teaches that “…the essential message of Purim is that no matter how hard we work to control our lives, how diligently we plan and prepare, life is inescapably unpredictable. On a whim the Jews of Shushan saw their whole world turn upside down and we could too—“grief turned into joy, a day of mourning into a day of celebration” (Megillat Esther 9:22)…It is the reversibility of fortune, the recognition of the capriciousness of life, that Purim shares with Yom Kippur – a day that similarly calls us to reflect on the unavoidable uncertainty of life.” (sermon, Kol Nidre 5772, www.ikar-la.org) In the story of Purim, the Jewish people are saved only once Esther removes her “mask” and reveals her true identity to the King. On Yom Kippur, we can only achieve atonement when we remove the masks we put on ourselves. By confronting who we really are, what we’ve done right and what we’ve done wrong, we help set our course for improvement in the New Year. Elul is an important time for us to begin looking in the mirror, looking past the masks, and discovering our true selves.
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