Happiness and Love is in the air because it is the Hebrew month of Adar! This is the month of Joy and a month where we feel G-d’s love and protection even when we cannot fully see or comprehend that love fully. these days we might feel that G-d is absent but really he is not. In the book of Esther, we do not see the hidden name of G-d right away we have to seek his face. In Tanach (Bible) the lesson was given to us through very brave heroes and one was Queen Esther. You see it all started with a young woman Named Hadassah Who we later come to know as Esther.
Esther found favor in the sight of everyone who came in contact with her. Even her required beauty regimen consisted of additional treatments. Where she was housed was nothing short of the best. These were results of the favor G-d bestowed upon her from the head person in charge of her and the other women.
The evening arrived when she would go before the king and when she did, once again, G-d granted her favor. She had found favor in the eyes of the one who mattered the king above; it was he who changed her life around forever.
G-d knew the King of Babylon would love her above all of the women placed before him, so he married her and crowned her his Queen. Out of respect and obedience to her uncle, a gate keeper at the king’s palace, Esther did not reveal that she was Jewish.
Later in the story, we find that the King loved her regardless of the fact that she was Jewish. It was Evil Haman that was causing discord and hatred in the kingdom. Much like the fallen Angel known as HaSatan did and we know that story he was booted out of the heavenly Kingdom.
Esther found herself stepping up to save the Jewish people from this evil degree that the Evil man Haman created and the same man who gained the trust of the King to use his signet ring to make these laws.
The King was certainly shocked to find that his own wife Queen Esther was in danger of losing her life and what did the King do? He trapped Haman in exposing himself as the evil man he was when he attacked Queen Esther and this was his downfall and the King sent him and his sons to the gallows. since the decree could not be reversed the new decree was the people could arm themselves and defend themselves.
Keep in mind that what the King did was actually orchestrated by G-d to save his people’s lives. The Jewish Sages tell us that when you read the word King in the book of Esther after she was married to the King that it is really speaking of G-d the Almighty King. It was he who loved Esther. It was G-d who loved the His people and once again redeemed them from evil. This is something we must always remember.
Evil always fails and G-d’s love always prevails.
It is the heroes of the story that gives us perfect aroma that was pleasing to G-d. The sense of smell is the only sense (of the five senses) that did not participate in the sin commited in the Garden of Eden, and thereby was not blemished or polluted, in the sin of man in the Garden. It is the sense which helped save the Jewish people in the time of Mordechai and Esther, who are called Mor veHadas “Myrrh and Myrtle-Hadas,” the two primary sources of fragrance in in this story. A perfect combination of Aroma sealed the fate of the enemy Haman and protected the people from such ruthless evil.
In the Mishnah, Torah commentaries state that all perfect aromas are of Mashiach (Messiah) which is the sense of smell. “And he shall smell with the “awe of G-d”, he shall judge by the sense of smell” (rather than by sight or hearing. Isaiah 11:3; Sanhedrin 93b). By his sense of smell (his “neshama-soul”) the Mashiach will know how to connect each Jewish soul to its Divine root, and thereby identify its tribe (branch) in Israel. He will sniff out smell the ultimate truth!
Purim is coming in a few weeks and as you read the book of Esther look closely or listen closely in the reading for these hidden love letters from G-d to You. This is a real true love story we can take to heart today and receive G-d’s love and not forget it is never-ending Love.
Good Purim!
Rivka
