Purim
Purim Costumes
Adapted from Rabbi Leah Novick
It's no accident that we
dress in costumes on Purim -- clothing is one of the stars of Megillat
Esther.
Queen Vashti is asked to
come before King Achasverosh wearing her royal crown. When Mordechai hears of Haman's decree against the Jews, he
tears his clothing. When Queen
Esther comes before the King, she dresses in royal robes. Haman believes an
honored minister should be dressed in the King's own garments.
But Vashti's crown goes to
Esther. Mordechai takes off his
sackcloth in order to wear the robes of honor Haman suggested, believing he
himself was to wear them. On Purim
we celebrate these reversals and bend a few social roles ourselves - including
the rules about what to wear.
Esther's name means, in
Hebrew, "the hidden one."
Until she reveals herself at the end of the story, she wears the costume
of an ethnically Persian queen.
Some say that Esther represents the Shechinah in exile. The Shechinah is all around us, dressed
in the garments of our everyday life, revealing herself when we are in
need. On Purim, we identify with
the Shechinah.
Hassidic theology teaches
the entire world is divine energy clothed in forms of everyday objects. Spiritual development is a gradual
change of perception in order to see the One behind the costumes. On Purim we acknowledge our source in
divine energy, as we dress in costumes, challenge each other to perceive, and
have a wonderful laugh at the cosmic joke of the hidden God manifesting everywhere.
Return to Reb Laura's
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