From Rabbi Fohrman, a foretaste of Purim learning

There is no end to the commentaries on the Book of Esther, and this year’s pick by me that follows is not the last word. However, the popularity of Rabbi David Fohrman’s teachings in our community (he is rav of the nusach Sfard minyan at the Young Israel of Woodmere) prompts a review of a segment of his teachings for Megillat Esther, that, in my opinion, is worth your attention and patronage.

“The Queen You Thought You Knew” [OU Press, 2011] goes into great detail in describing the human, as well as the divine, dynamic that envelops the plot that underlines the theme of the holiday of Purim.

The mitzvah of hakarat hatov (showing gratitude to others), one of the most remarkable mitzvot that our faith mandates in terms of personal human relations, generates peace among us. This mitzvah, as it relates to the Purim theme, is given big play by Rabbi Fohrman.

This segment of Rabbi Fohrman’s book reminds us of the deeds of our ancestors— Judah, a son of Leah, and Benjamin, a son of Rachel.

In Genesis, it was Judah who stepped up to the plate, at great personal risk, to defend his half brother Benjamin from possible captivity in Egypt. Fast forward to the story of Purim. The Jewish people in Persia, the vast majority of whom are Judeans [thus the title Jews] are under dire threat of being murdered by government fiat. Queen Esther, a descendent of Benjamin, is now in a position to reciprocate Judah’s heroic deed of antiquity. She could have easily walked away from this situation, given her royal position.

In “A Debt Repaid,” Rabbi Fohrman writes:

“But Esther does not take this path. Instead, she chooses to risk her life — and to reciprocate a centuries-old act of selfless kindness.