Last Saturday night when Shabbat ended, I saw multiple news notifications and text messages about the hostage situation at Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX. I felt flooded with emotion at what we sadly know can happen at a synagogue. At that point, the hostages had not yet escaped, and the situation felt frightening without knowing what the outcome would be.
Then, we made Havdallah. Still uncertain of what would happen, ever aware as always that while we try to bring light into the week, there are those that try and bring darkness. And one line from Havdallah stood out to me in that moment. Layehudim hay’ta ora v’simcha v’sasson v’yikar, ken tiy’he lanu The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honor - these should be for us, too.
This verse, on the face of it, seems like a lovely one as we say goodbye to Shabbat and usher in the new week. But the composers of the Havdallah liturgy knew exactly where this verse came from and the implications it had. This verse comes from Megillat Esther, the story of Purim, immediately after the threat of Haman is no longer. When standing at the precipice of the holy Shabbat and the mundane week ahead, the crafters of Havdallah chose this light, lovely verse from an extremely heavy circumstance.
Because they knew what we know, too. There will always be Hamans in the world. There will, sadly, always be those that seek out destruction over illumination and love. In the Purim story, they were at near annihilation and destruction, and while that specific threat was gone, they knew there could be another. And yet, they enjoyed light and happiness.
Despite the fact that we are in the presence of Hamans, we say this verse every single week when ending Shabbat. We say “Shavua Tov” - it will be a good week - right when we finish Havdallah, even as we know scary things about the world. We enter a week full of unknowns, trying to declare that it will be good and that it will be an illuminating week, both for us as a Jewish community and for others. We will not let the realities of Hamans affect our desire to find light and happiness.
This Shabbat, we are in-person and we will be celebrating a Bat Mitzvah in our community. We will have a simcha, despite fear, despite the Hamans that we know exist in the world. There is no more appropriate response to catastrophe in our larger Jewish community than celebrating a simcha.
There was light and gladness for them, so may there be for us too.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Sarit
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