Purim starts this Saturday night, February 27, and our kitchen has been churning out Hamantashen (I personally favor apricot).

Stop to think a moment about this cookie: it’s named after a would-be genocidal despot.  Can you imagine saying to someone, “Care for an Ahmadinejad Almond Treat?”

It seems the Hamantash contains more than apricot jam. 

Haman, that great champion of an amoral world of chance and might, set in motion a horrific sequence of events.  It looked really bad.  But the Jews were open to a message:  Chance and might are not absolute; events are not locked in as bad.  They carry a message: not filling the world with love of our fellow and Creator creates a vacuum for would-be Hamans.   Fill the vacuum and events shift. 

Our sages say that Haman, the catalyst for that insight, helped the Jews accomplish more with his decree than the inspired teachings of 47 prophets!  May we merit to see the deeper message of those who hate us and soon be offering Ahmadinejad Treats!

Shabbat Shalom,

HH

PS: Where do actors like to go camping?

The Hollywoods.