It may not sound so unique to hear the words Am Yisrael Chai expressed in the Israeli Knesset— unless it’s expressed by the Prime Minister of 1.4 “Billion” Indians.
The address by the PM of India this past week in the Knesset is nothing short of remarkable and one well worth listening to.
His opening words— “It is a privilege and an honour for me to stand before this distinguished House. I do so as the Prime Minister of India, and also as a representative of one ancient civilization addressing another. I bring with me the greetings of 1.4 billion Indians, and a message of friendship, respect, and partnership….”
“In India, there is great admiration for Israel’s resolve, courage, and achievements. Long before we related to each other as modern States, we were linked by ties that go back more than two thousand years. The Book of Esther refers to India as Hodu. The Talmud records trade with India in ancient times…..”
Personally, I’m not one that gets excited when someone extols the virtues of the Jewish nation and our rich Divine history — as rare as it is. After all, we need to be secure and proud enough of the truth. We need to be inspired enough to continue the unique charge of the Jewish nation, gifted with the Divine mission and responsibility to be a Light Unto the Nations — on our own steam.
Yet the timing of this — standing on the eve of Purim, a Festival that is fully and wholly dedicated to celebrating Jewish identity, commitment to our Heritage and selfless leadership — highlights and underscores the very positive and empowering message of Purim and the Megillah.
All too often, Jewish life is defined by the challenges that we face; the rise of antisemitism and the like whilst the positive, inspiring and empowering elements of being Jewish under emphasized, under appreciated and under practiced.
Purim is the Holiday that fixes all that. It introduces joy, fun, identity and experience. The Megillah doesn’t gloss over the rabid antisemitism that exists yet it doesn’t stop mid story. It highlights the conscious decisions of the Jews of that era to double down on their commitment made at Mt Sinai to dedicate their lives as proscribed in the Torah. It highlights the heroism of different figures of that era — Esther and Mordechai and many others. Mostly, it models for us and illuminates for us a clear path for how we should respond to our challenges — “in those days, in our times”.
We have an illustrious past that’s for sure — the future will be just as illustrious no doubt — that however, is in our hands!!
Am Yisrael Chai!!
With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom & with an extra push to you and your family to attend a Purim celebration,
Rabbi Yehuda & Dina Kantor