Purim and its masks and revelry seems like a “fun day” easy to celebrate. But actually when you dig deeper into it it can be quite difficult. It can quite effortlessly sink into a Jewish Mardi Gras complete with masquerades and non-sobriety — which in themselves per se are not problematic and might in fact add to the festive atmosphere. But it should not stop there. So at the risk of raining on the Purim parade here are some sober thoughts on Purim.

Commentators have noted that Purim and Yom HaKippurim have similar sounds. This is no accident. Literally Yom HaKippurim (Vayikra 23:27; 25:9) means “the like-Purim day.” (Someone once said — I presume in a Purim jest — that on Purim Jews masquerade as goyim and on Yom Kippur Jews masquerade as Jews …) That there is a connection between the two seems surprising but only on the surface. Each day represents a serious effort to connect with G-d but each arrives at that goal through a different gate. On Yom Kippur the goal is reached directly: we abstain from food and other material pleasures and enter a full day of spirituality. On Purim making that connection is a little more difficult because on Purim our challenge is to connect with G-d specifically through the material to elevate overt physicality into instruments for serving Him. That is to penetrate the masks of food and drink and reveal the Creator Who hides beyond them.

Masks are endemic to Purim. You see someone under a mask: a person unknown to you hidden. Who is he really? Later when he removes the mask comes the shock of recognition: I should have known all along. Had I looked more closely I would have noticed telltale signs and would have recognized who you really are.

So it is with our Creator. Often He hides behind His own Divine mask and even when we come face-to-face with Him we do not recognize Him. Later comes the shock of recognition: I should have known all along. If I had looked more closely I would have recognized You.

Hiddenness is the very essence of Purim. The name “Esther” itself as is well-known derives from the Hebrew root samech-tav-reish “to hide.” G-d’s Name is not found inMegillas Esther; the redemptive events can seem to be ordinary coincidences; and the very Presence of G-d working in the background is carefully concealed. But at the very end when the masks come off we see in retrospect that He was there all the time.

Perhaps this is why more than any other month Adar is the time when we “increase joy.” For this season of Purim when the apparently absent Creator was in fact there all the time is a paradigm for our own personal lives. G-d is always present even when that fact is not obvious. We say it thrice daily in our davening: “nisecha shebechal yom imanu— Your miracles are with us every single day ” even though they are unseen. Even when G-d does not reveal Himself dramatically and seems to have abandoned us; and even when it seems clear that we have lost contact with Him it turns out that He has been with us constantly. Look more closely at the signs: in Adar the dead winter is resurrected into spring and the renewal of nature. And that reminds us to look closely at ourselves. We can see think hear breathe talk laugh cry walk. We are alive which is the greatest mystery of all. Purim awakens us to the sudden realization that G-d’s hiddenness is only a mask for He is by our side always and in all ways. Once we discover this there can be no greater joy. Therefore in this Purim month  marbim b’simchah.

Particularly is this important to us today when we are threatened with yet another Holocaust. Where is G-d? He is concealed but He is present and remains the same eternalshomer Yisrael — Protector of the Jewish People. Says the Sfas Emes  commenting on the doubling of Haster Astir (lit.: “I will hide will hide My Face”) in Devarim 31:18:Sometimes G-d hides the very fact that He is hiding and we mistakenly assume He has completely abandoned us ” (Vayelech 5639; Nitzavim 5632). But though He hides He is ever-present.

Beyond the masquerades and revelry let us rejoice fully in the knowledge that if we look closely we will recognize Him through the concealments. “U’vikashtem Osi … — When you seek Me you will find Me when you search with all your heart”(Yirmiyahu 29:13). This is the Heavenly Hide-and-Seek. G-d hides; our task is to seek Him out.e is neverthtless there – can there be a greater joy we suddenly discover that He was only diing ( Esthere) and He has been there allk the timeHe has HH