As the Jewish calendar swirls to its magnificent final curtsy we know we should be embracing the simchah emunah and yedidus that Purim ushers in. Why then do we so often allow thoughts of mess calories and a looming Pesach to creep into our psyche turning any inspiring dreams into a stale stagnating reality?

Much of our year — and our lives  —is peppered with these deceivingly comforting thoughts that allow us to fall into spiritual despair. We sometimes view growth as the privilege of the young but as I often remind my seminary students all of us have a supreme personal obligation to guarantee ourselves an inspired life.

Filling the Pit

Rav Shimshon Pincus ztz”l in his commentary on the Torah gives tremendous insight into the well-known midrash that discusses the pit Yosef was thrown into. The pasuk states “And the pit was empty — there was no water in it.” Rashi cites the midrash which elaborates: “It had no water but snakes and scorpions were inside.”

How could Yosef’s brothers be so cruel? Are they not the original Bnei Yisrael known for their compassion modesty and kindness? While they may have convened a beis din and deemed Yosef worthy of death they didn’t rule that his death should come through the venom of snakes and scorpions!

The brothers posits Rav Pincus weren’t aware of the presence of these dangerous creatures in the pit. Peering inside they saw exactly what the pasuk states: There was no water in the pit — their brother would not drown. Yet the midrash is pointing out an ever-true reality. If there is no water — and water is the mayim chayim of the Torah — then the venom of the yetzer hara is lurking at every corner!

An empty pit may seem safe so too an empty neshamah’s conscience may rationalize “I’m protected as long as I play the part and don’t do anything wrong.” How frightening it is to realize that the empty neshamah leaves room for septic material to seep through its empty cracks; the only true solution is to fill it with Torah!

But where is Torah among midnight diaper changes piles of unsorted laundry and dirty dishes?

When we think back to the lofty idealism of our seminary years we can glimpse a picture of our younger selves fueled by the fire of our will to care for precious neshamos. Mah hu af atah — what is more similar to Hashem than caring for others endlessly and unconditionally? But now we often find it hard to see past the squabbles and the mess. What to do?

Many of us experience the grueling battle of staying in shape. We know that winning that battle requires a solid investment of time for exercise and preparing healthy food options. Time or rather lack thereof is the yetzer hara’s ammunition telling us “I just can’t!” If this is so true for physical fitness all the more so for our spiritual battle.

A Future-Oriented Life

Rav Yitzchak Hutner ztz”l in his Pachad Yitzchak essay on Purim teaches that Eisav represents a life absent of repercussions with a focus on the here and now. Yaakov however always has his eye on the prize on the goals of Olam HaBa and acharis hayamim. Many encounters with Eisav and his descendant Amalek occur machar tomorrow (Yaakov’s Yehoshua’s Esther’s). Rav Hutner explains that we can fight Amalek with “machar” because we are the nation that lives in the machar. Eisav’s only reality is hayom — This World.

Eisav whose galus we are still languishing in is the force that tells us: “Follow what your body tells you to do enjoy life!” The irony is of course that the more we invest in This World the sadder we become.

This was the downfall of the party of Achashveirosh a party that was “to the will of each and every man” with wine flowing like water and delicacies of every variety. It beckoned its attendees “Lose yourselves to a life of pleasure and abandon.” The Talmud points to enjoyment at the party of Achashveirosh as the reason Haman could attempt to annihilate Klal Yisrael.

Esther HaMalkah beseeched the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah the Men of the Great Assembly to have her book included in the Tanach since she knew that her message would be very relevant for the future of Klal Yisrael as they embarked on what would be a long and bitter galus. “Look what happens when you fall prey to the lure of galus!” she is telling us.

As Rabbi Berel Wein shlita points out less than 70 years after the Jews sat at the rivers of Bavel and cried “If I forget you Yerushalayim let my right hand lose its strength let my tongue cling to my palate!” they were reveling at the party of Achashveirosh before Nebuchanezzar’s prized spoils of war — our precious klei haMikdash. History is not just an account of the past; it contains lessons for the future. If the Jews so quickly fell for the blandishments of Achashveirosh’s party how much must we be on guard in a world with far more dazzling distractions.  

The Torah tells in Parshas Va’eschanan that Hashem will scatter us among the nations where we will end up serving their false gods. In the Purim story we see Jews who were drunk on the temptations of galus. But where was their idolatry? Though they indulged themselves and disregarded the admonitions of their leaders we don’t find them serving avodah zarah!

In Mishnas Rabbi Aharon Rav Aharon Kotler writes that in galus we will end up serving the values and ideologies of those who serve idolatry. And if we are oved l’ovdeihem — we serve those who serve idols — it is like we have served avodah zarah ourselves.

Yet says Rav Aharon the Torah goes on to prescribe the antidote to this lure. Ubikashtem misham — and you shall seek from there from that place of darkness Hashem your G-d (Devarim 24:29)!

Says the Sforno about galus: Even when there is no Mikdash there are no vessels of the Mikdash you will find Hashem — but how? It is only if you seek it with your whole heart!

Ubikashtem! Look for it! Find a shiur to attend listen to a recording of a speaker you connect to reach out to someone you admire spiritually and find ways to spend more time with them.

Ubikashtem! Ask for siyata d’Shmaya. Daven for it! Our siddur is a finely crafted and intricately designed weapon in this fight for the sanctity of our souls. We know that Yaakov Avinu used tefillah as a powerful tool in his arsenal before encountering his brother Eisav.

We must daven to Hashem “Psach libi — open my heart!” We must daven for the opportunities to find inspiration in our lives and the wisdom to utilize those opportunities.

Defeating Our Greatest Adversary

Time is our greatest adversary in this battle. Like the battle for physical fitness the spiritual battle requires the same mantra: We make time for what is important to us. We must question our priorities and put our spiritual health at the top of the list.

Sometimes our cooking or traveling time is best used listening to a shiur instead of chatting on the phone. Often cutting out that nonessential “one more thing” will allow us to have the five minutes to connect to Hashem through tefillah.

I recently heard from my friend Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi the following: Before traveling to Americato lecture she met Rav Ovadiah Yosef shlita to discuss the main message to her female audience. She expected an answer that focused on dikduk b’mitzvos or middos tovos. She was surprised with the direct and succinct answer she received: “Tell the women to daven. They have no clue of the koach their tefillos have to break barriers in the Heavens!”

The tefillah of Esther as she went trembling to plead for her people brought about our ultimate salvation. “My G-d my G-d why have You left me?” We may feel estranged but He is so close. Like He responded to Esther He can lift our hearts and lead us out of our spiritual stagnation.