Purim: Timing is Everything

The popular expression “in the right place, at the right time” holds significant importance in the story of Purim. Throughout Megillat Esther, we see events unfolding at the exact moment necessary in order to bring about Hashem’s hidden plan to save the Jewish nation. Of course, the veiled working of The Almighty is only obvious in hindsight. Had we lived through each uncertain moment of those days, however, we likely would have felt helpless and scared in the face of Haman’s wicked decree. How could salvation possibly come?

Enter Esther. Snatched from her home and sent to King Achashverosh’s harem, the young Jewish woman finds herself in the worst place imaginable. Cut off from her people, Esther is forced to perfume, primp, and prepare herself for an entire year before being summoned for the king’s pleasure. Then to make matters worse, the evil king decides he must have Esther as his wife and crowns her queen. As queen, Esther begins to realize that perhaps there is more going on than her own personal fate. Be that as it may, when Mordechai tells her to plead the case of the Jewish people to King Achashverosh, she hesitates. Queen Esther responds that the timing is wrong; she is not allowed to approach the king without being summoned first, under penalty of death. Perhaps, she reasons, if she waits a few more days, the king will call for her. Then the timing would be more propitious. 

Sometimes in life, we are faced with difficult decisions. Maybe the timing is off. We’d rather wait for the perfect moment to take action.The perfect time to begin learning, to raise a family, to volunteer, to improve ourselves. But as Esther discovered, sometimes there is no perfect time. There is only now.

Mordechai responds with these compelling words:

If you persist in keeping silent at a time like this, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place…And who knows if it was just for this moment that you came to be royalty (Megillat Esther 4:14).

Mordechai speaks quite plainly. Esther has a choice. She can take action NOW, for perhaps this is the reason everything has happened to her thus far. Or she can do nothing, and if Hashem plans to redeem the Jewish people, He will make it happen via other means. We all know Queen Esther’s brave decision and how her actions saved the Jewish people. In the end, she acted despite her reservations about the poor timing. 

Sometimes in life, we are faced with difficult decisions. Maybe the timing is off. We’d rather wait for the perfect moment to take action.The perfect time to begin learning, to raise a family, to volunteer, to improve ourselves. But as Esther discovered, sometimes there is no perfect time. There is only now. Excuses as to why we can’t do something or why we need to postpone a particular endeavor we wish to accomplish hinder our results and inevitably take us further and further away from our potential. Maybe this is why in Pirkei Avot it says:  

If not now, when? (Ethics of Our Fathers 1:14)

Particularly, in situations where we can grow spiritually, where Torah and mitzvot are involved, or that will deepen our connection to Hashem, we must not push it off, but act now. In the moment. For the moment may not present itself again. And this particular moment may springboard us to even higher spiritual heights. Of course, considering pros and cons of any action is important, but often people get caught up in overthinking. We can think so much and spend countless hours evaluating our potential decision, that the moment passes. Either, the opportunity is no longer there, or our enthusiasm and incentive to make a move fades. The door closes, and we never know what might have been had we acted with more alacrity. None of us know what to expect on any given day or even how many years Hashem has blessed us with. And when it comes to Torah that seems reason enough to act for its sake today.

Our singular actions, when carried out with a pure heart and intention, also have the capacity to have a profound impact on others. We need not save an entire nation, as Queen Esther did, but if our words or actions can help one life, wouldn’t it be worth it? By offering a shoulder to lean on, sharing a compassionate word, giving someone a job, or any number of other acts of chesed, big or small, we can build each other up and unify Klal Yisrael. When we don’t let timing get in the way of our ability to grow, achieve more, and positively influence others, we put ourselves in the position of Esther——ready to take a stand for the love, sanctity, and survival of Am Yisrael. And like He did for Esther, may Hashem grant us success in all our efforts for Torah, mitzvot, and all that is good!