Like people, like holiday – “unlike any other”

Just as most Jewish holidays, Purim has many different angles. 
We can smell it coming immediately upon entering any supermarket. That is understandable, since food is a very important element of every Jewish holiday. The first thing we see by the store entrance is a pile of Hamentashen – the traditional Jewish cookies for Purim. 
Purim is also a carnival. Here is a conversation I overheard: “Mom, what is a Brazilian carnival?” – a child asks. – “It’s their version of Purim,” – the mother replies. No wonder, all Jewish kids start getting ready for this holiday very early, waiting impatiently for it to start. As soon as the Purim carnival is over, they begin thinking about their costume for next year’s Purim. 
While celebrating Purim, Jews express their unity and solidarity by presenting each other with food baskets filled with all kinds of delicacies. 
Purim is a holiday of national pride. The Jews celebrate their victory over their most bitter enemies. So, they wanted to destroy us? Instead, we beat the living daylights out of them. 
Anthropologists are convinced that many other peoples have holidays similar to our Purim. There is a reason for that. Every nation has to have at least one day a year when people can do whatever they want, something they cannot afford doing on a regular basis. Is it not fun to see a man dressed in a woman’s attire and vice versa? Of course, such behavior is forbidden at other times. Drinking alcohol is greatly encouraged during Purim celebrations so that each person should get so drunk that he or she cannot distinguish between Haman the villain and the righteous man, Mordecai.

Purim is a very special holiday. 
Like Hanukkah, it is considered to be a festival, not a holy day. These two minor holidays do not prohibit engaging in 39 categories of work, the way Shabbat and other Jewish holidays do. Though Purim is a holiday, people do not take a day off from work. 
However, our sages predicted that a time would come when Jews will celebrate only two holidays – Hanukkah and Purim. It is not difficult to guess why they thought so. On Hanukkah and Purim, Jews engage in their eternal dialogue not only with G-d Himself but with other nations as well. 
But there is also a distinct difference between these two holidays. Purim mainly pertains to galut – the centuries-long dispersion of the Jewish people among other nations of the world. Jewish people are “unlike any other”, a nation that dwells alone and is not counted among the other nations. That is why there is no other Jewish holiday that deals with the problem of Good and Evil the way Purim does.

The Ideas of the Aryans

It is amazing that all the events described in the Megillah Esther (the Book of Esther) take place in that same Persian Empire, where King Koresh, widely known as Cyrus, issued his proclamation allowing Jews to return to Israel and rebuild the Jerusalem Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians. Precisely among the Aryan people, thanks to whom the Jews were able to restore their main sacred place of worship, they confronted the threat of annihilation for the first time. 
But there is something else to it that is surprising. Those same Aryan peoples that produce “Hamans”, since the times of Esther and Mordecai have also created what we know as the Jewish elite. This was not a coincidence, because the ideas, which shaped Jewry, were born in the environment of the Aryan peoples.

The Idea of State

Of course, we have no doubt that all the actions of King Cyrus were directed by G-d Himself Who ordered the king to restore the Temple of Jerusalem. But we also know the pragmatic, so to speak, goal of the Persian king. Cyrus set himself up in contrast with the Babylonians by doing the opposite of what they did. Whereas they destroyed the temples of conquered nations, Cyrus, on the contrary, was rebuilding them. So, his rebuilding activities had to do not only with the Temple of the G-d of Israel but with the temples of other gods as well. 
As it happens with most brilliant ideas, this idea was quite simple. Cyrus was creating local elites loyal to him, ones which were interested in the stability of central power and did not resent it. This idea helped Cyrus to build the entire Persian Empire (naturally, he had to use military force in order to “explain” the idea to those who did not get it). 
It is hard to tell what would have been the outcome of the king’s idea if not for the Jews who realized that G-d was giving them a unique opportunity to recreate themselves in a new spiritual way. As soon as this occurred to them, a new Jewish elite was born. 
It was in the same Persia, where Ezra and Nehemiah were born and grew up. And, yes, ironically, it was the same land where Haman was born as well. Both Ezra and Nehemiah left for Jerusalem with direct assistance from the Persian monarchs. As for Nehemiah, he was even promoted to a high position at the king’s court, as was Mordecai, Esther’s uncle. The king commissioned Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem twice. To put things under control, so to speak. 
The Persian king encouraged the Jewish Diaspora to establish connections with Jerusalem. The king himself ordered to bring back the treasures looted by the Babylonians. More than that, he later donated his own money to support the Temple services. He obviously wanted the Jewish G-d to be his protector, and he also wished his subordinates to recognize their master’s presence. (The truth is that Cyrus showed generosity not only towards the G-d of Jews but towards other gods as well, but we, of course, are interested primarily in what happened to our Temple.) Who knows whether the Jews themselves would have been so willing to open their coffers if they did not have to follow the Persian king’s example. It is well known – the king’s example is an order for his subjects. 
But this was not the last and only idea borrowed by our revered ancestors from the Aryans of Asia. After the Second Jerusalem Temple was destroyed, the Jews came back to the rivers of Babylon where the Persian monarchs still ruled. There, in two cities, Sura and Pumpedita, the Jewish sages established great yeshivas – academies of learning, and completed their work on the Talmud, which became known as the Babylonian Talmud. Their authoritative commentaries reached Jewish communities all over the world. These leading rabbinical academies became a center, which attracted representatives of local Jewish elites who studied the Law in order to then return to their communities. That is how the Jews became united by one common Law though they were dispersed among other nations of the world. 
What an astonishing feat, one of truly imperial proportions! Well, again it was happening in the Persian Empire. And since the Aramaic language was the official language of the land, it began to play a significant role for the Jewry. This language was widely used not only by the common folks after they came back from Babylon but by the Jewish scholars as well. While Hebrew has been kept alive over the millennia, it is worth mentioning that the most important texts, including the Talmud and prayers, were written in Aramaic. 
Since then, every educated Jew is expected to know the Aramaic language.

Centuries flew by. A new Jewish hero emerged suggesting new ideas of statehood to the Jewish people. The name of this great Jewish man was Theodore Herzl. He was born and grew up in another Aryan environment, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as Austria-Hungary. And, yes, ironically, it was the same land where Adolf Hitler was born and grew up. 
It is a fact that Jews attempted to return to Jerusalem some time before Herzl. The First Aliyah, twenty years prior to Herzl’s era, was even quite successful but it lost its momentum very quickly. Then Herzl came with his new ideas, and everything instantly changed. Everything became well defined and organized in a typical Aryan style. Organizations, offices, banks – all these institutions made it possible to unite the Diaspora once again and to restore the state. 
What a coincidence! Remember, Ezra and Nehemiah also came from an Aryan environment bringing new ideas when the first group of repatriates lost their enthusiasm, though they were headed by the descendants of kings and high priests. 
The choice of language is another coincidence. What language should Jews speak in their rebuilt state? German, of course. Since it is the language of cultured and educated people, every well-educated Jew is expected to speak German. The real battle over the German language broke out in 1913. This battle was led by German Jews, the Jewish elite, who were on the same page with Herzl in terms of what language to choose. They insisted on the use of German at the educational establishment, which eventually became the Haifa Technion. 
Two prominent Jews, who determined the destiny of modern Jewry, used this Aryan, i.e. German, language to write their works. Theodore Herzl wrote his major book, “Der Judenstaat” - “The Jewish State” and Karl Marx wrote his “Das Kapital”. (This should serve as a reminder to those who threw a fit when Angela Merkel, one of our few and sincere European friends, spoke German at the Knesset.) 
Too many coincidences? No, there is a certain logic in all this, because since the times of Ezra and Nehemiah we, Jews, have been influenced by the ideas of the Aryan peoples from Asia and Europe. It would be a huge mistake to think that everything we consider to be Jewish, is Jewish indeed. 
No, we learned it all from the Aryan peoples.

The Idea of Race

The Idea of State was not the only one Ezra and Nehemiah brought with them from Persia. There was another one, and it dealt with the issue of race. 
The historical facts are well known. Ezra and Nehemiah banned the locals from participation in rebuilding the Second Temple. They strongly demanded that those Jews who returned from Babylonian exile, divorce their wives. That was quite a new development, since in the era of the First Temple Jews ignored the decree to distance themselves from Canaanite tribes. Not only the common folks but even kings would marry non-Jewish women. King David, whose mother was a Moabite, was not the least bit concerned about the ethnic origin of his wife, to say nothing of King Solomon who turned his harem into a likeness of the United Nations. 
But two men born in Persia – Ezra and Nehemiah – were relentless in this respect because they brought with them a new concept – zera kodesh – “holy seed”.

Yet again, centuries flew by. Now it was in the Aryan environment in Europe that the Jews encountered the idea of race. Precisely in the atmosphere of German culture Theodore Herzl came to the conclusion that Jews should not mix with other nations. Jews are “a nation that dwells alone”, and due to their very nature they cannot assimilate and integrate themselves into any other nation, which is why they are rejected by their host nations. It is ironic that nobody came up with such an interpretation in neighboring France, where Jews, satisfied by equal civil rights granted to them, stubbornly ignored the innate anti-Semitism prevalent in French society. 
As for Germany, already during Herzl’s time, a man by the name of Alfred Rosenberg was masterminding his own racial theory, which became the ideological basis for Nazi policy. We all know what happened when the Nazis implemented this theory into practice – it claimed the lives of some 6 million European Jews.

The Idea of Religion

There is, however, yet another idea of Aryan origin – and this one played a major role in the destiny of the Jewish nation. It is the idea of religious dualism, which was at the core of the pre-Islamic faith of the Persians, known as Zoroastrianism. 
Some people speak of the Aryan version of Zoroastrianism as a religion, which they claim to be very close to the monotheism of the Jews. But this point of view is erroneous, since everything is ultimately determined by the answer to the basic problem of all times – and that is the question of Good and Evil. 
Polytheism resolves this issue quite simply. Each god is assigned a certain role, and everybody knows which god to appeal to, what to ask for, and who to blame if things go wrong. 
Persian dualism limits theism only to two gods – the God of Good and the God of Evil. The first one is called Ohrmazd and the second one, Ahriman. Though in the future Ohrmazd is destined to defeat Ahriman (supposedly, this will result in monotheism), a clear distinction still exists between Good and Evil, which helps people to understand how this world is designed: everything Good comes from the Good God, and all Evil comes from the Evil God. 
Such a simplistic solution becomes impossible in monotheism because everything comes from One single source – G-d Who Is Good. Thus, monotheism forces mankind to search for an answer to a natural but seemingly irresolvable question: if God is Good, why then is there so much Evil in this world? 
Jews answered this question in the times of the Second Temple. The ancient scrolls found in the caves by the Dead Sea provide a detailed response with clear traces of the influence of Aryan dualism. 
Yes, G-d is One, and G-d is Good. The world represents Evil. It cannot be saved, it can only be destroyed. But G-d will save people, not all of them, of course, only those who observe a certain Code. 
People, who observe this Code, are called the Sons of Light. Those who don’t observe it are called the Sons of Darkness, and they don’t have any chances to survive.

Jews Are the Enemies of Mankind

If the Jews themselves were uncertain about how to approach the issue of Good and Evil within a monotheistic faith, was it in any way surprising that the rest of mankind, when introduced to monotheism, should become utterly bewildered? Well, not exactly. Deeply traumatized by the monotheistic experience the non-Jews decided to come up with a teaching of their own, widely known as Gnosticism. 
In short, the basic idea is as follows. Nobody argues that G-d is One, and He is Good. That is why He never even intended to create this world because He was fully aware of the dire consequences. Nevertheless, the material world was created. This was not done by the Good G-d but by somebody called the Demiurge who disobeyed G-d. For starters, this deity, the Demiurge is, in fact, Yahweh, the G-d that the Jews are telling everybody about. So, that was who the Jews actually met at Mount Sinai? The case is clear. The Demiurge, being Evil, had chosen this awful, disgusting people, who have become the enemy of all mankind.

In this way Aryan dualism revealed its incompatibility with Jewish monotheism. The Aryan peoples took revenge on the Jews by declaring all nations to be the Sons of Light, and only the Jews to be the Sons of Darkness, subjecting them to annihilation. That is why the spirit of Amalek abhorred by the Jews (according to legend, not only Haman was his descendant but also Ashkenaz who gave Germany its Hebrew name) gradually becomes implanted into the minds of all world’s nations, each time when they have to deal with monotheism. It is not at all surprising, because they constantly have to solve the painful problem of Good and Evil. The same age-old question arises: If G-d is Good why is there so much Evil in the world? And, most importantly: Who is responsible for the World’s Evil? 
They have found their own answer to this question. It is the Jews. The Jews are responsible for the World’s Evil. 
That is why each generation comes up with a new Haman, who suggests the same solution that the Persian Haman once presented to king Ahasuerus: “And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus. There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all of people… therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them”. 
However, we celebrate Purim because we all know: this problem is eternal. Besides, our sages warned us that at the end of days, when all the nations are united, the spirit of Amalek will become omnipresent and will invade every nation. 
This means that he will invade the Jewish people as well.

And Japheth Dwells in the Tent of Shem

Why, why was all that necessary? 
Why do the non-Jews need monotheism? They could have lived comfortably with their gods without all these headaches. And Jews? What were they thinking when they allowed access to monotheism to non-Jews? They could have lived in isolation, by themselves, keeping their secrets and serving their G-d while contemplating and trying to find the answer to the eternal question: If G-d is Good why is there so much Evil in the world? 
But this is not how it happened. The Aryan peoples and Jewry are inseparable, as this alliance was planned by the Lord: G-d shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem.

The Aryan Peoples in the Tent of Shem

It is amazing how life proved the magical power of these words. Shem and Japheth represent two metaphysical roots of mankind. The creative Aryan peoples descended from one root, Japheth. The other root, Shem, was the forefather of Jewry that brought to this world the idea of One G-d. But there came a time when all the Aryan nations of Europe and the Middle East entered the Tent of Shem, as it was prescribed, and began their creative work, building civilization, as it was planned for Japheth because G-d Himself promised to enlarge him. 
However, at a certain point Japheth felt that there was not enough room for him in the Tent of Shem. He felt constricted. The Aryan peoples were eager to create and to glorify the results of their creative efforts. But this was held to be a sin in the Tent of Shem. The Aryan peoples craved to understand the outside world. But in the Tent of Shem it would amount to heretical free thought.

That revealed a problem at the very foundation of the Tent of Shem. This problem was exacerbated because of another idea Ezra and Nehemiah brought with them from Persia. No other than Haman himself spelled it out when he finally realized why he hated Mordecai so much and why all Mordecai’s fellow Jews should be annihilated:“And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor prostrated himself before him, then was Haman full of wrath.” 
But Mordecai, as all his fellow Jews, could not bow precisely because G-d had given him Freedom on the Tablets, and from that moment he obeyed only G-d. G-d’s servant cannot serve Man – this is the fundamental precept of the Jewish faith. The faith of the Aryan peoples, on the contrary, is based on the concept that a man can serve Man. This is precisely why the Persian Empire has enriched the world’s vocabulary with the word “Satrap”, which has become a symbol of unconditional obedience of one man to another. 
The Jews failed to see the substitution in the ideas of Ezra and Nehemiah. They failed to notice how G-d’s servants turned into satraps who usurped power in G-d’s Name. 
But the Aryan peoples discovered that when they received the Freedom on the Tablets in the Tent of Shem.

Jewry in the Tent of Japheth

Having made this discovery the Aryan peoples said: “Enough is enough. We will build our own Tent, in which there will be space for everyone – poets and scientists. Art and science will flourish, and Japheth will be able to create civilization. That was the purpose G-d had in mind when He enlarged Japheth”. 
After building a Tent of their own, the Aryan peoples decided to establish a new order, very different from the one in the Tent of Shem. According to this new order, no one could stand in the way of enlarged Japheth in G-d’s Name. Thus the Aryan peoples produced a new idea – and that was the separation of state and religion. 
Actually, the Aryan peoples meant well. They did not rebel against G-d. The only thing they sincerely wanted was to have Freedom on the Tablets – to protect G-d from those who could not tell the difference between G-d’s servants and satraps. 
The only problem was that the Aryan peoples became involved in something that was not intended for them. It was the descendants of Shem who were supposed to build the Tent, i.e. the Jewry, not the descendants of Japheth. The explanation for this is quite simple: only the Jews keep the patent on monotheism, while the Aryan peoples have the patent on dualism.

It did not take long for the eternal problem of Good and Evil to ignite a conflict in the new Tent. The Aryan peoples started reflecting on civilization and trying to decide whether it was Good or Evil. 
- No doubt, it is Good, - they answered. - It improves people’s lives and makes it possible for Man to uncover the secrets of G-d’s Creation. Didn’t G-d give people reason for them to be able to understand the world? Didn’t G-d make Man in His image so that Man could create civilization? 
- What then is Evil? 
- Religion is Evil because it restricts the freedom of enlarged Japheth. 
- But who invented such a religion? 
In answering this question, the Aryan peoples looked at Jewry from a different angle, through the prism of their own dualism. 
- If we, Aryans, are the creators of civilization and what we create is Good, it means that we are the Sons of Light. And those who stand in our way, imposing upon us their G-d, they bring Evil to this world, and they, undoubtedly are the Sons of Darkness.

The Aryan peoples did not notice when monotheism turned into dualism and G-d became an Absolute who is above all earthly matters. That led the Aryan peoples to the inevitable question: Who then did the Jews meet at Mount Sinai? 
The answer was obvious to them: “These cheaters, the Jews, were telling us lies about their G-d in order to seize control over the world”. The Aryan peoples began making fun of the G-d given Book of the Jews, the one they had honored before. They now called it just a fantasy of an unrefined and uneducated people. 
That was how the civilized Aryan peoples became the Sons of Light, and the primitive Jews became the Sons of Darkness.

The Aryan peoples were missing just one important point: civilization is Good only in the Tent of Shem. In the Tent of Japheth civilization inevitably becomes Evil since it gives men power that shouldn’t be theirs which triggers unrestrained desire to subdue other people. 
After obtaining this power, the Aryan peoples began to enslave other world nations. They brought forth the cruelest dictators – Fuhrers, Duce and General Secretaries. They were all different on a personal level, and they had different “beliefs” but they had one thing in common, and that was the dualistic perception of Good and Evil. 
Their ideals represented Good, and the world represented Evil. This world had to be destroyed entirely so that their “gods” could triumph. They all worshipped Death and that required millions of victims. And they all divided mankind into the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness where Jews always belonged to the latter.

Our sages warned us for a reason: at the end of days, when the world becomes united, the spirit of Amalek will spread among the nations of the world and invade each of them.

So, where does the spirit of Amalek dwell?

There is something useful, however, that came about as the result of all this. Thanks to the Aryan peoples, Jewry finally understood that the Tent of Shem that was built according the layout of Ezra and Nehemiah was not spacious enough for the Jews. When they realized that, they decided to build a new Tent of Shem – a state of their own where they could enlarge Japheth and open up more space for him. They would then be able to place everything created by Japheth – science, technology, art, literature, medicine – in the new Tent of Shem. 
So they did it and with much success. 
Only one problem remained. The Architects were the same ones as in the past, so they could build only the way they had learned from Ezra and Nehemiah. That is why when asked the question: What is civilization - Good or Evil? - they answered: “Civilization is Evil; because of it the Jews stopped obeying their spiritual leaders”

And the Architects began to shrink the Tent until the enlarged Japheth ran out of space… 
It occurred so unnoticeably that nobody even paid any attention to it.

Who knows whether the New Tent of Shem could have survived at all if not for the 1,000,000 new Jews, who entered it. 
G-d held them isolated in the “Red Babylon”, behind the Iron Curtain, separating them from the rest of the world’s Jewry. He had a plan for them: to regenerate the Jews so that they could learn how to build such a Tent of Shem where Japheth would be enlarged. This learning process lasted 70 years. Those were years of slavery in unbearable conditions because these Jews also had to learn how to resist oppression. That is why these Jews spent exactly the same amount of time in the “Red Babylon” as Ezra and Nehemiah did on the banks of Babylon’s rivers. 
There, in “Red Babylon”, this regenerated Jewry eventually forgot everything that Ezra and Nehemiah had taught the Jewish people. But they also learned something important that Ezra and Nehemiah could not possibly have known: only Civilization gives Man Freedom on the Tablets. Without Civilization, Man will fall victim to Satraps”. 
Jewry from “Red Babylon” has been returning to Jerusalem empowered with this knowledge. It entered the New Tent of Shem believing that it is spacious enough forenlarged Japheth. But, no – there was not enough room for him.

So Jewry from “Red Babylon” asked the Architects of the Tent of Shem: 
- Why is there not enough room here? 
The Architects of the Tent responded: 
- Because it was Japheth who had been enlarged. As for Jews, they have to live the way our ancestors had lived from generation to generation, starting from the times of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Then Jewry from “Red Babylon” asked the Architects of the Tent of Shem: 
- But it can all be changed. The main purpose of civilization is to help the Sons of Israel to learn how to live a different life. Why is it then that those who do not produce civilization are so welcomed and honored; they spend day and night in yeshivas, while those who are capable of creating civilization are sweeping the streets and working as security guards? 
And the Architects of the Tent responded: 
- Those who study at yeshivas are “true Jews”. They honor our Law, and that is why they are the Sons of Light. On the contrary, those who create civilization are “false Jews”. They do not honor our Law, and that is why they are the Sons of Darkness. Why are they sweeping the streets and working as security guards? That’s where they belong.

Then Jewry from “Red Babylon” asked the Architects of the Tent of Shem: 
- But without civilization, will not the Sons of Israel be poor and socially weak? 
The Architects of the Tent responded: 
- You are now talking about earthly matters, you wicked people. The Sons of Light must think about eternity, not about this miserable material world. The Sons of Darkness – they have to think about this miserable material world. It is also their responsibility to feed the Sons of Light.

Then Jewry from “Red Babylon” asked the Architects of the Tent of Shem: 
- But how will the Sons of Israel survive? Without civilization they will die, it already happened 200 years ago, in Jerusalem, because they did not have anybody to tend to them? 
The Architects of the Tent responded: 
- Who lives and who dies is in G-d’s hands. G-d giveth, G-d taketh away.

Then Jewry from “Red Babylon” asked the Architects of the Tent of Shem: 
- Who then will fight the enemies of the Sons of Israel, if everybody will want to be the Son of Light and will refuse to serve in the army? 
The Architects of the Tent responded: 
The Sons of Israel do not fear any enemies. If the enemy attacks it will be confronted by an angel with a fiery sword and the angel will save them. He will not save all of them, of course, but only the Sons of Light. The Sons of Darkness are destined to perish.

Jewry from “Red Babylon” finally asked the Architects of the Tent of Shem: 
- Why then didn’t the angel save 6.000.000 Sons of Israel? 
The Architects of the Tent responded: 
- Will you stop repeating it over and over again: “Sons of Israel”, “Sons of Israel”!? Yes, the Sons of Israel will perish. So what? All that will happen in this world, which is Evil. Can you imagine what reward awaits those Sons of Israel who will be saved?

The Aryan circle has been completed. Again, as our sages warned us: the time will come when the spirit of Amalek will invade the Jewish people.

Happy Purim!

So, Purim – this very special holiday – is here. 
All Jewish people cheer and make merry on this day. They eat Hamentashen in abundance, present each other with gifts, and pour into the streets in our Jewish version of the Brazilian carnival. 
However, when each holiday comes, a Jew has a dialogue with eternity and asks probing questions. Purim, probably, is the best holiday for that. 
So why not ask yourself during Purim: has not the time come for Jewry to pay back what we owe the Aryan peoples? Isn’t it time to build a Tent of Shem, which will be spacious enough for enlarged Japheth, so that civilization can become Good, not Evil? 
Since the Jews are not building such a Tent, should we be surprised that a new Haman has already emerged and, once again, it is happening in Persia? He strives to rule the world, because he knows what kind of power civilization brings. He makes public speeches about a monotheistic G-d though, in fact, he is a proponent and preacher of Aryan dualism. This is obvious, judging by how he deals with the problem of Good and Evil. As all dualists, this new Haman, hates peace and glorifies Death; he divides mankind into the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness, naturally placing Jews into the latter category. 
Why is present-day Jewry so intimidated by this new Haman? 
Probably the answer lies in the fact that Jews no longer understand the difference between G-d’s servant and satrap.