Rabbi's Blog

Once, while visiting Kemah Boardwalk with our family we were treated to the spectacular sight of pelicans diving into the water to catch fish.

One of the non-kosher birds listed in this week’s Torah portion is the “Shalach” – often translated as the cormorant, and like the pelican, it is a bird that fishes for its food.

The Talmud relates that when the sage Rabbi Yochanan would see the Shalach fishing he’d quote the verse “Your judgments (take place even) in the great depths” (Psalms 36:7). Meaning, he saw in the Shalach’s activity – catching its prey from the depths of the water – a reminder of the Divine Providence that permeates every aspect of our existence.

On the surface, the world appears to function by preset rules of nature. But Chassidus points out that the Hebrew word for Nature is Teva, which also means ‘submerged,’ alluding to the fact that G-d’s guiding hand is always present albeit concealed – submerged, so to speak – within the workings of Nature.

At the time of the Purim story, the Jewish People seemed to have no way out. Haman plotted to destroy the Jews (G-d forbid) in one day so that they'd have no where to run. To be sure, there was one way the Jews could have saved themselves: by converting from Judaism, but, says the Talmud, not one Jew even considered it!  Indeed, it was in the merit of their unshakable faith and recommitment to G-d that our people were saved.

Today, too, there are those who still seek to do us harm, G-d forbid. Purim reminds us that the secret to the Jewish people's survival despite all odds is found in our faith and relationship with G-d.