Never have I trembled as much during the reading of the megillah as this year, literally feeling as if I were back in Shushan in the days of Esther. What we are going through now as a nation and as a country is exactly like the story of Purim.
Never have I better understood how what appears to be is so contrary to what really is. Never has it been clearer to me that people have masks on all year round, and on Purim their real nature is revealed, like the slow melting of a clown’s makeup, causing those sad eyes to pop.
The world around us is proving to be one big facade, and we are realizing, as a nation, that we are alone and have only one another and God to rely on. Just as, on Purim, we were all about to be killed as proclaimed by Haman and sealed by the king himself, and then it all turned around for the good, thank God.
We are a living miracle, and are becoming increasingly aware of it in these dangerous times when hostages are still being held in the hands of Hamas and war is still waging on more fronts.
I distract myself from these deep thoughts as I sip my orange juice in a very European restaurant in Jerusalem as if I were sitting in the heart of Paris, and war or hostages are just something you see in Hollywood movies. This is life in Israel; we are trying to lead normal lives in the craziest situation a nation can find itself in. I sip my espresso, made just like in Italy, and I think about the fact that I am only 40 minutes away from Gaza. Insane.
My eyes drop to the page of the paper I am holding, where the breaking news of Saturday night, right after Shabbat, has already moved to the bottom of the page, as by now the entire world knows that the Princess of Wales has cancer. It was like being hit with a rock, especially for those who are keen fans of the British royal family because it is so easy and entertaining to spy on a family life that seems so distant from reality – until you realize that they are human, like the rest of us.
A woman who seemed to have it all – beauty, love, fame, and family – is now fighting for her life. How can it be possible for someone who looks so healthy, probably always eats the best food prepared by the best chefs, exercises with the best trainers, and has a team of doctors on demand, now finds herself suddenly, at the young age of 42, facing the world from a wooden bench on the grounds of Windsor Palace and delivering the saddest news for the world to digest as she faces her future with courage and fear?
A woman we are used to seeing always impeccably dressed, surrounded by photographers and adoring fans, now looks frail and tired as she tries to explain to herself and the world that yes, it can happen to anyone – even to members of the most prestigious and wealthiest family in the world – to fall ill and just want to be left alone to fight their own war.
Life is one big mask. What we see is not always what we think we see.
WHEN WE saw people tearing down pictures of babies held hostage in Gaza off walls around the world, the global community barely said a word. And now, social media is filled with pictures of Kate in her good days and wishes for a speedy recovery from all nations. It is sad for Princess Kate; we are all sad for her, yet I think, where is the moral balance of humanity?
Our hostages have been forgotten in the international media; it is uncomfortable to even mention them outside of Israel. We hear only that we need a ceasefire right now because Palestinian children are dying every day. And yet, the truth is another story. Hamas is killing its own people; only Israel can save them.
When will this mask finally come off for all to understand? When will the world see that Israel is the “Light unto the nations” and that the war we are fighting is for the good for the rest of the world, too?
Even America, our biggest ally, is being fooled by the clown’s mask and is working against us.
We are alone.
Just like the princess, who wishes to be left alone, surrounded by those she loves and who support her in confronting her greatest challenge, we are on our own and we need only one another, Jews from all over the world, to come together and give love and support to the only nation we have – and pray to the only God we know.
May the princess return soon to her public role, smiling at photographers and receiving flowers – healthy and beautiful, even though her mask of perfection has slipped.
May the world soon come to its senses and understand that what they see is not always what is real, and may Israel finally be seen as the angel and not the devil, for we are indeed the light in the darkness.
May we, as a nation, remove our masks, stop the need to excuse ourselves for what we do, and start believing in who we really are: a nation chosen by God.
The writer, originally from Italy, lives in Jerusalem with her husband and four children. She heads HadassahChen Productions and hosts a weekly talk show on Arutz Sheva.