Just one word – Truth. Yes, for me, the holiday of Purim is the deepest expression of this value – truth.
On Purim, we drink a lot of wine, and in our circles, quite a bit of good vodka and whiskey as well, because on Purim, a Jew is supposed to drink "until he does not know". But no, not to revel and go wild—absolutely not! He is meant to drink significantly in order to uncover his inner truth, to fulfill the saying "When wine enters, secrets emerge" (the words "wine" and "secret" share the same numerical value in Gematria). Because when a drunk person tells you, "I don't like you," believe him. And even if the next day he apologizes and says, "Sorry, I was just drunk," know that yesterday, he spoke the truth!
The costume also serves the same purpose. When a child dresses up as a police officer, it expresses a hidden but genuine and internal desire—he truly wants to be a police officer. And when I put on a clown's hat and a red pom-pom on my nose, it becomes easier for me to do "silly things" that I truly want to do, but my official "pose" as a rabbi does not allow me to. But with the pom-pom—I can! The truth comes to light.
It is no coincidence that our sages in the Zohar referred to the most serious and truthful day of the year, Yom Kippur, as "Ki-Purim"—which means "like Purim." Because sometimes, one might think that Moishaleh, who is crying under his tallit on Yom Kippur, is not the same Moishaleh who celebrated quite differently just a week ago. But the truth is—it is the same Moishaleh! Only that on Yom Kippur, under his tallit, his inner self emerges. And the "costume" of angels on Yom Kippur—the white garments and fasting—certainly help the inner truth come out.
Not every day is Purim. Not every day do we have the opportunity to touch and allow ourselves to experience our inner truth. It would be a shame to waste it on mere revelry and foolishness—this day is far too precious for that. Purim is a serious day. A serious joy. A serious introspection. But don’t be confused—a serious person does not have to put on a serious face. One can be serious—even with a red pom-pom on the nose.
I wish us all a Purim filled with deep and genuine joy, with good health, true happiness from our children and family, and yes—a little satisfaction from ourselves as well.
Happy Purim and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zalman Wishedski