Commemorating Purim

This weekend, commencing Saturday evening at sunset and ending Sunday evening at Sunset, is the Biblical commemoration of the Book of Esther. The photo shows a scroll of the book of Esther (also called "Megillah"). Incidentally, it is the only book in the Hebrew Scriptures where G-d is not mentioned at all. Nevertheless, HaShem was very much at the centre of events. It's a short book and recounts the historic events of the planned genocide of the Jewish People by an evil general of the Persian Empire known as Haman, a descendant of Amalek. If you are able, take out some time to read the book of Esther. You will learn that the plan of Haman was thwarted through the Prophet Mordechai and the Jewish Queen Esther. It's a story of immense courage under terrifying circumstances. Today, Purim has been set aside in synagogues around the world as a period of commemoration and rejoicing for G-d's miraculous intervention and protecting His people from certain genocide all those years ago. However, detached by several thousand years of history, it is tempting to read the book of Esther as 'one of those stories in the Bible'. But if you consider that had Haman succeeded with his evil plan, the majority of the Jewish people would have been wiped off the face of the earth.

The 20th century has seen arguably the worst genocides since the dawn of history. Notably the Holocaust (or Shoah), genocide of the Armenians, the Khmer genocide in Cambodia, the genocide of Bosnians in Srebrenica, the horrors of the Rwandan genocide and more recently the genocide in Darfur (Sudan) and now in Syria.

Syria is the most recent example of the depth to which the human heart can sink. Civilians are being lined up and shot or raped. Children are terrified of venturing out to play and refugees are fleeing into neighbouring countries.

Whether you personally celebrate Purim or not, try and take some time out this week to read the book and reflect upon the seriousness of the planned genocide that was overcome. It is most significant to truly conceive what that horrific term means because it is happening on earth right in front of our noses. Christians ensure massacres and acts of genocide throughout Asia and Africa as we speak. Regimes in nations like Iran have already planned the genocide of the Jewish people in Israel and have their militias of Hezbollah and Hamas, ready on Israel's borders for the slaughter.

This terrible, tragic and horrific reality is a direct manifestation of sin. Thank G-d when He appoints leaders who act with benelovence, compassion and in the interests of peace and humanity. But these men (and women) are few and far between, because of the greedy and self-serving nature of politicians. Therefore, thank G-d for His Messiah and the Salvation that He brings. Yeshua is the Saviour of the WHOLE WORLD, especially to those who believe (1 Timothy 4:10). He is in other words the Saviour of every human who has ever been born, but currently only true believers are aware of this fact and are able to enter into that special relationship with G-d who became flesh to dwell among us. But make no mistake - the G-d of Israel is the G-d of ALL mankind (Jeremiah 32:27) and one day through Messiah He will draw ALL men to Himself (John 12:32).

Pray earnestly and in tears for His coming and call upon G-d to appoint men to intervene against genocide and acts of genocide, to establish for humanity and all living beings a world in which none will need to be afraid. It is the duty of believers to forget themselves, to call upon G-d and pray into existence an Earth which is not capable of these horrors, an Earth where there will finally be real peace among the nations:

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. For nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore - Isaiah 2:4.

May the Lord our G-d hasten that day.
Shabbat Shalom
Shavuah Tov and Chag Sameach!

To the one you love...

Well, Valentine's Day is upon us again. If you want to know the origin's of this day, you can look it up on Google. The Western Church celebrates it in commemoration of St. Valentinus. Be that as it may, it has become across the world a day when lovers celebrate their love for each other and surprise each other with gifts and a nice romantic meal. Unlike Christmas or Easter (which are deeply pagan in their origin), I don't think it is wrong for lovers who are believers in Messiah to express their love for each other on this day. I wanted to share with you some wonderful advice I came across on how to keep the romance alive in a relationship.

• Give your partner what he/she wants before they ask for it. Be a Knight, be a Lady, be nice!

• Balance your relationship! Libra, the sign of relationships is symbolised by the scales. Give as much as you receive, talk as much as you listen, pleasure as much as you enjoy.

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• Give your partner space. While Location, Location, Location is the real estate agents' mantra, Space, Space, Space should be yours.

• Communicate about everything immediately. Don't wait! The longer you hold something in, the more damage it causes.

• Communicate, but not when you are emotionally charged. Most ancient Greek tragedies (emphasis on the tragedy) were woven around the clash between the opposing forces of reason and passion. Both energy fields are needed in a relationship. However, keep the reason for conversations and the passion for the bedroom. Don't mix!

• NEVER take your partner for granted! That is the apocalypse of all relationships. Always spend a few moments thanking the Universe, God, your mother-in-law and your good fortune for sending you your loved one.

• Relationships evolve - don't try to avoid change, it's inevitable. According to Taoism, we start our relationship with the Yang, the masculine principle, but if we want the relationship to continue to evolve we most move to the Yin, the feminine principle. Yang is the part when we fall in love, have sex three times a day, and act all cute and childlike. It's super fun, but it can burn us if we don't cool it and move to the Yin principle. Yin symbolises the feminine energies of family, security and commitment.

• Try to make friends with your partner's friends and have your partner connect to your friends. The Sufis say "show me your friends and I will tell you who you are". Most important, make sure to establish common friends as a couple.

• Do not punish! Forgive them, even if your partner is infuriating and did not wash the dishes, pair up the socks, or check the pockets before washing your lipstick. When you punish the one closest to you, you punish yourself. It's self-destructive.

• Always keep an element of surprise. Spontaneity, adventures, breaking the routine and doing things together that you have never done before (camping, travelling to an exotic country, mountain climbing) will generate stories that belong only to the two of you. It's like creating your own mythology. According to Kabbalah, God created the Universe with a story. You can recreate your relationship with these stories.

Happy Valentine's Day!