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The underlying theme of the Purim story is hiddenness. Esther hides the fact that she’s Jewish – that’s why she’s referred to as "Esther" – which means "hidden" - and not by her real name, Hadassa. Mordechai, too, hides the fact that he’s related to Esther (& certainly that he is married to her!) for otherwise Achashverosh would certainly have known her lineage.
Hashem, too, is "hiding, in a sense, because this is one of only two books in all of Tanach (along with Shir HaShirim) where G-d’s outright name is absent. In fact, the visible hand of Hashem is nowhere to be seen; nothing at all supernatural occurs in the Megila. Things just…happen:
- Esther "just happens" to be crowned Queen at not one, but two beauty contests; - Mordechai "just happens" to overhear a plot against the king, & his act "just happens" to be forgotten until exactly the right moment; - Haman "just happens" to build a gallows in eye-view of Achashverosh, so there is a convenient - & ironic – way to dispose of the madman when the time comes.
As these various events transpired in "real time," no doubt they seemed by the local public to be disconnected & haphazard, fortuitous as they may have been. But when they are seen from above – or from beyond, long after the story has ended – they form an intricate pattern that defies randomness & screams out Hashgacha Pratit, Divine supervision.
Unlike the events of Pesach, when nature is dramatically suspended & all manner of outright miracles bombard our senses, here the choice remains ours to make. Will we chalk up all these various inter-weaving occurrences to chance or to coincidence, or will we acknowledge that some overriding force – hidden & behind the curtain as He may be – is painstakingly directing the action to a greater goal?
It is far from an easy choice to make. Indeed, Esther had to plead passionately with the rabbis to include these Purim events in Tanach, & she was met with a lot of resistance. Part of that may have been due to the fact that glorifying the marriage of a devout Jewish woman to a non-Jew - king though he be - was not something they wanted to publicize. But they may also have wondered if future readers would get the message that Hashem is ever-present, even when His actions are hidden & invisible.
We generally view world events through a glass, darkly. But Purim bids us to see through the fog & spot the truth, and to confirm the adage: "Had I not believed it, I never would have seen it."
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.