Purim: Ester - I will hide...

Why do we wear costumes on Purim?

Purim is a celebration of things hidden...when nothing was as it seems. Was the banishment of Vashti just a coincidence or a deliberate plan of God so that Esther could become Queen and save the Jewish people? Was it just coincidence that Mordechai overheard a plot to kill the king so that he could send word to save him and be written in Persian history for King Achashverosh to read while his right-hand man Haman was plotting Mordechai's people's destruction? Was it plain bad luck for the evil Haman that he just happened to come visit Achashverosh just when the king was having Mordechai’s heroic deed read to him? Was it Esther’s beauty and charm, and Achashverosh’s flippancy that made the king suddenly hang his favorite minister, or was it so that Hashem could save the Jewish people, reward Esther and Mordechai for their bravery, and destroy Haman, a descendant of Amalek, one of Israel's long-time enemies from Torah?

Did Mordechai arbitrarily choose a pagan name - Esther - for his niece Hadassah, or was there a prophetic meaning behind it? When you say the name "Ester," with Hebrew pronunciation, you are actually saying "I will hide" - just as Esther hid her identity as a Jew for a time until she revealed it to save her people. Purim was instituted because the Jewish people understand that it was Hashem Himself who did all of the above, to save His people - He was just disguising Himself as a Persian palace soap opera. [1] There was no "coincidence" involved at all.

When G‑d took the Children of Israel out of Egypt on Passover, the entire neighborhood, from Giza to Gaza and from Memphis to Mesopotamia, resonated with the miracles wrought by the G‑d of the Hebrews. When a small jug of oil burned for eight days on Chanukah, the most skeptical Hellenist saw that it was an act of G‑d. Purim (“lots”) is unique in that the most miraculous of salvations was shrouded in the garments of nature, luck and coincidence. G‑d was hidden and remained hidden—His name does not once appear in the entire Megillah (Scroll of Esther)![1] Neither the tetragrammatron, nor even the Hebrew word for "god," which is "elohim."

The custom of wearing costumes on Purim is an allusion to the nature of the Purim miracle, where the details of the story are really miracles hidden within natural events. [2] However, we understand from the Book of Esther, as well as the whole entire Bible, and even history, that there is no such thing as "coincidence." The Creator of the universe is also in total control of it. Sometimes we may think or feel that God is not around, or that he's far away, or maybe that he doesn't care about us. But far from it, actually He is always with us, loves us and always wants to draw near to us. When things go bad, He may be testing us, or strengthening us, or using it to draw us closer to Him. When things are good, He is showing us He loves us, or rewarding us for being faithful. At all times, He is doing something to accomplish His overall plan, the redemption of His creation. All "coincidences" are really "God-caused incidences."

[1] Article: Masquerade! by Yanki Tauber

[2] Minhagei Kol Aryeh. See Rabbi Moses Hagiz (18th century), Eileh Hamitzvot, p. 293.