The Blogs: Exactly Where We Are Meant to Be

Four years ago, just before Pesach, I remember asking our dear friend and mentor, Rabbi Yitzchok Lowenbraun, ZT”L, how he felt about being alone for seder. At the time, he was battling a terminal illness, and due to the recommended precautions and the absence of vaccines, he was advised to limit contact with anyone who could potentially make him sick.

His response is something my wife, Sarah Beth and I will never forget.

“I am exactly where Hashem wants me to be, and I’m going to make the most of it.” On this Purim, I find myself digging deep into that life lesson.

Purim is usually a time when we gather in synagogue, hear the communal Megillah reading, and celebrate with community, family, and friends. This year, due to the precautions set by Home Front Command during the ongoing war with Iran, synagogues are closed, large gatherings are restricted, and travel away from shelters is limited. Personal and community safety is ALWAYS paramount.

But it’s Purim — a time of celebration, joy, singing, dancing, and togetherness.

As I sit in our apartment in Ashkelon with Sarah Beth, part of me yearns for the Purims of years gone by — a full house, music, laughter, dancing into the night.

And then I remember Rabbi Lowenbraun’s words. We are exactly where we are supposed to be. And we are going to make the most of it.

That lesson applies whenever things don’t go “our way.” Hashem has a plan. We are all part of it. Just read the Megillah — a story from roughly 2,500 years ago. Hashem had a plan then. He has a plan now. And we have front-row seats to watch it miraculously unfold.

Our door is open. If you can safely stop by for a l’chaim, we’ll sing, we’ll dance, and we’ll celebrate life — and the mysterious, unfolding plan. Purim Sameach.