Photo Credit: Asher Schwartz
We all know the custom of dressing up and wearing costumes on Purimâprobably one of the most recognizable aspects of the holiday (and not just for kids!).
Many times, customs have a way of touching on the deepest meanings of our holidays. While some sages viewed dressing up as a negative practice, imitating non-Jewish carnival behavior, most spoke positively about it. We will argue that dressing up may actually reveal the main message of Purim.
Costumes and Masks in the Story of Purim
Throughout the entire story of the Megillah, we find many costumes and disguises. In fact, it seems that not a single character appears without some form of a “mask.”
Achashverosh put on the garments of a “Kohen Gadol” (Megillah 12a) and attempted to sit on King Solomon’s throne (Esther Rabbah 1:12).
Vashti, Achashverosh’s first wife, refused to attend his party because she was afflicted with leprosy and grew a tail (Megillah 12b). Some commentaries cite this as the source of the Purim costume custom (Eliyah Rabbah 696:15).
Mordechai also changed his appearance and concealed his identity. First, he overheard Bigtan and Teresh’s plot to assassinate the king while they were unaware that he understood their language (Megillah 13b). Later, he wore “sackcloth and ashes” outside the royal palace in response to Haman’s decree, while Esther pleaded with him to change back into royal garments (Esther 4:1). Then, in a dramatic reversal, he was dressed in royal attire by Haman and paraded through Shushan (Esther 6:10). Eventually, he appeared in great festive garments before the king (Esther 8:15). Some commentaries cite this as another source for the custom of wearing costumes on Purim.
Queen Esther concealed her identity and did not reveal her nationality (Esther 2:10). The Talmud (Megillah 7a) states that every nation saw her as one of their own. Later, she “dressed in royalty” to approach Achashverosh and set in motion her plan to defeat Haman (Esther 5:1). Commentators explain that she wore special heavenly garments at that moment (Bnei Yissaschar, Adar 9).
Haman disguised himself as an idol, placing an image of a Persian deity on his body and demanding that everyone bow to him.
Amalek, Hamanâs nation, was also known for disguises. When King Shaul was commanded to destroy Amalek, Rashi (Shmuel I, 15:3) explains that even the animals had to be eliminated because the Amalekites used magic to disguise themselves as animals. Some cite this as another source for the Purim costume custom (Kisei David).
Now that we have seen how the story of Purim is full of costumes and disguises, we can move even higher to an even more amazing “mask” that was put on during Purim:
Hashem Covering His Face
Hashemâs name is not mentioned even once in the entire Megillah. Chazal explain that whenever the word “king” appears, it is also hinting at the King of all kings, Hashem Himself (Esther Rabbah 3). When Achashverosh could not sleep, the Talmud (Megillah 15b) explains that Hashem was “awake” behind the scenes. The idea is that Hashem was present in every single event of the Megillahâonly hidden, disguised.
The Talmud (Chullin 139b) states that Esther is hinted at in the Torah in the verse, “And I shall hide My face on that day“ (Devarim 31:18), playing on the similarity between “Esther” (the queen) and “astir” (I will hide).
How are we to understand this?
The answer is that even when Hashem hides His face, He is still there. A person wearing a mask is still the same person underneath. The story of Purim is all about hiding and revealing. It is about flip-overs, comebacks, and oppositesâ”V’nahafoch Hu.”
Masks in Our Times
In the past year, many masks have been put on, and many have been removed, revealing the truth beneath them.
We saw evil reveal itself on October 7th.
We saw certain organizations claiming to fight for “human rights” reveal their true faceâshowing that they donât actually care about Jews.
We saw womenâs rights organizations put on masks, ignoring women’s rights when it came to Israel.
We saw who our true friends areâthose who stand by us and support usâand who are not, as seen in the embargo and political maneuvers against us.
We were exposed to the “costume” of Am Yisrael, who sometimes seem divided and separate. But when the time came, Jews from all over the world showed what real brotherhood and love for one another truly mean.
We witnessed 18-year-olds (babiesâ¦) put on uniforms (costumes) and teach us what courage and devotion to Am Yisrael really look like, fighting like lions.
We saw Miluimniks (reservists) take off their day-to-day garments and put on their “superhero” uniforms.
We were revealed to what is inside.
Yes, we experienced a very harsh Hester Panim, but at the same time, we saw many miraclesâsome hidden and some more obvious. We are still in the middle of the story.
The Lesson of Purim
Purim teaches us a fundamental lesson in Emunah. We must always believe that Hashem is there, guiding and guarding us. We should strive to see the bigger picture and recognize the hidden Divine intervention in our lives. And most importantly, we must act accordingly.
Perhaps, this is the deeper meaning behind the custom of dressing up on Purim.
Purim Sameach!