Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Nistar b'nistar b'Megillat Esther

Rabbi Arthur Waskow

[After Chapter 9, verse 16 of Megillat Esther:]

And then -- and then --
A Darkness appeared,
Her Head wrapped in mourning,
Her tallit all black,
Her Place only Absence,
Nistar b'nistar:

Her Voice was a Silence:
"I came to defend you,
My people beloved;
I strengthened your hand
to beat back your foes;
But then you betrayed Me.
For your hand became frenzied,
You struck down the innocent,
You struck down my children
While they reached out to Me.

On the day of rejoicing
You hollowed My Name;
In My Own Tree of Life,
You hollowed out life.
You scooped out the juice,
you left only a mockery
A pretense of My Self.

And I see -- yes, I see --
That in days still to come
Your deeds will give warrant
To a child of your children,
To murder your cousins,
The children of Ishmael,
The children of Abraham,
In the Place of his grave,
On this day of rejoicing.

So My Name I withdraw --
Yes, My Name will be hidden,
Nistar b'nistar;

For I will not permit you
to call out from this Scroll
My name on this day.

I have taught you that Purim,
Alone of the seasons,
Will continue beyond
the time of Mashiach.

On the day that both families
of Abraham's offspring
do tshuvah for their murders,
their murders of each other,
on that day will my Name
take its Place in the Megillah.

On that day Purim
and Yom Ha'K'Purim
will at last be one.

On that day, at last,
This Purim will lead you
And light up your way
to the Days of Mashiach.

On that day will My Name
Take Its Place in the Megillah.