Next to Rosh Hashanah, no yom tov is more beloved among Breslov Hasidim than Purim. At first glance, this minor Jewish holiday, which outside of Israel and Orthodox circles is relegated to a children’s celebration, appears to be an odd match.
But A Breslov Commentary on the Megillah Esther sets about to illustrate this match, and it provides very interesting reading. In a general sense, the plot of Esther conforms to Breslov religious and messianic expectations. Mordechai is the true tzadik along the lines of Rebbe Nachman, and the action conforms to Breslov theology: God works secretly through the world, a world that fails to even call God by name. Yet God does work indeed, and through the agency of the true tzadik, develops outcomes that are favorable to Jewish people. This is the trajectory of the coming of the messianic age; and this is the story of Esther. Therefore, Purim is an ideal holiday for Breslov Chasidism.
In recent decades Breslov has been publishing books in English, in an attempt to reach a wider audience of Jews. I hope they continue to do so; like Chabad, I believe they have many practical and common sense approaches to Judaism which if wider known, would prove useful. Their books should be more widely read.
But A Breslov Commentary on the Megillah Esther sets about to illustrate this match, and it provides very interesting reading. In a general sense, the plot of Esther conforms to Breslov religious and messianic expectations. Mordechai is the true tzadik along the lines of Rebbe Nachman, and the action conforms to Breslov theology: God works secretly through the world, a world that fails to even call God by name. Yet God does work indeed, and through the agency of the true tzadik, develops outcomes that are favorable to Jewish people. This is the trajectory of the coming of the messianic age; and this is the story of Esther. Therefore, Purim is an ideal holiday for Breslov Chasidism.
In recent decades Breslov has been publishing books in English, in an attempt to reach a wider audience of Jews. I hope they continue to do so; like Chabad, I believe they have many practical and common sense approaches to Judaism which if wider known, would prove useful. Their books should be more widely read.
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