Growing Up with Hashem on the Shelf

Growing up Modern Orthodox, I believed in Hashem, but I also believed that I was in control of my life. Hashem was there, of course—but He was more like a fire extinguisher, placed neatly behind a glass case that read: Break in Case of Emergency.

Most of the time, I had my plans, my strategies, my hard work. If something got too overwhelming—if a crisis hit that felt bigger than me—that’s when I would break the glass and turn to Hashem.

Looking back, I realize that I wasn’t the first Jew to think this way.

---

The Jews of Shushan: Hashem Wasn’t Their First Call

In the story of Purim, the Jews in Shushan seemed to have had a similar mindset.

They attended Achashveirosh’s extended party, thinking it was just another political event. They bowed down to Haman, assuming it was just the practical thing to do. They played by the rules, believing they or the powers in Shushan were in control of their fate.

Then things got worse. Much worse.

A decree was issued: the entire Jewish nation was marked for destruction. And suddenly, the Jews broke the glass.

They fasted for three days. They prayed. Esther risked her life by approaching the king without being summoned. For the first time in a long time, they turned to Hashem—not as an emergency escape plan, but because they realized they had nowhere else to turn.

And then, something incredible happened.

---

The Megillah’s “Coincidences” and Hidden Miracles

At first glance, the story’s turning point seems like a series of random events:

• Achashveirosh can’t sleep.
• He asks for the royal chronicles to be read to him.
• The servant just so happens to open to the part where Mordechai saved his life.
• At that exact moment, Haman enters, ready to ask for permission to kill Mordechai.
• Instead, Achashveirosh commands Haman to honor Mordechai publicly.

What are the chances?

At the time, the Jews were focused on one thing: the decree. They wanted one miracle—for Hashem to stop the evil plan from happening.

But by the end of the story, when all the pieces fell into place, they saw something even greater.

They realized that Hashem had been orchestrating everything from the very beginning.

• Esther being taken to the palace? Not random.
• Mordechai overhearing a plot to kill the king? Not random.
• Haman’s rise to power? Not random.
• Achashveirosh’s insomnia? Definitely not random.

Hashem was never behind glass, waiting for them to call on Him in an emergency. He was writing the entire story.

And when they finally saw it, their response was overwhelming:

“Kimu v’kiblu”—they accepted the Torah all over again.

This time, it wasn’t because of a dramatic revelation at Har Sinai. It wasn’t out of fear. It was out of pure love and joy.

---

Breaking the Glass in Our Own Lives

There are times in life when we don’t see Hashem’s hand in everything. We go about our daily routines, handling our challenges, making plans, working hard.

And then something happens. A crisis, a moment of fear, a problem we can’t solve. That’s when we break the glass and turn to Hashem.

At first, we daven for one thing: a yeshuah. A solution. 

But when we reach out to Hashem in complete sincerity, Hashem opens our eyes and  if we pay attention, we see that Hashem was already working behind the scenes long before we ever cried out to Him.

And if we look even closer, we’ll see that what we receive in return is so much greater than what we asked for.

Because what we get isn’t just a yeshuah. It’s a relationship.

We start to see how much Hashem is in our lives every single second.
We begin to trust that everything—the good, the bad, the confusing, the delayed—is perfectly orchestrated.
And when that happens, we accept Hashem and His Torah all over again—not out of obligation, but out of simcha.

---

Why Purim is the Ultimate Celebration

This is why Purim is all about simcha.

It’s not just about remembering a historical miracle. It’s about experiencing the joy of seeing Hashem clearer than ever before.

• We unite with our fellow Jews—because just like in the Purim story, we are all in this together.
• We give mishloach manot and matanot l’evyonim—because joy increases when it’s shared.
• We drink to the point where we don’t know the difference between Mordechai and Haman—because deep down, we realize that even what seems bad (Haman) is really part of the good (Mordechai). Hashem is in complete control and is all good.  

Chazal tell us that today, we make a bracha (Hatov V’Hameitiv) for the good and a separate bracha (Dayan Emet) for the bad.

But in the future, there will only be one bracha: Hatov V’Hameitiv.

Because we will see that Hashem was always behind the scenes, doing everything for our very best.

This Purim, let’s break the glass before the emergency. Let’s look around and recognize Hashem’s hand, not just in the miracles, but in the daily moments that seem random.

Because when we do, we’ll realize: the whole story has been a miracle all along.

Chag Purim Sameach!

How has Purim deepened your emunah and bitachon? Share in the comments!