מה שנהגו ללבוש פרצופים בפורים וגבר לובש שמלת אשה ואשה כלי גבר אין איסור בדבר מאחר שאין מכוונים אלא לשמחת בעלמא (שלחן עורך, סימן תרצ”ו, סעיף ח’)

The custom of wearing masks on Purim, or men dressing in women’s clothing and women dressing in men’s clothing, is not forbidden since the only intention [of these actions] is mere happiness” (Shulkhan Orekh, 696:8)

Dear Hevreh,

It’s fun to play a “B” movie star even though I should really have been an A-lister. As my self-obsessed alter-ego Kelly Kingsley would have said during last night’s FANTASTIC Murder Mystery Party, “The only thing stopping me from getting to the top is bad movie directors and poor talent evaluators.” It was fun to play a character wholly different than the one I “play” in real life as I hope it was for all of our members who masked themselves as police officers, assassins, bakers, CEOs, astronauts, helicopter pilots, and marathon runners among many other personas.

Please click here to check out pictures from the Murdery Mystery

Perhaps taking on different personas is a reminder to not take our “true selves” too seriously. We’ve cultivated our unique personalities over the years and (hopefully) feel comfortable in our own skin as we figure out who we are, yet at the end of the day aren’t we simply playing a role we think fits ourselves? After all, when we were young, especially in our adolescence, we “tried on” many different identities; we thought we were the next great movie star, musician, or President of the United States. Yes there probably were some growing pains in trying to figure out who we wanted to become, but wasn’t it interesting/exciting/intriguing to try different ways of being in the world? And if we are honest with ourselves I think we would admit that the most well adjusted and confident people we know are the ones who aren’t afraid to reinvent themselves and try on something new; or to allegorize the teaching above, to try on pants after a lifetime of wearing dresses.

Please click here to check out pictures from the Murdery Mystery

Last night’s event, which appropriately occurred prior to Purim, was a great reminder that being someone new, that acting differently than we’re used to, is not only fun but important for our continued growth as human beings. We should try on different clothes, we should experiment with new roles, we should find times to step out of our comfort zone, even if it’s just for a night as a self-absorbed movie star.

Kol Tuv,

Rabbi Ari Saks

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal What's Been Happening at Beth Mordecai
Tag : experiment fun identity meaningful experiences murder mystery social events