5786/2026
After the terrible sin of the Cheit HaEgel, Moshe Rabbeinu makes a big announcement at the entrance of the camp: “Mi Lashem Elai“, “Whoever is to Hashem, come to me” (32:26). This was not just an invitation. Rather, it was a call to be with Hashem when everything seemed to be falling apart. At that moment, Am Yisrael sinned badly, the future was dark, and Moshe asked Israel to have the Emunah to choose Hashem.
The words “Mi Lashem Elai” are a key concept in Jewish history and now. Just a few days ago when we read the Megillah, Haman threatened to kill us, yet we stood tall and didn’t give up. The name of the holiday Purim comes from the word Pur, lottery, but in the end, Hashem’s name is what matters. Even the darkest plots can be overturned when we stand together. The most important message is that when Haman was erased and killed, the story is not over. “Eichacha Uchal V’Ra’iti BaRa’ah Asher Yimtza Et Ami V’Eichacha Uchal V’Ra’iti B’Avdan Moladti” (Esther 8:6). Esther cries out that even after Haman is killed, we don’t stop and the story doesn’t simply end with the demise of Haman. We have all been reading the news over the past few days, and as Israel and its allies respond to threats from Iran, it can be hard to stay motivated and look at the good side. But the calls of Moshe Rabbeinu and Esther of “Mi Lashem Elai” and “Eichacha Uchal V’Ra’iti” stand true. They remind us about how we face times of crisis with strength and unity. May we always be able to answer the call of “Mi Lashem Elai”.