Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Oscars, Superbowl, Elections & the Year of Purim

Art 'Surreal World' by Mohn-Blume


by Tzvi Freeman

“What’s the inner, deep, kabbalistic meaning of the mess-up at the Oscars this year?” asked David.

We were enjoying a Shabbat meal in Los Angeles. David is a friend who works in that world of big screen entertainment while living in a Torah-observant universe at the same time. So he’s constantly looking for deeper meanings.

As for me, I was looking to buy time so I could think. “What happened at the Oscars?” I asked.

“You know, the best picture of the year award!” he answered. “They announced the one that everyone expected, and then in the middle of all the acceptance speeches, someone came running onstage to announce that it was all wrong.”

“So which picture won?”

“Oh, a small-budget movie that bombed at the box office.”

I’m searching for kabbalistic meaning. Not coming up with much. I don’t quite traverse two worlds as David does. Couldn’t find Elijah the Prophet anywhere to help me, either.

So David went on.“It seems to be a pattern. Like this is the Year of Big Surprises.’’ “It seems to be a pattern. Like the Superbowl. What a comeback! People were walking out, switching off their sets—and then, boom! Everything turned around. Same with the federal elections. And the World Series! And Brexit, too. Well, that one started before Rosh Hashanah. But it still seems like this is the Year of Big Surprises.”

He was looking at me, as though I had an explanation.

“Sounds a lot like Purim,” I said. Hey, I had to say something. “Back in Persia it looked for sure that one side was gonna be the winner. And then—boom—everything was turned upside-down.”

“Yes!” exclaimed David. “It’s a Purim year!”

Now was my chance to sound like I really had an answer. “In the Purim story,” I continued, “after the big turnaround, everything had an explanation. 20/20 hindsight. But in foresight, totally the opposite.”

“Right!” said David. “That’s just what’s been happening this year, again and again!”

“So maybe,” I continued, “that’s the way Moshiach is going to arrive.”

David got it right away. “You mean nobody will expect it. Everyone will see the world going in the opposite direction. And then—boom—everything will turn around. And we’ll see in hindsight how everything was really going that way all along. Despite disaster after disaster, everything in the world was really moving towards its perfection.”

“As long as it happens real soon,” I answered.

“I’ll make l’chaim to that!”“L’chaim to the biggest turnaround in history that will make sense only in retrospect!” said David. “L’chaim to the biggest turnaround in history that will make sense only in retrospect!”

“L’chaim!”

I looked to the door. Elijah could enter any minute.

Source: Chabad

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent summary.

The names of the movies - La La Land was certain it won, but then it lost to Moonlight. Sounds like the world of the comatose was eclipsed by Israel.

venahafoch hu x 2 = Moshiach.

89th Oscars (gematria of Chanukah). About the mistake:

"Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway came onstage to present the award for Best Picture, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Bonnie and Clyde."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/89th_Academy_Awards#Best_Picture_announcement

Also from wiki:

"Bonnie and Clyde is considered a landmark film, and is regarded as one of the first films of the New Hollywood era, since it broke many cinematic taboos and was popular with the younger generation..."

"...The film's ending also became iconic as "one of the bloodiest death scenes in cinematic history"

Devorah said...

Also see: The Year of Venahafoch-hu

Jeffrey Smith said...

From what I know of it (not much, since I never heard of it before last week,even though it was filmed in my general vicinity), the film that won casually accepts crime, drugs, sexual abomination and licentiousness. The very fact that it was even thought of for the Oscars shows the depths to which the entertainment industry has fallen....but isn't the degradation of society one sure sign that Mashiach is coming?

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking of this idea of "year of surprises" today after reading that The Israeli Baseball team is unexpectedly beating much better teams in the "World Baseball Classic" . There are 16 teams and Israel is ranked #16, haha. Yesterday they beat the world champions, Korea, and today they whipped Taiwan! Very fitting for the year of the Cubs, Patriots, and Trump!

P.S. All the players put on Kippas for the playing of "Hatikva".

Devorah said...

Israel beat the champions Korea? That just gives Kim Jong or whatever-his-name-is another reason to do some more nuclear testing and vent his frustration.