Happy Purim from Modern Mind, Ancient Book.

Purim is a celebration of reversal — when a decree of death was turned into deliverance, and the “tree” built for Mordecai became the instrument of Haman’s downfall. In Esther, the word is ʿēts — a tree, wood, a pole. What was meant to display the shame of a righteous man became the public judgment of evil. The story quietly teaches a pattern that runs through the entire Bible: the tree meant for destruction becomes the place where God overturns the verdict.

That tree motif reaches back into Torah. In Deuteronomy, anyone “hung on a tree” is associated with covenant curse — exposed, shamed, publicly judged. The same Hebrew word appears. The same wood. The same public display. Yet Purim shows us something profound: God can reverse even the symbol of curse. What was constructed for the annihilation of God’s people becomes the platform of their preservation.

The New Testament intentionally echoes this language. When the apostles speak of Jesus being hung on a “tree” (xýlon), they are not being poetic — they are invoking the Torah and the memory of Esther. The tree again becomes central. The righteous one is publicly shamed. The verdict appears final. Yet, as in Purim, the story turns. The weapon of the enemy becomes the instrument of salvation. The tree becomes the doorway to life for many.

So this Purim, rejoice in the God who reverses decrees, who turns gallows into victory, and who transforms trees of shame into signs of redemption. The pattern has not changed. The King still overturns evil. May your house be filled with joy, courage, and the deep confidence that no decree stands when the Author of the story decides to turn it.

Chag Purim Sameach — and walk the Way.