Thursday night, I dressed as a frog. I was channeling my namesake Jeremiah and the bullfrog from the song “Joy to the World.” In celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim which commemorates the story in the Book of Esther, I was trying to capture the “light and joy, rejoicing and glory” (Esther 8:16). It worked; whatever had been weighing me down was temporarily lifted. I felt a sense of abundance.

In the midst of a challenge, it can be very hard to think expansively. The pressure of the moment constrains our view of what can be, narrowing our options so that we can respond quickly. In the movies, this tension is often broken by some sort of comic relief or special effects visual explosion. In real life, though, we seldom get that release. Instead, we end up muddling through for as long as we can, ideally getting help along the way.

In reading the Book of Esther this year, I saw plenty to draw on in the political and theatrical shenanigans of the King, Haman, and Mordechai. I also found resonances with the Jewish question of how to show up when surrounded by those who hate us, as Haman clearly does. What really struck me, though, was the theme of transgression.

Yes, there is all sorts of excessive feasting and alcohol consumption, there are threats to gender norms, and there is Haman’s offer to pay enough silver to compensate the treasury for the tribute to be lost once all the Jews of the Persian empire are killed. Those elements of the story transgress behavioral norms. Ultimately, though, those transgressions make a Jewish transgression stand out more: Esther asks the Jews to join her in fasting during the start of Passover instead of celebrating the Feast of Freedom, the seder. It is only after this deep denial of the foundational Jewish story of the Exodus that Esther dares to be like Moses and appear, against the rules, before King Ahashverosh. Her transgression meets with success, and she is able to save the Jews by turning Haman’s plan upside down.

We know the human need for transgression. During times of restriction, darkness, or scarcity — even if we know freedom, light, and abundance are coming — we yearn to let loose. Purim and St. Patrick’s Day both interrupt the serious preparation for Passover and Easter redemption, respectively, with feasting and binge drinking. The ritualization of these celebratory releases gives us space to step back from our struggles and return to them with fresh eyes and, perhaps, surer of ourselves.

I have to acknowledge the potential danger of that self-confidence. In the Book of Esther, the Jews seek revenge in outstanding numbers. It is important then to remember that the book is highly literary, and the holiday is not intended to go on for days. Done with reverence, we can engage in productive transgression and emerge into spring with a greater capacity to appreciate our humanity. In this recognition, I find abundance — resilience, hope, and commonality — to widen the path ahead and its possibilities. May we each find “light and joy, rejoicing and glory,” so that we might find and celebrate each other.

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