It always struck me that in the portion of Ki Sisa, which inevitably follows Purim except in a leap year, there appears the sole reference in all of Torah to someone donning specifically a 'face mask'.

And it came to pass when Moshe descended from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moshe's hand when he descended from the mountain and Moses did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while He had spoken with him. Aharon and all the children of Israel saw Moshe and behold! the skin of his face had become radiant, וייראו — and they feared, מגשת — to come near him. But Moses called them, and Aharon and all the princes of the community returned to him, and Moses would speak to them. Afterwards all the children of Israel would draw near, and he would command them everything that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moshe had finished speaking with them, he placed a cover over his face. When Moshes would come before the Lord to speak with Him, he would remove the covering until he left; then he would leave and speak to the children of Israel what he would be commanded. Then the children of Israel would see Moshe's face, that the skin of Moshe's face had become radiant, and [then] Moshe would replace the covering over his face until he would come [again] to speak with Him. 

Is this merely coincidental?

This radiance, the Talmud reveals, was bestowed upon Moshe as a reward for an earlier incident. (ברכות ז.)

When Moshe came upon the Burning Bush and G-d identified Himself to Moshe, Moshe immediately 'concealed his face' out of fear, resisting the instinct to gaze toward G-d.

Because “Moshe concealed his face, fearing to gaze upon God”, he was privileged to have his countenance [kelaster] glow.

Because he “feared,” he was privileged that “they feared to approach him”.  

(שמות לד ל).

Because he did not “gaze,” he was privileged to “behold the likeness of the Lord”. (במדבר יב ח)

Moshe struggles between his deepest desire to connect with G-d, and his humbled view of himself as possibly unworthy to experience this revelation. It was with tribute to Moshe's absolute purity and eagerness to absorb holiness that he merited this brilliant light, a reflection of G-d's luminescence.

The privilege of possessing such radiance, and the opportunity to later actually 'behold' G-d's likeness is an understandable reward. But why would Moshe consider his being 'feared' by others an honor?

The Holy Baal Shem Tov interprets the earlier verse describing the people's instinctive reaction very differently. He notes that it doesn’t say they feared לגשת — 'to come close', but rather, מגשת — 'from coming close'.

The verse is attesting how by their being simply in proximity to Moshe it instilled within them an instinctive awe of G-d!

The Talmud reveals that it was in the merit of Moshe that we experienced the miracle of Purim. When Haman casted his lot and it 'randomly' landed on the month of Adar, he was thrilled since it was the month that Moshe died. Little did he realize that it was also the month he was born.

The Zohar adds, that being 'born' doesn't refer just to his birth, but to the fact that after Moshe's departure his 'soul' was reborn within each member of the Jewish people who engages in Torah. This is the concept known as אתפשטותא דמשה בכל דרא ודרא — The expansion of Moshe in every generation.

Moshe's radiance never ceased, it finds its expression collectively by each one of us absorbing Torah, reflecting it and warming others with its light.

When Moshe received and transmitted the light of Torah he removed his mask. It was only when he dealt with the mundane affairs that he placed his mask.

Why? Doesn't every instance in life need be enlightened by G-d's word?

We sing on Purim, ליהודים —For the Jews, היתה אורה — there was light.

Light here refers to Torah, as we reiterated with great love our earlier acceptance at Mount Sinai.

We usually refer to the light of Torah in its masculine expression, אור, yet here we revert to the feminine gender, אורה.

When one refers to the source of light itself, we use the masculine form. When we refer to the illumination it suffuses, that is an effect of the light itself, we use the feminine reference.  

The evidence of how we have been impacted by the אור — light of Torah, appears when the light source is removed from our view, yet still illuminates our every action.

On Purim, a day we engage in socializing and partying celebrating with each other over the privilege of being one united family, we leave the study hall donning our mask, hoping the Torah we absorbed will enlighten every facet of our lives/

We cover our faces, unidentified other than by our enthused actions that radiate honor of Hashem in all that we do, whatever circumstance we may find ourselves.

Like 'the humblest of men on the planet', Moshe, we strive to submerge our superficial self and connect to that piece of Moshe we represent bringing light unto the world!

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן