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purim >> a guide to jewish holidays >> tzafon usy online

purim

"The Jews ordained, and took upon themselves, and upon their seed . . .that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews . . . And [Mordechai] sent letters to all the Jews . . . in words of peace and truth, to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed time."

These words from the biblical Book of Esther (chapter 9 verses 27-31) provide the basis for the celebration of the joyous holiday of Purim, which we will celebrate this coming Saturday night and Sunday (14 Adar II). We all know the story of Purim -- how the wicked Haman intended to destroy all the Jews within the Persian realm of King Achashverosh on 13 Adar, until Mordechai and his cousin Queen Esther intervened and convinced Achashverosh to quell Haman's plan. Haman was then hanged on the tree intended for Mordechai, and the Jews spent two days exacting revenge on their enemies.

However, the Book of Esther provides much more than a fun story -- it is one of the most fascinating books of the Bible to study. The text invites many questions, such as why the name of God doesn't appear, and why the wording is nearly identical to that of stories which occur in other portions of the Bible. Unfortunately, I do not have the space to address many of these textual issues in this drash, although they are one of my personal favorite phpects of Purim. This would be a great opportunity for a topic for independent or group Bible study for anyone interested. For those of you in Heschel, my article in the upcoming issue of "Bo'er Ba'esh" deals with one of these issues -- the relationship between the Books of Esther and Samuel.

Now, back to Purim. There are six distinct mitzvot associated with Purim (three of which are specifically mentioned in chapter 9 of Esther):

  1. Mishloach Manot -- sending gifts of food to one another
  2. Matanot La'evyonim -- donating tzedakah to poor people
  3. Se'udat Purim -- eating a festive meal
  4. Kriat Hamegillah -- Megillat Esther is read twice on Purim, at night and in the morning, in the presence of a minyan. It is customary to dress in costume and to make a great deal of noise when the name of Haman is read.
  5. Kriat HaTorah: The Torah is read on the morning of Purim (Exodus 17:8-16, the portion dealing with Israel's war with Amalek, the wicked people from whom Haman is said to be descended.)
  6. Al Hanisim -- This prayer, also recited on Hanukkah and Yom Ha'atzmaut, is added to the Amidah and to Birkat Hamazon.

In addition to these six, there are certain prohibitions on Purim, such as those against giving eulogies and against fasting. There is disagreement over whether or not people should sit Shiva or hold weddings on Purim.

The holiday of Purim has attained great popularity because it deals with the perennial problem of the Jewish people -- anti-semitism. As Rabbi Isaac Klein writes: "Haman's accusation . . . has been repeated in every age. The celebration of Purim serves to strengthen our people, enabling them to face such accusations with dignity and courage, and inspiring them with the hope of final victory over their enemies."

Professor Mordechai Kaplan comments on this theme in his "The Meaning of God": "It is therefore necessary, as it is appropriate, to make the Feast of Purim, and of the special Sabbath preceding it, an occasion for considering anew the difficulties that inhere in our position as 'a people scattered and dispersed among the nations.' It is important that Jews know the nature of these difficulties in order that they may better equip themselves to meet them. Those days should make Jews conscious of the spiritual values which their position as a minority group everywhere in the diphpora should lead them to evolve, and of the dangers which they must be prepared to overcome, if they expect to survive as a minority group."

Perhaps it is because of this important message that the rabbis said that even when all other festivals are abolished in the time of the Mashiach, Purim will remain.


This page was originally created by John Davis and Michael Kay, and can be found at http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/jdd16/guide/.



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