Congregation B'nai Abraham
About Purim: Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.
The story of Purim is told in the book of Esther. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her nationality.
The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech that is all too familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.
Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.
Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which is usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the extermination of the Jews, and the day that the Jews battled their enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their survival. In cities that were walled in the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, because the book of Esther says that in Shushan (a walled city), deliverance from the massacre was not complete until the next day. The 15th is referred to as Shushan Purim.
In leap years, when there are two months of Adar, Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar, so it is always one month before Passover. The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.
The tradition of sending gifts consisting of two types of food to our friends on Purim is called Mishloach Manot and is prescribed in Megillat Esther (9:22). On Purim day, (and only during the day), men and women, young people and children, many "in disguise," scurry thru the streets, bearing plates, baskets and trays filled with the choicest Purim goodies such as fruits, wine and baked goods.
The obligation is to send a friend at least one food parcel containing two kinds of food or drink which are ready to eat without further preparation. Anything beyond that is extra-credit. It is customary, however, to encourage joy and friendship by sending parcels to many friends. Nevertheless, it is of greater merit to distribute gifts generously to the poor than to distribute food to friends.
The service for Purim is most unusual. Dressing in silly costumes is encouraged. At no time of the Jewish year is the synagogue as "wild" as during the Megillah reading.
Interrupting the reading with noise-making devices at the mention of Haman's name is encouraged. Fifty-four times Haman's name is read in the Megillah, and fifty-four times the congregation erupts in a deafening chorus of "greggers," clanging pots, cap-guns and sirens.
Some write Haman's name on the soles of their shoes; the congregants then stamp their feet at every mention of Haman. Others write his name in wax and melt it!
The gregger (Yiddish for rattle), is more widely used than the custom of feet stamping. (The Hebrew word for this noisemaker is ra'ashan, from the word ra'ash, meaning noise.) The custom of the Purim "gregger," was obviously introduced to amuse the children, and so keep up their interest in the reading, as children (over 6) are also required to hear the Megillah.
No discourse on Purim could be considered complete without mentioning THE Purim delicacy, the hamantash or hamantaschen. Hamantashen - the most widespread food on Purim is a special pastry. This is a triangular cookie, usually filled with sweetened poppy seeds. The origin of the name is unclear and there are various theories. Some people say that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and that is why the pocket of dough is triangular. Others refer to the midrash that relates that when Haman entered the King's treasury, he was bent over, covered with shame, and humiliated (literally with clipped ears). Hamantashen also means that Haman's force was exhausted ("tash coho") when he came to harm the Jews, and it is inferred that this will be fate of all those who try to do us harm.
The source of the pastry was apparently poppy seed pockets called "Mantashen". The name was intentionally distorted to "Haman tash" - pockets of Haman. It is a mitzvah to devour Haman with open mouth. Besides Hamantashen, biscuits made of sugar and sweet starch are also widespread on Purim.
The custom of wearing disguises on Purim is extremely ancient.
In our times, the most conspicuous external revelation of Purim is the wearing of fancy dress, mainly by children, although adolescents and adults do sometimes dress up in public or to participate in a masked party.
06/23/2008 02:09 PM -0500
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