3/16/2019

Purim

Purim is celebrated with a public reading—usually in the —of the Book of ( Esther), which tells the story of the holiday.. UnderUnder thethe rulerule ofof KingKing Ahashverosh,Ahashverosh, ,Haman, thethe king'sking's  prime minister,, plotsplots toto exterminateexterminate allall ofof thethe JewsJews ofof Persia.Persia. HisHis planplan isis foiledfoiled byby QueenQueen EstherEsther andand her cousin Mordechai, who ultimately save the Jews of Persia from destruction. The reading of thethe megillahmegillah typicallytypically isis aa rowdyrowdy afaffairfair,, punctuatedpunctuated byby booingbooing andand noise-makingnoise-making whenwhen Haman'sHaman's namename isis read aloud.

Purim is an unusual holiday in many respects. First, Esther is the only biblical book in which God is not mentioned. Second, Purim, like , traditionally is viewed as a minor festival, but elevated to a major holiday as a result of the Jewish historical experience. Over the centuries, Haman became the embodiment of every anti-Semite in every land where Jews were oppressed. The significance of Purim lieslies notnot soso muchmuch inin howhow itit began,began, butbut inin whatwhat itit hashas become:become: aa thankfulthankful andand joyousjoyous afaffirmationfirmation ofof JewishJewish survivalsurvival againstagainst allall odds.odds. Purim: History

The story of Purim is found in the ,, oneone ofof thethe booksbooks inin thethe KetuvimKetuvim (W(Writings) section of the . It is set in the land of Persia (current day thethe timetime whenwhen AhashveroshAhashverosh waswas king.king. KingKing AhashveroshAhashverosh heldheld aa banquetbanquet inin thethe capitalcapital citycity ofof ShushanShushan andand orderedordered hishis queen,queen, VVashti, to come and dance his guests. She refused to appear and lost her royal position.

Acting on advice from his counselors, Ahashverosh held a pageant to choose a new queen. Mordechai, a Jewish man living in Shushan, encouraged his c Esther,, toto enterenter thethe competition.competition. EstherEsther wonwon but,but, followingfollowing thethe adviceadvice ofof herher cousin,cousin, diddid notnot revealreveal herher JewishJewish originorigin toto thethe king.king.

Mordechai often sat near the gate of the king's palace. One day he overheard two men, , plotting to kill the king. Mordechai reported w had heard to Esther.. SheShe thenthen reportedreported thethe informationinformation toto thethe king.king. TheThe mattermatter waswas investigatedinvestigated andand foundfound toto bebe true,true, andand BigthanBigthan andand TTeresh came to an unfortunate end. Mordechai's deed was recorded in the king’s diary..

Meanwhile, the king's evil adviser,, Haman,Haman, paradedparaded throughthrough thethe streets,streets, demandingdemanding thatthat allall bowbow downdown toto him.him. BecauseBecause JewsJews dodo notnot bowbow toto anyoneanyone butbut GoG Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman. Upon learning that Mordechai was Jewish, Haman decided to kill all the Jews in the Persian empire. He plottedplotte them—convincingthem—convincing KinKin AhashveroshAhashverosh toto gogo alongalong withwith thethe plan—andplan—and castcast purimpurim ("lots,"("lots," pluralplural ofof pur),pur), aa kindkind ofof lotterylottery,, toto determinedetermine thethe dayday onon whichwhich hehe wouwou out his evil deed: the 13th of ..

However,, MordechaiMordechai alertedalerted EstherEsther toto Haman'sHaman's evilevil plot,plot, andand EstherEsther,, inin turn,turn, revealedrevealed herher JewishnessJewishness toto thethe King,King, convincingconvincing himhim toto savesave thethe JewsJews andand fofo Haman's plot. Haman was hanged, Mordechai received his estates and the position of royal vizier,, andand thethe JewsJews ofof PersiaPersia celebratedcelebrated theirtheir narrownarrow escapeescape 14th of Adar,, thethe dayday afterafter theythey werewere supposedsupposed toto bebe annihilated.annihilated.

Thus, the fate Haman had planned for the Jews became his own. The holiday of Purim celebrates the bravery of Esther and Mordechai and the deliveranc Jewish people from the cruelty of oppression.

Although Purim is observed in most places on the 14th of Adar,, inin ,Jerusalem, itit isis celebceleb thethe 15th.15th. M’gillatM’gillat EstherEsther explains,explains, “on“on thethe thirteenththirteenth dayday ofof thethe twelfthtwelfth month—thatmonth—that isis thethe of Adar—when the king’s command and decree were to be executed, the very day on w enemies of the Jews intended to have rule over them, the opposite happened, and the J prevailed over their adversaries.” The Jews fought and won on the 13th of Adar and cel thethe followingfollowing dayday.. HoweverHowever,, M’gillatM’gillat EstherEsther continuescontinues byby explainingexplaining thatthat thethe JewsJews diddid nono theirtheir enemiesenemies untiluntil thethe 14th14th ofof AdarAdar inin thethe walledwalled citycity ofof Shushan.Shushan. Therefore,Therefore, citiescities thatthat w enclosed during the time of Joshua do not celebrate until the 15th of Adar,, whichwhich hashas bebe appropriately named Shushan Purim. Because of the significance of Jerusalem, Purim celebrated on Shushan Purim.