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GuideGuide toto CelebratingCelebrating PurimPurim

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Welcome to Jewish Treats Guide to Celebrating Credits Purim. Shake your grogger, eat some haman- Founder: tashen and get dressed in your silliest costume... Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald it’s Purim! Jewish Treats Guide to Celebrating Edited By: Rochel Hewitt Purim offers fun facts and inspiring insights into Content: the four major Purim mitzvot and the customs Sarah Rochel Hewitt that make this a unique celebration for Social Media: all. We hope that you will use this guide to truly Susanne Goldstone Rosenhouse enhance your own Purim celebration. Table of Contents From everyone at NJOP and The Story of Purim ...... 1 Jewish Treats, we wish you a Reading the Megillah ...... 2 Purim Sameach and a Freilichen Purim! (That’s how The Purim Feast...... 4 you say “Happy Purim” in Mishloach Manot ...... 5 Hebrew and Yiddish). Matanot La’evyonim ...... 6 Other Purim Customs ...... 7 “This Little Piggy Went to Shul” ...... 8

Jewish Treats Guide to The Purim Story

At the end of a 180-day feast, the King of they return for a second feast on the next day. Persia-Medea, Achashverosh, banished (some say executed) his wife, Vashti, for refusing to That night, Achashverosh instructed his minister appear at his banquet. He then staged an to read the royal Book of Chronicles to help him elaborate beauty contest to find a new queen. sleep. The Minister read how Mordechai saved the king’s life. Achashverosh realized that he In Shushan, the capital city, lived (also never rewarded Mordechai. Just then, Haman called Hadassah), a beautiful orphan raised by arrived to ask the king for permission to hang her cousin, Mordechai, one of the leaders of Mordechai. Before Haman could speak, how- the Jewish people in exile. When the king’s ever, the king instructed Haman to reward agents came to take her to the palace, Mordechai for revealing an assassination plot by Mordechai instructed her not to reveal that she immediately leading him through town, dressed was a Jewess. After a 12 month beauty in royal robes, on the royal steed. contest, Esther was chosen to serve as queen. After returning home feeling thoroughly In the palace yard, Mordechai overheard two humiliated, Haman was summoned to the men plotting to murder the king. He quickly palace to dine with the king and queen. At sent word to Esther, who revealed the plot to the end of the meal, Esther told the king that the king in Mordechai’s name. The plotters someone was seeking her death and the were executed, and Mordechai‘s name and death of her people. Outraged, the king heroic deed were written in the King’s Book demanded to know who. Esther identified of Chronicles. Haman as the archenemy.

Achashverosh appointed Haman the Agagite Haman was hanged from the very gallows (an Amalekite) as Prime Minister. Haman’s ire at that he had built for Mordechai. His 10 sons Mordechai was inflamed when Mordechai were also hanged. refused to bow down before him (the Midrash informs us that Haman wore a necklace with a Achashverosh appointed Mordechai as his Prime large idol). Haman asked Achashverosh for Minister. The were permitted to defend permission to destroy the Jews. The king agreed themselves against those who would try to harm and issued an edict stating that on the 13th of them. When the 13th of arrived, the Jews Adar, the Jews in all the provinces were to be successfully defeated their enemies (although exterminated and their property kept as plunder. in Shushan the battle continued throughout the day of the 14th of Adar). The ten sons of Mordechai told Esther about the plot and asked Haman were killed and their bodies were her to seek mercy from the king. Esther agreed, hanged publicly. The Jews celebrated their sur- but requested that all the Jews fast for three days vival with great feasts, thus the 14th (outside of and repent for their sins while praying for the Shushan) and the 15th days of Adar are the heavenly decree to be reversed. days for celebrating Purim. Mordechai also codified the particular practices of the holiday Esther, welcomed by Achashverosh, simply of Purim: the reading of the Megillah, the festive requested that Achashverosh and Haman join her meal, gifts of food and charity to the poor. for a private feast--at which she requested that

JeJewishwish TreatsTreat sGuide Gui de to SukkotCelebrating Purim 1 The Reading of the Megillah:

Megillat Esther, the Scroll of Esther, is the official record of the remarkable story of how Esther and Mordechai saved of the Jewish people from Haman’s evil plot. On What Is A Megillah? the holiday of Purim, there is an obligation to read this scroll aloud (or to hear it read) once on Purim night and Technically, a megillah is a rolled scroll. Specifically, once on Purim day. This obligation applies to all adult the term megillah is used to describe the five Jews. canonical works from the (Writings) section In order to fulfill the of listening to the Megillah, of the that are read in the on it is necessary to hear every word during the reading. different holidays. For this reason it is imperative that there be no talking during the Megillah reading. This rule is surprising for The are: all who are familiar with the wide-spread custom of children twirling “groggers” (noisemakers) and adults SHIR HA’SHIRIM - The Song of Songs - written by loudly booing Haman’s name in the midst of the King Solomon and read on . reader’s solemn chanting.

The , in Deuteronomy 25:19, commands the - The Book of Ruth - written by Samuel and Jewish people to “blot out the remembrance of read on . Amalek.” Since Haman was a direct descendent of Amalek and the villain of the Purim story, it became EICHAH - Lamentations - written by Jeremiah and customary in the Middle Ages to “blot out” his name read on Tisha B'. whenever the name “Haman” is read in the Megillah. The noisemakers specially designed for making noise KOHELET - - also written by King during the Megillah reading are popularly known as Solomon and read on Sukkot. groggers (Yiddish) or ra’ashonim (Hebrew).

It is important that, ESTHER - The Book of Esther - written by Mordechai even when blotting and Esther and read on Purim. out the memory of Haman, one When preceded with a definite article, however, “the remembers to stop Megillah,” refers specifically to the Book of Esther. and listen to the Megillat Esther is the only one of the five megillot rest of the reading that everyone is obligated to read/hear. as well.

Jewish TreatsTreats Guide Guide to SukkotCelebrating Purim 2 Make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. (Esther 9:22)

Jewish TreatsTreats Guide Guide to SukkotCelebrating Purim 3 Feasting and Gladness

Food is often central to the way in which Jews celebrate. From the three meals of to the elaborate rituals of the , almost every Jewish holiday begins with a feast.

Unlike the festive meals of Shabbat, Rosh Hashana, Passover, Sukkot or Shavuot, the Purim seuda (as a feast is called in Hebrew) is in commemoration of an actual feast that took place in the time of Esther. In fact, the Purim story contains numerous important feasts. The Book of Esther opens with a description of a great royal feast (which lasted several months), and a smaller feast for the citizens of Shushan that lasted one week. It was during this second feast that Queen Vashti disobeyed the King and lost her crown. Without these events, Esther would not have been in a position to help the Jews. Feasting is also the means by which Esther revealed Haman’s wicked plot to King Achashverosh.

Esther invited both the King and Haman to two private feasts. During the first, she said nothing. During the second she outrightly accused Haman of CAN WE DRINK THAT? plotting to destroy her and her people. Purim is known as the holiday for drinking, so Jewish Finally, and most importantly, the Jews enjoyed a feast Treats presents you with a quick guide to kosher alcohol. to celebrate their victory over those who sought to destroy them. In the midst of this feasting, they stopped BEER--Almost all basic non-flavored, to give gifts to the poor and send food baskets to their domestic beers are kosher, even without friends. certification, because beer is made from only water, barley, yeast, and hops, and any additions alter The bare minimum to fulfill the mitzvah of a Purim the end product. Flavored beers, stouts and beers seuda (meal) requires that one wash and eat bread from some European and Asian countries do need and then recite the bentching, the Grace after Meals. supervision, due to additional ingredients. The Purim meal is normally held later in the day so that the feasting and rejoicing carries over past sunset into WINE--Wine is used for sanctification in the next day. Traditionally, this is a deluxe meal with many cultures, therefore Jewish law wine and other alcoholic beverages. requires that the wine (or grape juice) that Jews consume be entirely processed by other Jews Purim is well known for drinking because wine plays an to ensure that no “idolatrous” wine is added. A important role in the unfolding events: reliable kosher symbol is required on the bottle.

* King Achashverosh is drunk when he calls for Vashti SPIRITS & LIQUORS--Because of the and when he orders her punished. varying ingredients in different alcoholic products, all spirits and liquors require kosher certification or * Esther invites the King and Haman to a banquet, rabbinic approval. which the Megillah refers to as a wine-banquet. Many rabbis have issued stringent warnings against * The Megillah describes the 14th and 15th of Adar as drinking and driving, over-imbibing, and underage days of "feasting and joy," implying that the Jews drinking on Purim. celebrated with feasts of wine. This warning cannot be overemphasized!

JeJewishwish TreatsTreat sGuide Gui de to SukkotCelebrating Purim 4 Mishloach Manot/Shalach Manot “Sending Portions One to Another”

When Haman approached Achashverosh to ask him for permission to order the destruction of the Jewish people, he described the Jews as “a group of people scattered throughout your king- dom and dispersed among all the peoples of your provinces” (Esther 3:8). The exile of the Jewish people by King Nebuchadnezzer after the destruction of the First Temple resulted in a total loss of their sense of nationhood. While individual Jews had pride in their heritage, they did not have a strong sense of unity with other Jews.

When word went out that all the Jews in the entire kingdom of King Achashverosh had been saved, it resulted in a massive celebration for everyone. The threat of Haman reminded the Jews of the importance of the concept of “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh,” that all Jews are responsible for one another (Shavuot 39a). In order to demonstrate their unity, the Jews in the towns sent gift baskets to each other’s homes in an open display of their great affection for one another.

This beautiful act was codified into law. Consequently, on Purim, every Jew is obligated to give at least one Mishloach Manot gift containing at least two different types of immediately edible food items, such as wine and cake, etc.

Although many people make fancy Mishloach Manot, there is no obligation to spend large sums of money when making them. Here are some beautiful, and simple, ideas:

We used to send bagels, cream cheese and orange brandy, Scotch, juice first thing in the

eat breakfast on Purim. additions to our @TourGuideAaron favorite. Jackie H. Freeda R.

How 'bout - Texan (queso, salsa & chips) Israeli themed basket with products chocolate) @RabbiSOK Caroline B. Lauren C.

JeJewishwish TreatsTreat sGuide Gui de to SukkotCelebrating Purim 5 Matanot La’evyonim “And Gifts To The Poor”

Imagine...the Jewish people have just been saved from complete destruction. Jews every- Everyone Can Give: where were celebrating, eating their tastiest For those who wish to give Matanot treats and drinking their best wines. Families and La’evyonim but do not know where to friends come together to rejoice about being donate in order to properly fulfill this alive. Yet, in the midst of these celebrations, Jews mitzvah, please visit: throughout the empire remember that not all of their fellow Jews have the means to celebrate. In www.just-.org the middle of their victory celebrations, those who had, gave to those in need, further strengthening the tremendous feeling of unity that the threat of annihilation and the subsequent salvation had given them.

Giving to the poor is a mitzvah all year round. However, the mitzvah to do so on Purim is separate from the general mitzvah of tzedakah (charity). In order to properly fulfill the mitzvah of Matanot La’evyonim one must give charity to two individual poor people. One should give each poor person at least enough money to provide for a meal. One may also give the equivalent in food.

Matanot La’evyonim should be given early enough on Purim day so that the poor can benefit from the gift on the holiday itself. If, however, one does not have someone poor to give to on Purim, one should hold onto that money (separately) and give it when the opportunity arises. The money may not be given or spent elsewhere.

Priority Giving The Mishna Berurah notes that one should spend more on gifts to the poor than on Mishloach Manot and on the Purim feast.

Jewish TreatsTreats Guide Guide to SukkotCelebrating Purim 6 Customs of Purim Costume Time

Masks and disguises are a popular means of expressing some of the most important themes of Purim. For instance, “Ve'na'hafoch Hoo, and it was reversed” (Esther 9:1)--on Purim we cele- brate the idea that what one perceives as reality can easily be reversed. This idea is the source for the custom of Purim costumes. Through the act of disguising one’s self, a person highlights the extreme reversal of not knowing “the difference between ‘Cursed be Haman’ and ‘Blessed be Mordechai’” (Megillah 7b).

A second important theme of Purim that relates to the custom of wearing masks/costumes is “hester panim.” Hester panim refers to the idea that God conceals His involvement in human affairs. God is not mentioned even once in the Book of Esther, yet it is clearly Divine providence that determines events. This is hester panim, when God “hides” Himself from the world so that we can only see hints of His Divine plan. So too, on Purim, our true selves are hidden behind masks.

Hamantashen

A popular item to include in Mishloach Manot is hamantashen (click for recipe), special triangle shaped cookies filled with poppy seeds, prune butter, jelly, chocolate, and a variety of other treats and fillings. There are several theories regarding the source and history of hamantashen:

1) The triangle shape of the hamantashen is said to represent a type of three-cornered hat worn by Haman. Because of their triangular shape, they are also sometimes called “Haman’s ears.” Others suggest that three sided cookie represents the three sided table of Esther’s feast.

2) The word “hamantashen” may be derived from the Yiddish moon tashen, which mean “poppy pockets.” The signifigance of the pocket is that the filling is hidden, just as God’s presence was concealed during the events of the Purim story.

3) The question may be asked, “Why is the Purim treat named after the arch-enemy of the Jewish people?” By eating a piece of Haman, one may figuratively “wipe out the memory of Amalek.”

JeJewishwish TreatsTreat sGuide Gui de to SukkotCelebrating Purim 7 The Little Piggy Went To Shul

When my friends were dressing as Queen While the plethora of pig paraphernalia led me Esther, I donned red spots and a long tail and to believe she was not the only young child en- went to school as Vashti. So I get it. I get not chanted by pigs, something told me she might wanting to dress like Esther, despite the fact have been one of the only Jewish toddlers in that she was both beauty queen and brave an observant home to find such favor in swine. heroine--the stuff of Disney dreams. In truth, from Bergenfield to Borough Park, Between the fantastic story, the costumes and pigs have become increasingly unpopular the candy, it is no wonder Purim ranks high on among Jewish institutions. Our daycare swaps the list of holidays for young children. And of out the pigs on Old McDonald’s farm in favor course there are many lessons to be learned; of the feline. In Israel, where pig-related laws we dress in costume to conceal our identities come straight from the Knesset, it is illegal to as a reminder that Hashem hid his face (hester raise pigs and they are often referred to eu- panim) and his involvement in rescuing the phemistically as “white meat.” As noted by Jews from Haman, and that every day there Daphne Barak-Erez, author of “Outlawed Pigs: are miracles gently veiled before our eyes. Law, Religion, and Culture in Israel,” the pig is no more un-kosher than a bunny rabbit or My husband and I always have guidelines for even the Hoopoe, Israel’s state bird. “The Purim costumes: no guns, no swords, no guts and Torah does not set apart the pig as uniquely no gore. For the most part, this leads to rather abhorrent,” she writes. Nonetheless, pigs have safe costume choices for our older children. But come to represent all things treif. when our daughter was three, we faced a bit of Purim wardrobe choice malfunction. She wanted So with some help from Amazon.com, we escorted nothing to do with Queen Esther or Cinderella, our pro-football player, our masked alien and Dora or Daisy. Instead, she insisted, repeatedly, our proud little piggy to shul. I totally shepped that she would only be a pig for Purim. some nachas that what she lacked in jewels and sparkle, she made up for with spunk and origi- The child in question was inexplicably obsessed nality. While friends didc huckle (and her great- with pigs. Pink pigs, black pigs, clean pigs, grandmother feared for future shidduchim) no muddy pigs, stuffed pigs and live pigs. They were one seemed offended by her choice. all “soooo cute” in the eyes of our little beholder. By the time we left shul, it was way past our daughter’s bedtime and she was pooped. As the Over the years, family and carnival music faded behind us, I watched her friends indulged and en- waddle through the snow holding her tail with abled, and we amassed one hand while trying to keep up with her an impressive collection of brothers. We followed them by a few steps and pigs, plastic, plush, bat- though they were all still in disguise, I saw under tery-operated, singing a football helmet, an alien mask and soft pig (Elvis songs) and dancing ears--the miracles that are part of my every day. pigs. What more could a girl want? Ilya Welfeld stops to cherish the chaos, writing about bal- ancing work, life and faith. Email her at A pig costume, of course. [email protected]. This piece is excerpted from a piece that appeared in The Jewish Star in 2010.

JeJewishwish TreatsTreat sGuide Gui de to SukkotCelebrating Purim 8 Passover Across America is an incredible opportunity for participants to attend a beautiful seder where they will learn the basic meaning, explanations and customs of the seder. Participants leave the seder inspired by having relived of the Jewish people through uplifting songs and fascinating Jewish rituals associated with the seder. Want to know WHAT NJOP IS UP TO? Here are some great ways to keep in touch!

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