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Purim (Feast of Esther)
"These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated…" (Esther 9:28)
About Purim
Purim tells the story (as described in the book of Esther) of how Queen Esther saved the Jewish people from the plans of the evil Haman who wished to exterminate the nation. It is replay of a story that unfolded during the Exodus when Amalek, the grandson of Esua, attacked the weak members of Bnei Yisrael from behind at Rephidim. Later during the time of King Saul and King Agog. Saul, a Benjamite, son of Kish was instructed to destroy the Amalekites, King Agog and his family. His failure to do so cost him his throne. Later on the battle was played out again when Haman the Agogite (Amalekite) faces Mordecai, a Benjamite, son of Kish. Where Saul failed, Mordecai succeeded.
Although the name of G-d is never mentioned directly in the book of Esther it is mentioned indirectly over one hundred times through the Sod method of interpretation. This idea has found support in the book of Deuteronomy 31:18 in the phrase “Anokhi haster astir”—”I will hide my face on that day.” The sages used a word play in their support of the Sod interpretation. The pun was on the word “astir” meaning “hide” with the name “Esther” and connected it with the fact that G-d is never mentioned, meaning that He was hidden. This brings us to an important facet in the story of Purim that can be applied in every age.
At times it seems that G-d’s presence seems to elude us. This usually takes place when we are weak and our defenses are down. What threatens our existence? It is when we deny our responsibility as a kingdom of priests teaching His Torah, and living as His redeemed community. It is when we walk away from His Word, when we lose sight of our mission, when we assimilate into the morals and ethics of the land in which we are living. The message is that even though His presence seems to elude us, He is there intervening in our situation. Thus we celebrate this feast, even though it is not one of the mo’edim mentioned in Leviticus, to remind us of His ever present love and concern for our lives.
Observance
The day before Purim the people fast, commemorating the fast that Mordecai and Esther endured and which Esther instituted among the Jews prior to her visit with the king. The fasting was a common practice among Jews as they prepared for battle in remembrance that their strength and victory would come from G-d. Although most of the battles that we fight in our lives today are not done with physical weapons, we should also make time to fast as we prepare for those battles.
The actual celebration of Purim in the synagogue is a joyous occasion. It is a time where the adults can act like kids and get by with it. The children in the synagogue will dress up as their favorite Purim character. Those who live in a area where there is not a large Jewish community can make their masks from plastic plates, construction paper and paint. We celebrate the feast by reading the book of Esther aloud as a congregation.
As we come to the names of Hadassah (Esther) and Mordecai we spin the graggers (noise makers) and say “Yeah!” As the name of Haman is mentioned we boo, hiss, and stamp our feet. Many people write the name “Haman” on the bottom of the shoe with chalk to remind us of the command to wipe out the name of the Amalekites. It is also customary to give gifts to friends and food to the poor during this festival according to the example in Esther 9:22.
