Purim
"... a man should get drunk at Purim until he would not be able to know between cursed Haman to blessed Mordecai." --Megilah 7
History of 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.
Cursed be Haman - Blessed be Mordecai
by Avi Biran
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. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than the other women, and he made Esther queen. The king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.
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 murder 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 to see the king. King Ahasuerus welcomed her and 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.
Celebrating Purim
The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther’s three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king. The primary commandment related to Purim is the reading of the Book of Esther.
The book of Esther is commonly referred to as the Megillah. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet, and shake graggers (noisemakers) whenever the name Haman is mentioned in the synagogue service. The purpose of this custom is to blot out the name Haman.
We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry! It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink and to make gifts to charity. A common treat at this time of year is the Hamentaschen (Haman’s pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman’s three-cornered hat.
