Festival of Purim

Esther 9:20-10:3

²⁰ And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, ²¹ obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, ²² as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. ²³ So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. ²⁴ For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. ²⁵ But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. ²⁶ Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, ²⁷ the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, ²⁸ that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. ²⁹ Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. ³⁰ Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, ³¹ that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. ³² The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing. ^10:1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. ² And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? ³ For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

The Book of Esther ends with a party and that party continues to be celebrated yet today. It is called Purim, which is derived from the word “pur”, referring to the casting of lots such as Haman did while deciding the date for the destruction of the Jews.

This minor Jewish holiday is generally celebrated in March (this year it will be March 11-12) and is accompanied by skits put on by the children, costumes, noisemakers, and bountiful food. Jews who observe Purim also take this time to donate food to the poor. The most important part of the celebration is a reading of the Book of Esther. Here is where the noisemakers come into the picture. During the reading, noisemakers and shouting are engaged with every mention of the name of Haman in order to “blot out” his name, while loud cheering ensures whenever the name of Mordecai is mentioned. Needless to say, it must take a while to read the whole book aloud!

As a part of the lavish food prepared the participants eat triangular shaped, fruit-filled cookies called Haman’s Ears. The shape of the cookies represents the shape of Haman's three-cornered hat.

The festival can begin on Thursday with the Feast of Esther, holding the meal in remembrance of the banquet she prepared for the king and Haman as a part of the celebration. While Purim is considered a minor holiday, it did have considerable impact during WWII as the Jews were fighting for their lives during the Holocaust. Now Purim is compared with Mardi Gras in the Christian tradition.

It is also perhaps pertinent to point out that while Esther was risking her life to save the Jews, there were people who had been sent back to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity to rebuild the Temple and the city wall. Her story takes place during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. Had Esther not acted to save the people from annihilation, those Jews working on rebuilding would have been exterminated as well. Her story had far reaching impact.

As we wrap up Esther, we remember (along with our Jewish neighbors) that while God’s name isn’t mentioned in Esther He is an active player in the story. Without His hand operating throughout the story the outcome would have been far more tragic. Perhaps we should take a page from the history of the Jews and spend some time in vibrant celebration of what God has done for us.