Purim Booklet

‫בס"ד‬ Mini Purim Guide and Megillah Summary Created by Charles Joseph for the people and friends of Deloitte JNet, March 2008. JNet is the employee diversity network for Deloitte’s Jewish people. For more information, please email jnet@deloitte.co.uk The information has been edited and arranged by Charles Joseph, from a variety of sources including the aish.com website. If you wish to pass on this guide, please let me know so that I can follow up with any amendments or similar guides for the rest of the year. I can be reached via jnet, facebook or linkedin.

Mini Purim Guide and Megillah Summary There are four mitzvot specific to the holiday of Purim: Reading the Megillah Sending food to friends (Keriat Megillah) (Mishloach Manot) Giving gifts to the poor Festivity and rejoicing (Matanot La'evyonim) (Purim Seudah) Reading the Megillah (Keriat Megillah) The Book of Esther is read on Purim night, and again the next day. Every word must be clearly heard. We read it in the synagogue, because the larger the crowd, the greater publicity is given to the miracle of our being saved. On working days, there are often readings set up in offices for those who can’t get to a synagogue in the morning. We make noise a when the sound of Haman's name was read in order to “blot out his name”. Sending food to friends (Mishloach Manot) Purim is the day we reach out to embrace our fellow Jews – just as Haman did not discriminate between us. That's why it is an ideal opportunity to repair broken relationships by sending packages to people with whom one has ill feelings. On the day of Purim one must send two items of different, ready-to-eat food or drink to at least one person. Whilst it is praiseworthy to send to many people, but it is better to spend more on gifts to the poor (see below) than on this. Giving gifts to the poor (Matanot La'evyonim) On Purim, we also give gifts of money to the poor. On the day of Purim, one must give a gift of money or food, to at least two poor people. Alternatively, one can give the money to an authorised charity collector who will distribute the money on Purim for the purpose of fulfilling this mitzvah. During the rest of the year, one doesn’t have to give charity to all who ask. He is entitled to investigate the worthiness of each cause and decide which charities deserve priority. However, on Purim one may not refuse any person who may be in a state of poverty and at least a small donation should always be given. Some people will visit a number of homes on Purim, performing songs or other routines, often in costume, to raise money for charity. This is known as shpielling. Festivity and rejoicing (the Purim meal) We have a festive meal with family and friends – a physical action rather than a spiritual one because it is the Jewish bodies that Haman sought to destroy. We are also obliged to imbibe alcohol - until one doesn't know the difference between "cursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai”. Opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is, but all agree that a person should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or become ill. The idea is to transcend our usual physical bounds - not to be comatose! Before all that… The day before Purim is the fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther's three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the King. Fortunately, we only have to fast for one day. 2

Mini Purim Guide and Megillah Summary TIMEFRAME 423 BCE: the first Temple is destroyed by the armies of King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah prophesied that the destruction would be followed by a seventy-year exile. 369 BCE: King Achashverosh of Persia (also known as Xerxes) ascends the throne, ruling over 127 provinces. CHAPTER 1 -- KING ACHASHVEROSH THROWS A PARTY 1. 366 BCE: Achashverosh, King of Persia calculates (incorrectly) that the seventy year exile is up, the Temple has not been rebuilt, and so he holds a lavish six-month celebration. 2. Queen Vashti refuses the King's request to appear at the celebration and display her beauty for the assembled guests. 3. The King's advisors counsel that Vashti be replaced with a new Queen. CHAPTER 2 -- ESTHER BECOMES THE QUEEN 1. Across the Persian Empire, officials are appointed to identify beautiful candidates to succeed Vashti as Queen. 2. 362 BCE: After four years of searching, a Jewish girl, Esther (in Hebrew, Hadassah), the niece of Mordechai, is brought to the capital of Persia as one of the candidates. 3. Mordechai tells Esther to conceal the fact that she is Jewish. 4. Esther is chosen to be Queen. 5. Mordechai learns of a plot to overthrow the King. Mordechai informs Esther, Esther tells the King, and the plotters are hanged. CHAPTER 3 -- THE RISE OF HAMAN 1. Achashverosh appoints Haman, one of his advisors, to be his Prime Minister. All bow in homage to Haman. 2. Mordechai consistently refuses to bow to Haman. 3. An enraged Haman vows to kill all the Jews of Persia, and he convinces Achashverosh to destroy the Jews. 5. 357 BCE: A royal edict is disseminated throughout Persia. The 13th of Adar is designated as the date to exterminate all the Jews and plunder their possessions. CHAPTER 4 -- ESTHER'S MISSION BECOMES CLEAR 1. Mordechai tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of public mourning. 2. Mordechai sends a copy of the decree to Esther and asks her to intercede with the King. 3. Esther replies that, to approach the King without being summoned, is to risk death. 4. Mordechai tells her that she has no choice. 5. Esther tells Mordechai to ask the Jews to fast and pray for three days before she will approach the King. 3

Mini Purim Guide and Megillah Summary CHAPTER 5 -- ESTHER'S STRATEGY, HAMAN'S FURY 1. King Achashverosh receives Esther warmly and grants her virtually any request – up to half of his kingdom! 2. Esther's request: that the King and Haman join her at a banquet. 3. After the banquet, Haman sees Mordechai who once again refuses to bow. 4. When Zeresh, Haman's wife, suggests that Mordechai be hung, the gallows are prepared. CHAPTER 6 -- THE REVERSAL BEGINS 1. The King can't sleep and asks to hear the royal chronicles. For the first time, the King learns of the assassination plot that Mordechai had revealed (see 2.5). 3. That same night, Haman comes to see the King about hanging Mordechai. 4. Before Haman can speak, the King tells Haman to honour Mordechai by dressing him in royal garments, to place him on a royal stallion and to personally lead him through the streets of Shushan, capital of Persia – as a reward for saving the King’s life. CHAPTER 7 -- REVERSAL OF FORTUNE 1. At Esther’s banquet, she reveals her religious identity and announces that she and her people are about to be murdered on Haman’s edict. 2. The King has Haman hung on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordechai. CHAPTER 8 -- THE REVERSAL IS COMPLETE 1. Mordechai is named Prime Minister to replace Haman. 2. As the first royal edict could not be rescinded, a second one is promulgated empowering the Jews to fight and kill anyone who would try to harm them. CHAPTER 9 -- THE HOLIDAY OF PURIM 1. On the 13th of Adar (356 BCE), a day that had been designated for Jewish destruction, the Jews survive and are victorious. The 10 sons of Haman are hung. 3. The 14th and 15th of Adar are designated to celebrate the salvation. These are the days of Purim. 4. Mordechai initiates the Purim practices -- consisting of a festive meal, the exchange of gifts of food, and the giving of monetary gifts to the needy. Esther’s account of the story becomes the Purim Megillah that we read each year. CHAPTER 10 -- MORDECHAI AND PERSIA; EPILOGUE 1. Persia, with Mordechai as Prime Minister, flourishes. 2. The role of Mordechai in the history of the Persian Empire is recorded in the King's chronicles. 3. In 353 BCE, King Darius, son of Achashverosh and Esther, allows the Jews to return to Israel and build the second Temple. Taken and adapted from the aish.com website, where the article was adapted from "One Hour Purim Primer," by Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf. www.leviathanpress.com 4

Purim Booklet

by crjos on Feb 26, 2010

Accessibility

Upload Details

Usage Rights

1 Embed 4

Statistics

Purim Booklet — Document Transcript