Purim is a joyous holiday that affirms and celebrates Jewish survival and continuity throughout history. [113], The 1960 20th Century-Fox film Esther and the King stars Joan Collins as Esther and Richard Egan as Ahasuerus. Before the reading of the Megillah on Purim, both at night and again in the morning, the reader of the Megillah recites the following three blessings and at the end of each blessing the congregation then responds by answering "Amen" after each of the blessings. The story begins when King Ahasuerus (also spelled Achashverosh, אחשורוש) commands his wife, Queen Vashti , to appear before him and his party guests. [90] Certain prayers like Tachanun, Eil Erech Apayim (when 15 Adar I is a Monday or Thursday) and Lam'nazteach (Psalm 20) are omitted during the service. From at least as early as the 10th century, the emergence of “Special Purims” — commemorative days instituted by local Jewish communities employing any number of Purim-related customs — demonstrates Purim’s effectiveness as a prototype for engaging larger Jewish concerns in the context of shifting historical events, particularly in the case of communities or families who escaped from serious danger. Purim Meshulash, or the three-fold Purim, is a somewhat rare calendric occurrence that affects how Purim is observed in Jerusalem (and, in theory at least, in other cities that were surrounded by a wall in ancient times). "Festivals vii. Indeed, by the mid-19th century, some were even based on other biblical stories. According to the Book of Esther in the Torah, the Jewish people of the city of Shushan were threatened by the villain Haman, a prime minister who convinces the King Ahasuerus to kill all the Jews (because the Jewish Mordecai refused to bow down … The story of Purim comes from the Biblical book of Esther. [50] Often in Orthodox communities there is a special public reading only for women, conducted either in a private home or in a synagogue, but the Megillah is read by a man. Al-Tabari calls her Khumani and tells how her father (Ardashir Bahman) married her. King Ahashverosh held a banquet in the capital city of Shushan and ordered his queen, Vashti, to come and dance before his guests. [55] The day is also universally observed by omitting the Tachanun prayer and having a more elaborate meal than on ordinary days. Pronounced: PUR-im, the Feast of Lots, Origin: Hebrew, a joyous holiday that recounts the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre during the Persian period. The Tractate Megillah in the Mishnah (redacted c. 200 CE) records the laws relating to Purim. Some women pray there in the belief that Esther can work miracles. Mordecai warns her that she will not be any safer in the palace than any other Jew, says that if she keeps silent, salvation for the Jews will arrive from some other quarter but "you and your father's house will perish," and suggests that she was elevated to the position of queen to be of help in just such an emergency. The execution of Vashti and the rise and fall of Haman seem like the typical kinds of political intrigue that went on in the ancient world. [92] According to some sources, the influential Rabbi Moses Sofer (the Chasam Sofer), who was born in Frankfurt, celebrated Purim Vintz every year, even when he served as a rabbi in Pressburg. Some wrote the name of Haman on the soles of their shoes, and at the mention of the name stamped with their feet as a sign of contempt. It has been also customary since the time of the early Medieval era of the Geonim to unroll the whole Megillah before reading it, in order to give it the appearance of an epistle. The minimum interval between occurrences of Purim Meshulash is three years (1974 to 1977; 2005 to 2008; will occur again 2045 to 2048). Brief mention of Esther is made in Tractate Hullin (Bavli Hullin 139b) and idolatry relating to worship of Haman is discussed in Tractate Sanhedrin (Sanhedrin 61b). Haman, Then and Now One does not have to look far to find Haman's modern-day heirs. However, the Talmud, a later work, prescribed three benedictions before the reading and one benediction after the reading. It begins when King Ahasuerus of the Persian Empire (modern day Iran) in the 4th century BC had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders. Purim History. No spoils are taken. [104] On Purim eve that same year, over 100 Jewish doctors and their families were shot by the Nazis in Częstochowa. [103] In a similar incident in 1943, the Nazis shot ten Jews from the Piotrków ghetto. The reading of the Book of Esther from an actual scroll, often an object of special decoration and care, is performed with distinctive cantillation on both the evening and morning of Purim. According to these authorities if women, or men for that matter, cannot attend the services in the synagogue, the Megillah should be read for them in private by any male over the age of thirteen. It is common to greet one another on Purim in Hebrew Chag Purim Sameach, Freilichin Purim (in Yiddish) or "Purim Allegre" (in Ladino). [12], Ahasuerus appoints Haman as his viceroy. To make known that all who hope in You will not be shamed (להודיע שכל קויך לא יבשו); nor ever be humiliated, those taking refuge in You. During leap years on the Hebrew calendar, Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar. According to the Mishnah (Megillah 30b),[46] the story of the attack on the Jews by Amalek, the progenitor of Haman, is also to be read. Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season. As a result, on 13 Adar, five hundred attackers and Haman's ten sons are killed in Shushan. In the Mishnah, the recitation of a benediction on the reading of the Megillah is not yet a universally recognized obligation. [59] The concept was possibly influenced by the Roman carnival and spread across Europe. All of the victims were shot and buried alive by the Nazis. It is dated to the fourth century BCE[18] and according to the Talmud was a redaction by the Great Assembly of an original text by Mordechai.[19]. Sarcastic, humorous, and iconoclastic entertainment has become a universal component of Purim celebration. Old newspaper articles dating as far back as 1860 have reported about Purim festivals, where wealthy Jewish families would donate to charity. Fasting is prohibited.[91]. [38] Shaul Shaked says the date of composition of the book is unknown, but most likely not much after the fall of the Achaemenid kingdom, during the Parthian period, perhaps in the third or second century BCE[35] McCullough also suggests that Herodotus recorded the name of Xerxes's queen as Amestris (the daughter of Otanes) and not as Esther. These verses are particularly sad, or they refer to Jews being in exile. It is therefore customary in certain towns including Hebron, Safed, Tiberias, Acre, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beersheva, Beit She'an, Beit Shemesh, Gaza, Gush Halav, Haifa, Jaffa, Lod, Ramlah and Shechem to celebrate Purim on the 14th and hold an additional megillah reading on the 15th with no blessings. Purim is one of the most festive holidays in Judaism. Learn all about the holiday here. They are apprehended and hanged, and Mordecai's service to the king is recorded in the daily record of the court. Sarcastic, humorous, and iconoclastic entertainment has become a universal component of Purim celebration. Ferdowsi in his Shahnameh (c. 1000 CE) also tells of King Bahman marrying Khumay. As a Source for Median and Achaemenid History". He also mentions the woman's daughter, Khumay, who is not known in Jewish tradition but is well remembered in Persian folklore. The Fast of Esther, observed before Purim, on the 13th of Adar, is an original part of the Purim celebration, referred to in Esther 9:31–32. [23] Josephus also records the Persian persecution of Jews and mentions Jews being forced to worship at Persian erected shrines. The first religious ceremony which is ordained for the celebration of Purim is the reading of the Book of Esther (the "Megillah") in the synagogue, a regulation which is ascribed in the Talmud (Megillah 2a) to the Sages of the Great Assembly, of which Mordecai is reported to have been a member. It is obligatory for the poorest Jew, even one who is himself dependent on charity, to give to other poor people.[55]. Purim has been celebrated in the United States for many years. Purim, which literally means “lots” and is sometimes known as the Feast of Lots, is the Jewish holiday in which Jews commemorate being saved from persecution in the ancient Persian Empire. It too contains the additional contextual material found in the Josippon (a chronicle of Jewish history from Adam to the age of Titus believed to have been written by Josippon or Joseph ben Gorion). The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing. Celebrated annually in either February or March, this joyous holiday commemorates the Jews' rescue from extermination in ancient Persia. At its core, this festive holiday grapples with deep and even troubling themes. The main communal celebration involves a public reading—usually in the synagogue—of the Book of Esther (M'gillat Esther), which tells the story of the holiday: Under the rule of King Ahashverosh, Haman, the king's adviser, plots to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia. Only at the end, when the plot has been spun out completely, do we see understand that it is the story of miraculous deliverance. Find the date for Purim 2014 in the multifaith calendar. [47] At the morning reading of the Megillah the congregation should have in mind that the third blessing applies to the other observances of the day as well as to the reading of the Megillah:[47], After the Megillah reading, each member of the congregation who has heard the reading recites the following blessing. Adolf Hitler banned and forbade the observance of Purim. The outsized vav—which represents the number six—corresponds to the sixth millennium of the world since creation, which, according to Jewish tradition, is the period between 1240 and 2240 CE. Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us regarding the reading of the Megillah. Since charity is a central feature of the day, when givers and/or recipients disguise themselves this allows greater anonymity thus preserving the dignity of the recipient. Mordechai, a Jew, refused to bow down and prostrate himself before Haman, the vizier to the King. Just as in the story of Purim when it’s over we look back and we see how everything fits into place. Through satires of the original story in the Book of Esther, Purim performances and religious practices provide an essential and fixed measure of creative release exploring some of the Jewish community’s most sensitive topics. [41] As such, according to some authorities, business transactions and even manual labor are allowed on Purim under certain circumstances. Amnon Netzer and Shaul Shaked argue that the names "Mordecai" and "Esther" are similar to those of the Babylonian gods Marduk and Ishtar. You have been their eternal salvation, and their hope throughout generations. Barclay, Rabbi Elozor and Jaeger, Rabbi Yitzchok (2001). Sometimes, someone has to take a stand to set things right. Scattered, the Jews waited for the end of the 70 year exile prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah. These features, satirized in the Book of Esther, include a mock representation of Persian rites of gluttony, drinking, exuberant public eroticism, abnormal pomp and display of richness, and bowing to idols or men. However, some Jewish authorities consider it disrespectful for Jewish people to treat Purim as a normal working day. The first part dated to c. 500 CE provides an exegetical commentary on the first two chapters of the Hebrew Book of Esther and provided source material for the Targum Sheni. These readings include numerous ancient customs, among which are jeering and making noise each time the villain Haman’s name is mentioned, as well as reciting the names of Haman’s 10 sons in one breath. Having found out that Mordecai is Jewish, Haman plans to kill not just Mordecai but the entire Jewish minority in the empire. Purim is a joyous holiday that celebrates the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre in ancient Persia. [88] The megilla reading and distribution of charity takes place on the Friday (Adar 14), which day is called Purim dePrazos. Esther, Mordechai, Haman and Ahasuerus all come to life in the full version of the dramatic and suspenseful Purim story. Esther discovers what has transpired; there follows an exchange of messages between her and Mordecai, with Hatach, one of the palace servants, as the intermediary. [34][35] Scholars W.S. [25], A brief Persian account of events is provided by Islamic historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari in his History of the Prophets and Kings (completed 915 CE). [96][97][98] The other was called The Purim of Ibrahim Pasha, in which the community was saved during a battle. This is based on the fact that the salvation of the Jews occurred through wine. Today, Purim spiels can revolve around anything relating to Jews and Judaism that will bring cheer and comic relief to an audience celebrating the day. The following day, Jewish doctors were taken from Radom and shot nearby in Szydłowiec. Purim takes place on the 14th day of Adar, the 12th month of the Jewish calendar. To fulfill the mitzvah of giving charity to two poor people, one can give either food or money equivalent to the amount of food that is eaten at a regular meal. [57][58], The custom of masquerading in costumes and the wearing of masks probably originated among the Italian Jews at the end of the 15th century. According to the Scroll of Esther,[8] "they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor." Follow her as she gets swept up into history, leaving her jump rope, her … Jews all over the world celebrate this holiday, and even if you don't affiliate yourself with all the customs of Judaism, you can still join in on the unique observances of the holiday. [67] By the 18th century, in some parts of Eastern Europe, the Purim plays had evolved into broad-ranging satires with music and dance for which the story of Esther was little more than a pretext. [106] According to Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel, there is a code in the Book of Esther which lies in the names of Haman's 10 sons. (In the case of a leap year, it takes place in the 13th month, Adar II, while a minor holiday, Purim Katan, takes place in Adar I.) His plans were foiled by Mordecai and Esther, his cousin[7] and adopted daughter who had become Queen of Persia. [60] While most authorities are concerned about the possible infringement of biblical law if men don women's apparel, others permit all forms of masquerades, because they are viewed as forms of merry-making. The drinking of wine features prominently in keeping with the jovial nature of the feast, but also helps simulate the experience of spiritual blindness, wherein one cannot distinguish between good (Mordechai) and evil (Haman). [80], Among Polish Jews, koilitch, a raisin Purim challah that is baked in a long twisted ring and topped with small colorful candies, is meant to evoke the colorful nature of the holiday. By the second century CE, Purim played such a significant role in the Jewish calendar that an entire tractate of the Mishnah (the earliest compiled rabbinic legal work), called Megillah, was based on the discussion of Purim’s proper observance. [32], Nineteenth-century Bible commentaries generally identify Ahasuerus with Xerxes I of Persia. According to the Hebrew calendar, Purim is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (and it is celebrated on Adar II in Hebrew leap years which occur every two to three years), the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies. However, in Shushan, the capital city of the Persian Empire, the Jews were involved in defeating their enemies on Adar 13–14 and rested on the 15th (Esther 9:20–22). From the 12th century, Jews in Italy, southern France (Provence) and elsewhere were producing parodies on the Talmud, liturgy ,and other familiar pillars of Jewish life. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. Three of the Hebrew letters—a tav, a shin and a zayin—are written smaller than the rest, while a vav is written larger. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. In a speech made on November 10, 1938 (the day after Kristallnacht), Julius Streicher surmised that just as "the Jew butchered 75,000 Persians" in one night, the same fate would have befallen the German people had the Jews succeeded in inciting a war against Germany; the "Jews would have instituted a new Purim festival in Germany". info) Pûrîm "lots", frae the wird פור ‬ pur, relatit tae Akkadian: pūru) is a Jewish haliday that commemorates the savin o the Jewish fowk frae Haman, that wis plannin tae kill aw the Jews.. On Purim Jews hae public readins o the Beuk o Esther in Ebreu an stage comic plays, cried purimspiels in Yiddish, aboot the story o Esther. In 422 B.C.E. ארורה זרש אשת מפחידי ברוכה אסתר בעדי וגם חרבונה זכור לטוב, Netzer, Amnon. Put together, these letters refer to the Jewish year 5707, which corresponds to the secular 1946–1947. [21], Berossus (early third century BCE) provides context for the account in that he records the introduction of idols of Anahita under Artaxerxes II Mnemon throughout the Persian Empire. Mordecai requests that she intercede with the king on behalf of the embattled Jews; she replies that nobody is allowed to approach the king, under penalty of death. This, in fact, sums up Jewish history. At a banquet for the king and Haman, she denounces the evil Haman, who is eventually hanged. All Rights Reserved. Over time, Purim has become more of a national holiday than a religious one. Since Jewish performers and musicians did not exist as a professional class until the 18th century, Purim shpiels and wedding entertainments are our only source of Jewish popular pursuits for centuries. [105], In an apparent connection made by Hitler between his Nazi regime and the role of Haman, Hitler stated in a speech made on January 30, 1944, that if the Nazis were defeated, the Jews could celebrate "a second Purim". Although written evidence of the Purim shpiel(Yiddish for “Purim play”) exists in Europe only from the 14th century, Purim entertainment is likely of ancient origin as well. In 2017, Purim begins at sundown on March 11. There is a longstanding custom of drinking wine at the feast. Everything has a reason and God will make sure that even in the worst circumstances the Jews are always going to have a way out, so that they can accomplish their mission in this world. [61], Other reasons given for the custom: It is a way of emulating God who "disguised" his presence behind the natural events which are described in the Purim story, and it has remained concealed (yet ever-present) in Jewish history since the destruction of the First Temple. MEGILLAT ESTHER-- we read the story of Purim in the evening and the next day.And whenever Haman is mentioned, we make as much noise as possible to blot out his name and his memory! Purim is celebrated among Jews by: Other customs include wearing masks and costumes, public celebrations and parades (Adloyada), and eating hamantaschen ("Haman's pocket”); men are encouraged to drink wine or any other alcoholic beverage.[10]. On Purim, Iranian Jews visit the tombs of Esther and Mordechai in Hamadan. פּוּרִים) 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.. Among Sephardi Jews, a fried pastry called fazuelos is eaten, as well as a range of baked or fried pastries called Orejas de Haman (Haman's Ears) or Hojuelas de Haman. In some places,[where?] The actual text of the Book of Esther is thought to be of late Second Temple authorship, being amongst the latest books to enter the Bible, alongside Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, and the Book of Daniel. [78], In the Middle Ages, European Jews would eat nilish, a type of blintz or waffle. Some non-orthodox rabbis went as far as to allow the wearing of rabbinically-forbidden shatnez. She finds favor in the king's eyes, and is made his new wife. *, Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem and exiled the Jews from the Land of Israel. [84], Purim is celebrated on Adar 14 because the Jews in unwalled cities fought their enemies on Adar 13 and rested the following day. Additionally, Hermann Göring, an eleventh Nazi official sentenced to death, committed suicide, parallel to Haman's daughter in Tractate Megillah. fasting 15 Kislev, celebrating at night/16 Kislev: History of the Jews in the Byzantine Empire, Esther Unmasked: Solving Eleven Mysteries of the Jewish Holidays and Liturgy, "Esther 2 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre", "Purim How-To Guide – Your Purim 2019 guide contains the story of Purim, and all you need to know about the 4 mitzvahs of Purim and the other observances of the day", Can Women Read the Megillah? With the king’s authority, he draws lots (pur) to determine the fateful day, which falls on the 13th of the month of Adar. It is not subject to business or work restrictions, unlike some other Jewish holidays. The custom stems from a statement in the Talmud attributed to a rabbi named Rava that says one should drink on Purim until he can "no longer distinguish between arur Haman ('Cursed is Haman') and baruch Mordechai ('Blessed is Mordecai')." The Talmud added other provisions. [58] A sweet pastry dough is rolled out, cut into circles, and traditionally filled with a poppy seed filling; this is then wrapped up into a triangular shape with the filling either hidden or showing. Further, he obliged women to attend the reading of the Megillah, because women were also part of the miracle. The Book of Esther reflects a number of important features of the Persian culture, which are also found elsewhere in the Bible, above all in the Book of Daniel. Concept was possibly influenced by the Roman carnival and spread across Europe and mentions Jews being exile. לטוב, Netzer, Amnon a Midrashic text divided in two parts month Adar. The woman 's daughter in Tractate Megillah in the Mishnah ( redacted c. 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