Purim

Compiled from various sources:

Background History by Ezra Souffer

The time period of Purim is between the time of the two Temples, approximately 358 years before the common era. The Persian kingdom waxed strong as the Babylonian empire receded in worldly influence. A prophecy claiming that after seventy years of exile the Jews would be redeemed from their exile was known not only by the Jews, but also by the gentiles. (see Jeremiah 29:10 and Daniel 9:2) The power of the G-d of the Hebrews was well known to the gentiles.

The Persian King, Cyrus I, gave permission for the Jews to return to Israel and to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. However at that time many foreign groups had moved into the Land of Israel. Amongst these people, were a group who decided to accept upon themselves the Jewish religion because they were attacked by lions. They felt that each land had it's own god, and therefore since they lived in Israel, they would worship the G-d of Israel. However, they had no commitment to Judaism and the Jewish laws. This group lived in an area called Samaria and they became known as the Samaritans.

At first they tried to help in building the Temple, but because of their insincere motivation and minimal observation of Jewish living, they were not accepted to work on the Temple. This caused them to turn on the Jewish People and they began to send reports to the Persian authorities stating that the Jews were planning another rebellion. Needless to say, many of Persian ministers were anti-Semitic. They prevailed upon Cyrus to stop the building which he did.

After Cyrus died, Achasverosh, in a dramatic power struggle, took over the kingdom. He was a cruel man. He took for his wife, Vashti, the daughter of Nebuchadnetzer, the former king of Babylon. It was Nebuchadnetzer, who was responsible for the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jews from their land.

Achasverosh, like the kings that preceded him were aware of the prophecy that the Jewish G-d would return his people after seventy years of exileThere were vaious opinions of how to calculate the seventy year period. Each person had his personal calculation.

Belshazar, the king who preceded Achasverosh, made his calculation. When, according to his calculation the seventy years had passed and the Jews were not redeemed, he rejoiced. To him this meant several important things. One, his kingdom was intact. The Jews would remain a stateless people. He did not have to worry about future rebellions from such a hard lot. Two, the non-fulfillment of the prophecy of not less then two distinguished prophets, meant that there really was no G-d. The respect that the gentiles had for the Hebrew G-d until now could be forgotten. With this in mind Belshazar took out the gold and silver vessels that had been taken as booty from the Temple and he made a feast using them for his private enjoyment. (see Daniel 5:22 - 30) That night Belshazar was killed. Frightened again because of the prophecy of the Jews, the Temple vessels were put away.

Now Achasverosh began his rein. He too enlarged his kingdom, yet feared the redemption of the Jews by the Jewish G-d. He, too, made his calculation as to the end of the seventy year waiting period. Seeing that the seventy years, according to his calculations had passed, he felt that his kingdom was secure. Happy in this security he too made a tremendous feast. Like Belshazar, he brought out the Temple vessels and ordered that they be used at his gigantic feast. Achasverosh became drunk at this feast. He bragged of the greatness of his kingdom and the splendor of his queen, the daughter of Nebuchadnezer. In his stupor, he ordered his queen to appear in front of him and his advisors naked. The queen refused the king's inappropriate request, invoking Achasverosh's wrath. The king, acting upon the advice of his minister, Haman, had her executed.

Subsequently, Esther became the new queen and the story of Purim and the redemption of the Jews unfolded as related in the Megilla Esther (Bible book of Esther).

Source: http://www.jewishmag.com/7MAG/HISTORY/purim.htm

Traditional Observance

Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people of the ancient Persian Empire from Haman's plot to annihilate them, as recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther (Megillat Esther).

According to the story, Haman cast lots to determine the day upon which to exterminate the Jews.

Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies; as with all Jewish holidays, Purim begins at sundown on the previous secular day.

In cities that were protected by a surrounding wall at the time of Joshua, including Shushan (Susa) and Jerusalem, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month, known as Shushan Purim

Purim is characterized by public recitation of the Book of Esther (keriat ha-megilla), giving mutual gifts of food and drink (mishloach manot), giving charity to the poor (mattanot la-evyonim), and a celebratory meal (se'udat Purim); [1] other customs include drinking wine, wearing of masks and costumes, and public celebration.

Source: Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purim

Purim Observance - (Traditional)

Reading of Esther

One is required to read the Megillah both by day and night. One may read the Megillah all night until dawn, and from sunrise until sunset. If one has read the Megillah before sunrise but after dawn, one has fulfilled the obligation to read the Megillah.Both men and women are obligated to hear the Megillah.

Feasting and Rejoicing

It is a traditional to have a sumptuous meal on Purim, including meat dishes and wine. This feast is held during the day.

Amongst Jewish traditions there is also a custom of drinking until intoxication ... some say , "A person is obligated to drink on Purim til he no longer knows the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Modechai."

Gifts for the Poor

One is required to give at least two gifts to two poor people on Purim, in other words, one gift to each. Even a poor person is required to do this.

perform this mitzvah. This obligation can be fulfilled through food or drink or even clothing. The gift should be sufficient to buy bread. The gifts to the poor are given during the day, usually after the reading of the Megillah.

Gifts to One Another

One must give a gift which consists of two portions to another person. Both men and women are included in this mitzvah. The food must consist of something edible or drinkable without further cooking or preparation. One may send meat, fish. cooked pastry, wine and other beverages. These gifts should be sent to as many people as one chooses but they should be sufficient to convey regard for the recipient. If at all possible, these gifts should be sent by messengers, rather than delivered personally because the Megillah uses the word mishloach (sending) for these gifts.

... It is also customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noisemakers; see illustration) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to "blot out the name of Haman."

Among Ashkenazic (European) Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman's pockets).

These are triangular fruit-filled cookies that are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat.

Recipe for Hamentaschen

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup orange juice (the smooth kind, not the pulpy)
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup wheat flour (DO NOT substitute white flour! The wheat flour is necessary to achieve the right texture!)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Various preserves, fruit butters and/or pie fillings.

Blend butter and sugar thoroughly. Add the egg and blend thoroughly. Add OJ and blend thoroughly. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating white and wheat, blending thoroughly between each. Add the baking powder and cinnamon with the last half cup of flour. Refrigerate batter overnight or at least a few hours. Roll as thin as you can without getting holes in the batter (roll it between two sheets of wax paper lightly dusted with flour for best results). Cut out 3 or 4 inch circles.

Put a dollop of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up the sides to make a triangle, folding the last corner under the starting point, so that each side has corner that folds over and a corner that folds under (see picture at right). Folding in this "pinwheel" style will reduce the likelihood that the last side will fall open while cooking, spilling out the filling. It also tends to make a better triangle shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown but before the filling boils over!

Traditional fillings are poppy seed and prune ... Apricot, Apple butter, pineapple preserves, and cherry pie filling all work well.

The number of cookies this recipe makes depends on the size of your cutting tool and the thickness you roll.

If you use a 4-1/4 inch cutting tool and roll to a medium thickness, you will get 20-24 cookies out of this recipe.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Variation

If you are on a wheat-free diet for wheat allergies or a gluten-free diet for celiac-sprue, substitute 2 cups of buckwheat flour and 1/2 cup of rice flour for the white and wheat flour. Make sure the buckwheat flour is wheat-free/gluten-free! Sometimes buckwheat flour is mixed with white or wheat flour. The resulting hamentaschen will have an unusual pumpernickel color, but they taste great!

Source: Judaism 101 - http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.