Day of fun, Purim recalls narrow escape

Purim celebration in Israel
Purim celebration in Israel

The Jewish holiday of Purim, which begins at sundown today, promises to be a messy one for Rabbi Jacob Adler of Temple Shalom in Fayetteville. For a donation to the synagogue, members can throw a shaving cream pie in his face.

“I actually kind of enjoy it. I just wish they’d use whipped cream,” Adler said.

Purim is a holiday with an emphasis on fun. Children and adults dress in costumes, share gifts and often entertain one another with humorous plays, known as spiels. And, sometimes they throw pies.

The story of Purim can be found in the Book of Esther and involves a plot to kill the Jews in the Persian empire of King Ahasuerus. It’s a story full of adventure and intrigue, complete with an evil villain - Haman, the king’s prime minister.

The king had married the beautiful Esther not knowing she was Jewish in a land where most Jews were slaves. When Esther’s kinsman Mordecai tells her that Haman is plotting to kill the Jews, she must go before the king and reveal her true identity in an effort to save her people. But going before the king without being summoned was dangerous and could mean death for those not summoned to speak. To prepare, Esther fasted for three days before finally telling the king about Haman’s plans.

The king ordered Haman and his sons hanged and appointed Mordecai as his new prime minister. With his new authority,Mordecai proclaimed that each year the 14th day of the month of Adar would be a day for Jews to feast and be merry in celebration of their escape from death.

“It’s hard to know the historicity of the events but it has become an annual celebration,” Adler said.

While Purim is a day of merrymaking, it is also time to remember the story. Reading the Book of Esther, or the Megillah scroll, is a key part of Purim celebrations. Children often dress up as Queen Esther or Mordecai, as well as the king and even Haman. As the story is told, the children boo and rattle noisemakers whenever Haman’s name is mentioned and cheer when Esther and Mordecai’s deeds are told.

Jeff Baskin, a lay leader at Congregation Agudath Achim in Little Rock, said the Megillah is chanted in a traditional song style, rather than simply read aloud.

At Congregation Agudath Achim, the celebration of Purim also includes the giving of gifts. The women of the congregation bake hamantaschen - triangular pastries or cookies - and also make candy to put in gift bags to be delivered to friends and neighbors.

“In the Book of Esther it’s very clear that she says to send gifts and just have a grand old time celebrating our escape from death. So we party,” Baskin said.

Adler said the story of Purim is unique, in part because of what is missing.

“Some say the model for all Jewish holidays is - they tried to kill us, God saved us, let’s eat,” Adler said. “ That’s more or less true but the Book of Esther doesn’t mention the name of God.”

Because God isn’t mentioned in the story readers might assume that God had no part in events, but Adler believes God was present, just hidden from sight.

“Some people see Purim as a celebration related to the hidden activity of God,” he said. “Compared to Passover where there were obvious miracles, here nothing apparently supernatural happens yet we see this as God working to perform something miraculous.”

That hidden aspect of God, or that things aren’t always as they seem, gave rise to the wearing of costumes, Baskin said.

“You disguise who you are, like when God doesn’t allow people to know he’s there,” he said. “We can’t see God. He’s disguised.”

This year, the Purim celebration at Congregation Agudath Achim will culminate with a party and “A Fiesta for Queen Esther” and is sure to include lots of laughter and fun.

“It’s a very, very happy day,” Baskin said.

And, at Temple Shalom, Adler will have a face full of shaving cream pie.

Religion, Pages 12 on 03/15/2014

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