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Purim (פורים "Lots,"
Standard Hebrew Purim, Tiberian Hebrew Pûrîm: plural of
פור pûr "Lot," from Akkadian pūru) is a Jewish holiday
that commemorates the deliverance of the Persian Jews
from the plot of the evil Haman to exterminate them, as
recorded in the biblical Book of Esther. According to
that book the feast was instituted as a national one by
the book's protagonists, Mordecai and Esther. Purim is
celebrated annually on the 14th of the Hebrew month of
Adar. (In a small number of cities that were walled in
ancient times, it is instead celebrated on the 15th.) In
2005, this falls on March 25, but that day starts on
March 24 at sundown.
also see:
Overview
 Like
Hanukkah, Purim's status as a holiday is on a lesser level than those of
the Biblically ordained holy days. Accordingly business transactions and
even manual labor are allowed on Purim, although in certain places
restrictions have been imposed on work (Shulkhan Arukh, Orah Hayyim,
696).
Purim has been held in high esteem by the Jewish community at all times;
some have held that when all the prophetical and hagiographical works
are forgotten the Book of Esther will still be remembered, and,
accordingly, the Feast of Purim will continue to be observed (Talmud
Yerushalmi, Meg. i. 5a; Maimonides, "Yad," Megillah).
The Book of Esther does not prescribe any
religious service for Purim; it enjoins only the annual celebration of
the feast among the Jews on the 14th and 15th of Adar, commanding that
they should "make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions
one to another, and gifts to the poor." The siddur (Jewish prayer book)
has a special prayer to be said on this festival.
Purim songs have been
introduced even into the synagogue. For the children's
sake certain verses from the Book of Esther have been
sung in chorus on Purim.
Reading of the Megillah
The first religious ceremony ordained for the
celebration of Purim is the reading of the Book of
Esther (the "Megillah") in the synagogue, a regulation
ascribed in the Talmud (Meg. 2a) to the "Men of the
Great Synod," of which Mordecai is reported to have been
a member.
 Originally
this enactment was for the 14th of Adar only; later, however, R.
Joshua ben Levi (3d cent.) prescribed that the Megillah should be
read on the eve of Purim also. Further, he obliged women to attend
the reading of the Megillah, inasmuch as it was a woman, Queen
Esther, through whom the miraculous deliverance of the Jews was
accomplished.
In the Mishnah the recitation
of a benediction on the reading of the Megillah is not yet a
universally recognized obligation. The Talmud (a later
work), however, prescribed three benedictions before and one
after the reading. The Talmud added other provisions. For
example, the reader is to pronounce the names of the ten
sons of Haman (Esth. ix. 7-10) in one breath, to indicate
their simultaneous death. The congregation was to recite
aloud with the reader the verses ii. 5, viii. 15-16, and x.
3, which relate the origin of Mordecai and his triumph.
 The
Megillah is read with a traditional chant differing from
that used in the customary reading of the Torah. In some
places, however, it is not chanted, but is read like a
letter, because of the name "iggeret" (epistle) which is
applied (Esth. ix. 26, 29) to the Book of Esther. It has
been also customary since the time of the Geonim (early
medieval era) to unroll the whole Megillah before reading
it, in order to give it the appearance of an epistle.
According to Jewish law the Megillah may be read in any
language intelligible to the audience.
According to the Mishnah (Meg. 30b), Ex. xvii. 8-16, the
story of the attack on the Jews by Amalek, the progenitor of
Haman, is also to be read.
Purim gave rise to many religious compositions, some of
which were incorporated into the liturgy. These include a
large number of hymns intended for the public service. As
well, other writings (dramas, plays, etc.) intended for
general edification, both in Hebrew and in other languages,
have been composed.
Social customs
The Book of Esther prescribes "the sending of portions one
to another, and gifts to the poor." This became in the
course of time one of the most prominent features of the
celebration of Purim. Jews send gifts of food, especially
pastries, to one another; and the poor were made recipients
of charity. In the synagogue regular collections were made
on the festival, and the money was distributed among the
needy. No distinction was to be made among the poor; any one
who was willing to accept, even a non-Jew, was to be allowed
to participate. It was obligatory upon the poorest Jew, even
on one who was himself dependent on charity, to give to
other poor -- at least to two people. In some congregations
it is customary to place a charity box in the vestibule of
the synagogue.
The national rather than the religious character of the
festival made it appear appropriate to celebrate the
occasion by feasting. Hence it was the rule to have at least
one festive meal, called Seudat Purim, toward the evening of
the 14th. Jews developed special pastries for this holiday;
cakes were shaped into special forms and were given names
having some symbolic bearing on the historical events of
Purim. Thus the Jews of Germany eat Hamantaschen and
Hamanohren (in Italy, orrechi d'Aman), Kreppchen, Kindchen,
etc.
 The
jovial character of the feast was illustrated in the saying
of the Talmud (Meg. 7b) that one should drink on Purim until
he can no longer distinguish "Cursed be Haman" from "Blessed
be Mordecai," a saying which was codified in the
authoritative code of Jewish law, the Shulkhan Arukh. While
Jews have long been noted for a lack of alcohol abuse,
drunkenness was licensed on this holiday. In response, later
rabbis, worried about the abuse of this rule, developed less
literal ways to understand this invitation, and effectively
pushed a message of moderation. Merry-making was encouraged;
yet total intoxication was condemned.
Many kinds of merry-making and mockery have been indulged in
on Purim, so that among the masses it has become almost a
general rule that "on Purim everything is allowed", even
transgressions of a Biblical law, such as the appearance of
men in women's attire and vice versa, which is strictly
prohibited in Deut. xxii. 5. The traditional tunes of
prayers sung in the synagogue are also sometimes altered,
always in deliberately humorous ways.
Masquerading
 The custom of masquerading on Purim was first introduced
among the Italian Jews about the close of the fifteenth
century under the influence of the Roman carnival. From
Italy this custom spread over all countries where Jews
lived, except perhaps the Orient. The first among Jewish
authors to mention this custom is Judah Minz (d. 1508 at
Venice) in his Responsa, No. 17, quoted by Isserles on Orah
Hayyim, 696:8. He expresses the opinion that, since the
purpose of the masquerade is only merrymaking, it should not
be considered a transgression of the Biblical law regarding
dress. Although some rigorous authorities issued
prohibitions against this custom, the people did not heed
them, and the more lenient view prevailed. The custom is
still practiced today amongst religious Jews of all
denominations, and among both religious and non-religious
Israelis.
In Israel there are Purim parades, and men, women, boys and
girls frolic publicly in costumes and masks, and indulge in
all kinds of jollity.
 A
depiction of a Purim "Gragger" (a "noise maker" when it is
spun by hand) usually made of wood and only used when
Haman's name is mentioned. Indeed, Purim was an occasion on
which much joyous license was permitted even within the
walls of the synagogue itself. As such may be reckoned the
boisterous hissing, stamping, and rattling, during the
public service, at the mention of Haman or his sons, as well
as the whistling at the mention of Mordecai by the reader of
the Megillah. This practise traces its origin to French and
German rabbis of the thirteenth century, who, in accordance
with a passage in the Midrash, where the verse "Thou shalt
blot out the remembrance of Amalek" (Deut. xxv. 19) is
explained to mean "even from wood and stones," introduced
the custom of writing the name of Haman, the offspring of
Amalek, on two smooth stones and of knocking or rubbing them
constantly until the name was blotted out.
Ultimately, however, the stones fell into disuse, the
knocking alone remaining. 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; others used
for the same purpose a rattle--called "gregar" (from Polish
grzégarz), and producing much noise--a custom which is still
observed by the Russo-Polish Jews. Some of the rabbis
protested against these uproarious excesses, considering
them a sinful disturbance of public worship, but did so in
vain. The custom of using noisemakers in synagogue on Purim
is now almost universal.
Burning of Haman's effigy
Outside the synagogue the pranks indulged in on Purim by
both children and adults have been carried even to a greater
extreme. Some of them date from the Talmudic period . As
early as the fifth century, and especially in the geonic
period (9th and 10th cent.), it was a custom to burn Haman
in effigy on Purim.
In Italy the Jewish children used to range themselves in
rows, and pelt one another with nuts; while the adults rode
through the streets with fir-branches in their hands,
shouted, or blew trumpets round a doll representing Haman
and which was finally burned with due solemnity at the
stake. In Frankfort-on-the-Main it was customary to make a
house of wax wherein the figures of Haman and his
executioner, also of wax, were placed side by side. The
whole was then put on the almemar, where stood also the wax
figures of Zeresh, the wife of Haman, and two guards--one to
her right and the other to her left--all attired in a flimsy
manner, and with pipes in their mouths. As soon as the
reader began to read the Megillah the house with all its
occupants was set on fire to the enjoyment of the
spectators.
These customs often aroused the wrath of Christians, who
interpreted them as a disguised attempt to ridicule Jesus
and the cross and issued prohibitions against them; e.g.,
under the reign of Honorius (395-423) and of Theodosius II.
(408-450; comp. Schudt, l.c. ii. 309, 317, and Cassel,
l.c.). The Rabbis themselves, to avoid danger, tried to
abolish these customs, often even calling the magistracy to
their aid, as in London in 1783. This custom is no longer
practiced.
Fasting before and after Purim
The Fast of Esther, celebrated before Purim, on the 13th of
Adar, is not an original part of the latter, nor was it
later instituted "in commemoration of the fasting of Esther,
Mordecai, and the people", since this fasting fell,
according to rabbinical tradition, in the month of Nisan and
lasted three days. The first who mentions it is R. Aḥa of
Shabḥa (8th cent.) in "She'eltot," iv.; and the reason there
given for its institution is based on an arbitrary
interpretation of Esth. ix. 18 and Meg. 2a, "The 13th was
the time of gathering," which gathering is explained to have
had also the purpose of public prayer and fasting. Some,
however, used to fast three days in commemoration of the
fasting of Esther; but as fasting was prohibited during the
month of Nisan the first and second Mondays and the Thursday
following Purim were chosen. The fast on the 13th is still
commonly observed; but when that date falls on a Sabbath the
fast is put back to Thursday, Friday being needed to prepare
for the Sabbath and the following Purim festival.
Purim Katan
In leap-years on the Hebrew calendar, Purim is celebrated in
the second month of Adar, but by the Karaites in the first.
The respective days of the first Adar being then called
"Purim Katan" (Little Purim), for which there have been set
forth certain observances similar to those for Purim proper,
with the exception of reading the Megillah, sending gifts to
the poor, and fasting on the 13th of the month. The
distinctions between the first and the second Purim in
leap-years are mentioned in the Mishnah (Meg. i. 46b; comp.
Orah Hayyim, 697).
Other Purims
Many cities have until recently had local "Purims", also
called "Purim Katan", all commemorating the deliverance of
the local community from a particular antisemitic ruler or
group. The best known is Purim Vintz, traditionally
celebrated in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, one week after the
regular Purim. This commemorates the Fettmilch uprising
(1616-1620), in which one Vincenz Fettmilch attempted to
exterminate the Jewish community.
According to some sources, the influential Rabbi Moses Sofer
(the Hatam Sofer), who was born in Frankfurt, celebrated
Purim Vintz every year, even when Rabbi in Pressburg. |
