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The holiday of Purim has been held in high esteem by Judaism
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 (Jerusalem Talmud, Megillah
1/5a; Maimonides, Yad, Megillah).
Like Hanukkah, Purim's status as a holiday is on a lesser level
than those ordained holy days by the Torah. Accordingly, business transactions
and even manual labor are allowed on Purim, though in certain places restrictions
have been imposed on work (Shulkhan Arukh, Orach Chayim, 696). A special prayer
("Al ha-Nissim"—"For the Miracles") is inserted into
the Shemoneh Esrei during evening, morning and afternoon prayers, as well as
is included in the Grace after Meals.
The four main mitzvot of the day are:
1. Listening to the public reading of the Book of Esther in
the evening and again in the following morning.
2. Sending food gifts to friends.
3. Giving charity to the poor.
4. Eating a festival meal. |
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The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.
The Purim holiday is preceded by a minor fast, the Fast of Esther, which commemorates Esther's three days of fasting in preparation for her meeting with the king.
The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the Megillah, which means scroll. Although there are five books of Jewish scripture that are properly referred to as megillahs (Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations), this is the one people usually mean when the speak of The Megillah. It is 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." |
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We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai," though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill. In addition, recovering alcoholics or others who might suffer serious harm from alcohol are exempt from this obligation.
In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (lit. sending out portions). Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman's pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat. |
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It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. I have heard that the usual prohibitions against cross-dressing are lifted during this holiday, but I am not certain about that. Americans sometimes refer to Purim as the Jewish Mardi Gras. Purim is not subject to the sabbath-like restrictions on work that some other holidays are; however, some sources indicate that we should not go about our ordinary business on Purim out of respect for the holiday.
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