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Wishing a very happy Purim to you, your family and friends,
from Bluenoemi's Team.
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Purim 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.The story of Purim is told in the Biblical book of Esther .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.The Purim story is told at the Book of Esther .
It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noisemakers - raashanim) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The purpose of this custom is to “blot out the name of Haman.”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
Mordechai ”.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 Mishloach ManotAmong 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.It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty
contests.
Mishloach manot
Gaily wrapped baskets of sweets, snacks and other foodstuffs given as mishloach manot on Purim day.The Book of Esther prescribes "the sending of portions one man to
another, and gifts to the poor" (9:22). Over time, this mitzvah has become one of the most prominent features of the celebration of Purim.
Masquerading
Most evidence suggests that the concept of "masquerading in costumes"
(on Purim) is a fairly recent addition to Purim, which was added sometime during the past five hundred years - in Europe. The practice probably did not exist in Middle Eastern countries earlier than 150 years ago.Dressing up in masks and costumes is one of the most entertaining customs of the Purim holiday.
Children in particular enjoy dressing up as the
protagonists in the Book of Esther, including Queen Esther and Mordecai; other Biblical personalities such as King David and the Kohen Gadol ("High Priest"), and modern-day costumes from flower girls to indigenous peoples of the Americas to animals to policemen.Costumes and masks are worn to disguise the wearers' identities. Mistaken identity plays an important role in The Book of Esther, as Esther hid her cultural origins from the king, Mordecai hid his knowledge of all the world's languages
(which allowed Bigthan and Teresh to discuss their plot openly in his presence), and Haman was mistaken for Mordechai when he led Mordecai through the streets of the capital city of Shushan.
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. This
custom spread over all countries where Jews lived, except perhaps the Orient. The first among Jewish authors to mention this custom is Judah ben Eliezer ha-Levi Minz (d. 1508 at Venice) , quoted by Moses Isserles on Orach Chayim 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 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 called Adloyada (Ad-עד Lo-לא Yada-ידע, Until one didn't know the other). The name refers to the drinking feast described in the book of Ester, after
which the guests couldn't tell their friends apart from the other attenders. In these Parades men, women, boys and girls dress in costumes and masks and celebrate publicly.
