The United Synagogue

Purim

Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar, the anniversary of the day the Jews were saved. In walled cities such as Jerusalem, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of Adar, a day known as Shushan Purim.

Why do we celebrate Purim?
Purim is the holiday which commemorates the miraculous salvation of the Jews recorded in Megillat Esther, "The Book of Esther", which took place during the period of the Babylonian exile. The story tells us King Achashveirosh had an advisor, Haman, who plotted to kill the Jews. His plans were foiled by the efforts of the righteous Mordechai and Queen Esther.

What does Purim mean?
The word Purim comes from the word Pur which means "lot" and refers to the evil doings of Haman who casts lots to determine on which day he would kill the Jews of Persia.

What are the customs of Purim?
There are four commandments:

Listen to the Megillah
All Jews - men and women - are required to hear the Megillah reading twice on Purim, once at night and once by day. The reading by night cannot begin until it is dark, which in Jewish terms means that one can see a minimum of three stars in the sky.

It must be read directly from a properly made scroll. You must hear every word; if you miss even one word, you have not fulfilled the commandment. Before the Megillah is read, the reader makes three blessings. It is forbidden to speak from that point on until the reader finishes the Megillah and makes the final blessing.

The last of the three blessings made before the reading is Shehecheyanu. This blessing is made when we have the opportunity to perform a mitzvah for the first time in a year.

It is a popular custom to make noise when the name of Haman is mentioned during the reading.

Mishloach Manot - Give presents of food to other people
On the day of Purim all Jews are required to send at least two gifts of food to at least one other Jew. The food must be usable immediately; therefore, uncooked meat cannot be used. The two gifts should be different foods, like an apple and an orange. Drinks are also good.

Matanot Le'evyonim - Gifts to the poor
Every Jew is required to give a minimum of two gifts to two poor people on Purim. Ideally, the gifts should be food or money which the poor can use for Purim.

The Purim Seudah
We are required to make a feast during the day of Purim. Some people also have a meal at night, but it is not a commandment. It is customary to make the Purim Seudah after Minchah (the afternoon prayers). The bulk of the Purim Seudah must be eaten before nightfall.

Other Purim customs
Getting Drunk
Part of the mitzvah of the Purim Seudah is to get drunk until we are unable to distinguish between Arur Haman, "Cursed is Haman", and Baruch Mordechai "Blessed is Mordechai". This is in memory of the miracles of Purim which were all associated with the drinking of wine. This is a very unusual mitzvah because drunkenness is usually strongly discouraged by Jewish law since it can lead to "sin". This is not an excuse to get totally drunk, there are some rules to follow. If heavy drinking will make one ill then it is better to refrain from drinking. Being drunk does not exempt one from any of the commandments, such as gifts to each other and gifts to the poor.

Fancy Dress
Traditionally kids don costumes on this joyous day.