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Why Purim is an Underrated Holiday
and What You Can Do About It

What's Purim, you ask? Good question, one that's to be expected, since this Jewish holiday is one of the least observed biblical celebrations.

Passover is a holyday with which we're all familiar. Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur-the High Holydays-get a lot of our attention. And Chanukah, with its gift-giving and candle-lighting, is a day (actually eight days) we enjoy and observe. But Purim doesn't demand a lot of our interest. Why?

To begin with, the events leading to Purim, the celebration of a defensive military victory, took place in Persia, not Israel. The Jews were in the galut (the diaspora), having been brought there after the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 586 b.c.e. They were attacked by the prime minister of Persia-Haman-because Esther's cousin, Mordecai, would not bow down to this pagan leader. That was the last straw for self-aggrandizing Haman, who had wanted to get rid of the Jews, anyway. He saw them as a threat to his upward mobility and power. Since the whole story took place outside of Israel, it never became a major holyday, especially in the western world.

Second, there is no reference to God in the entire Scroll of Esther. This was so surprising to the rabbis who canonized the Scripture (chose which books were to be called Scripture), that there was conflict as to whether or not to include Esther in the Bible at all. How could a document that doesn't mention God be placed in his Holy Book?

Furthermore, the hero of the story is a woman, something some of the less "liberated" rabbis had a hard time with. Esther was the star and strength of the Purim story.

A third reason that Purim is not a well-known Jewish celebration is that it is not crowned with a biblical Sabbath. Unlike the holydays summarized in Leviticus 23, on which a Sabbath was commanded, Purim is not given the same holyness. Although people rested on the days after Purim, this rest was not a commandment of God. That's why I call it a holiday, not a holyday.

But Purim is an important celebration that needs more recognition. It teaches that even though Jews may be out of the Land, God, in a behind-the-scenes kind of way, is present and does protect his people. The many "coincidences" described in the book encourage us in that even though we may not see God face-to-face, we can count on his presence-anywhere and any time.

Another reason to celebrate Purim is the fact that it teaches what happens to anti-Semites, Jew-haters. They always lose! Even Adolf Eichmann, one of the most wicked Nazis, discovered this truth. After he was caught, convicted, and condemned to die, he likened his life to the story of Purim, where the wicked Haman, after trying to destroy the Jewish people, like Eichmann, was hanged. People need to know that God protects his people, whether Jews or "grafted-in" Gentiles (a.k.a. Christians).

A third reason that we at Emmanuel put so much effort into celebrating Purim is a verse found at the end of the Scroll of Esther. It reads, "the Jews resolved and took upon themselves, their descendants and all who might join them that without fail they would observe...at the appointed time, every year" (Esther 9:27). Since we have many non-Jews who have joined themselves to Israel through the "grafting-in" that comes through Yeshua, the Messiah, this celebration befits our congregation's concept of how Jew and Gentile have become one in the Messiah.

As has become our tradition, we will be having a Purim shpiel, a Purim musical, on two nights: Saturday, February 27th and Sunday, February 28th. It's called Megillah on the Roof. It was written by my wife, Yaffa (Steffi), who has written many songs, dramatic sketches, and Purim plays. In the starring role is my daughter Shira (Esther is her middle name), who not only sings beautifully, but acts terrifically, too.

I urge you to come to the play (see the side bar of front page for details). To get the most out of it (and understand all the jokes), you should read the Megillah (Scroll) of Esther before coming. Then Purim will be a more meaningful experience to you.

Chag Sameach
(Happy Holiday),

Rabbi Baruch (Barry) Rubin

The thoughts above appear in our Winter 1999 congregation's newsletter -
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Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation
The Gathering Place, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029
Phone: 410-531-2093