Adar, Purim, The Month of Joy

I had a very different post in my head that I may write in the future, but since today is the first of the Jewish Month of Adar, 5778, I decided that it wouldn't be appropriate.

We'll be celebrating Purim in two weeks or less depending on where you live. Purim is a Jewish Holiday which celebrates Gd's presence even when we don't see Him directly. The Megillat Ester, Scroll of Esther, which is read twice each Purim day, doesn't mention the Name of Gd.  But if you read the narrative carefully, you see that Gd is protecting the Jewish People behind the scenes.

It's the real Holiday of Joy, because we are commanded to be optimistic and trust Gd. This is not to be done passively. Purim is not a holiday to stand on the sidelines. We must act, even fight if necessary. When we do fight, Gd will help us. We also must pray and help other Jews.

Here in Shiloh, we celebrate two days of Purim, the regular one and what's known as Shushan Purim, which is the following day. I've heard the Megillah read over 140 times since moving to Shiloh, and the readings were all very clear and easy to follow. We, the Jewish People, have been celebrating the holiday for thousands of years, one of the proofs that we are the People of This Land and of the Bible.

At the end of the Megillah, we're commanded to give food gifts to our neighbors, and we do it to this day. Every time I hear it, I feel totally connected to the narrative in the Megillah. We read and listen to the story and follow the commandments, the same as Jews did two thousand years ago.

"When Adar begins, joy enters..."

Purim Pet Peeve

There's something really dangerous about the Purim holiday.  From my illustrations, you can guess that I'm not referring to the extra calories, usually from sugar, whether eaten in candy form or drunk in booze.

I find the noise painful.  And it's also distracting.  When I'm at a noisy reading I can't concentrate and follow the words in the Megillat Scroll of Esther.  We're supposed to listen to every word, following the words written on the page.

For some inexplicable reason people think that making noise is the big mitzvah, not listening to the Megillah.  Maybe that's connected to the very superficial "What Purim means to me" that I heard on television.

If you insist that it's important to "stamp out Haman's name," then do it right, only when his name is said.  That means that young children, too young to read the text shouldn't have groggers, noisemakers, rattles, drums, hammers etc.

Prepare for the holiday by reading Megillat Esther, especially with the kids.  Mark Haman's name on the text.  It is a book without the Name of G-d, so there isn't any problem.  Take responsibility for your children.  If they make noise at the wrong time, take away the noisemaker, and make these rules clear before Purim.

Have a Happy and Healthy Purim

Let's Defeat Our Enemies

Totally!