Page 19-THE NEWS-February, 1988
The Ingeniousness of Purim
By Rabbi Bernard S. Raskas
(JTA)
The Purim festival, centered
on the reading of the Megillah,
the Scroll of Esther, is one of
the strangest and most in
teresting Jewish holidays. It is
serious, because it deals with
the problem of anti-Semitism,
but it is £ilso silly because we
celebrate it with merry
making.
The Megillah we read does
not mention the name of God.
The service is in the syna
gogue, which should be con
ducted with respect and
decorum, yet is accompanied
by laughter, hooting and
noise-making. There really is
no mystery in this, for Purim
actually is a mirror of life £md
the Jewish people: ups and
downs, laughter and tears,
fears and hopes, triumphs and
failures.
The basic story, of course, is
that the Persian official
Haman wanted to destroy the
Jewish people simply because,
in his own words, “they were
different.” He almost suc
ceeded, but the day was saved
by Jewish Queen Esther, who
pointed out Haman’s hatred
and false accusations to the
King. What could have been a
tragedy turned out to be a
triumph, and potential mourn
ing was turned into popular
merry-making.
Note that the salvation
came through a woman. Be
cause of this, one of the com
mandments of Judaism is that
the public reading of the
Megillah in the synagogue
should be attended by women.
The Hadassah organization,
now celebrating its 75th an
niversary, was founded on
Purim. Since the Hebrew
name of Esther was Hadas
sah, Henrietta Szold, the
founder, logically picked this
as the name of the new Jewish
organization which was to be
devoted to saving the Jewish
people.
The Megillah is a parchment
scroll that traditionally is read
on the evening and morning of
the festival. It was written in
the manner of a Torah scroll.
Some Megillot have a special
style: The text is divided so
that every column begins with
“hamelech” (the king). As it is
read, it is folded like a letter of
dispatch to commemorate the
fact that letters, at first, were
sent to notify the country of
the destruction of the Jews.
It has long been a tradition
to “razz” Haman throughout
the reading. This is done
through making noise when
ever his name is uttered by the
reader of the Megillah. The
“grogger” is the usual instru
ment. It has various manifes
tations of wood, silver, tin, etc.
GeneraUy, it makes a loud
clanging or clacking sound. In
Israel it is the object of many
art forms.
Other instruments may also
be used to drown out Haman’s
name — horns, pots and
spoons, kazoos, wooden
blocks. In the Portuguese
synagogue in Amsterdam,
congregants used a black
smith’s hammer and anvil. In
other places, people wrote
Haman’s name on the bottom
of their shoes and stamped
him out.
This all is done to give literal
meaning to “blotting out” the
name of Amalek (the code
name for the anti-Semite)
while making sure, in the
strange peiradox commanded
by Deuteronomy (25:19), that
we “do not forget.” In Eastern
Europe it was the custom to
test a new pen by writing the
word “Amalek” and then
crossing it out.
Of course, no Jewish holiday
could be complete without at
tention to food. The paradox
here is that the day before
Purim is known as “Taanit
Estayr” (the Fast of Esther).
It is in remembrance of
Esther’s request to Mordechai
that Jews fast for three days
and pray for her. But this is
followed by a “seudah” (feast)
which features kreplach —
dough filled with meat or
cheese.
The most distinctive food
for Purim is hamantaschen, a
triangular pastry filled with
poppy seeds, prunes, apricots
and other foods. Some people
say that the triangular shape
is a reminder of the Persian
hats worn by the courtiers
such as Haman. In Italy the
pastries are known as “orecchi
di Haman” (Haman’s ears).
Although Jews emphasize
sobriety, it is proper to drink
£ilcoholic beverages on Purim.
By tradition one is permitted
to drink to the point where one
confuses the distinction be
tween “blessed be Mordechsii”
and “cursed by Haman.”
Gifts of baked goods, fruit,
almonds, etc., are customarily
sent in small packages or
decorated baskets. This tradi
tion is called “Misloach
Manot” (sending presents).
The poor are not to be for
gotten.
Masked balls, parties, plays,
parodies and carnivals 2ire
part of the Purim celebration.
In Tel Aviv there is a huge
parade featuring floats,
clowns and bizarre costumes.
Judaism acknowledges
through the observance of
Purim that the urge for
retribution is normal —
especially for a people that has
known more than its share of
the cruel vicissitudes of
history.
Nevertheless, the urge must
be no more than fantasy — to
be indulged through the noise,
tumult, costumes, drinking
and play-acting that are part
of the Purim celebration. It is
neither a spirit to be sanctified
nor a program for action.
Purim thus helps us cope with
the burdens of our history
while we rejoice in our
survival.
The Midrash says that even
if all of the other holidays
disappeared, Purim should re
main. Why? Perhaps no other
holiday reminds us of the risks
of powerlessness, the dangers
of assimilation, the need to
overcome the mentality of vic
timization and the dignity of
every Jew like Mordechai who
refused to bow to anyone but
God.
for what has been done in our
name, even if those who did it
were our most bitter enemies”.
Tid-Bits
WASHINGTON (JTA) -
The Senate confirmed Henry
Grunwald to be U.S. ambas
sador to Austria. He was con
firmed by voice vote without
debate. Grunwald, 65, was
born in Austria, and left Vien
na in 1940 to flee the Nazis.
•
VIENNA (JTA) - Former
Chancellor Bruno Kreisky of
Austria has admitted he erred
when he proposed Kurt Wzild-
heim for the office of United
Nations secreteiry general in
the early 1970s.
•
WASHINGTON (JTA) -
Lawyers for Anne Henderson
PoUzird have filed suit with the
U.S. Court of Appeals in
Washington in an attempt to
reverse federal district court
Judge Aubrey Robinson’s
Dec. 6 ruling denying Pollard
medical treatment by her
family doctors. Robinson is
the same man who told the
Pollards he could not tolerate
the word “Israel” in his
presence.
•
JERUSALEM (JTA) -
Israel will eventually own the
Voice of America radio trans
mitter the U.S. is building in
the Arava region of the Negev.
Under the agreement with the
U.S., formsdly endorsed by the
Cabinet on Aug. 3, 1986, the
facility will revert to Israeli
ownership 25 years after it
goes into operation, at no cost,
to Israel.
•
MIAMI (JTA) - A black
and a Jewish newspaper here
have launched an experimen
tal year-long inter-ethnic
dialogue in print that may be
unique in the U.S. The two
weeklies began sharing
publishers’ columns, opinion
pieces and news items. The
columns will appear quarterly.
PORCELAIN VASES
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