Check out my post about Purim that was printed in Newsday's Asking the Clergy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is an old joke that many of the Jewish holidays can be
described in one line: “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!”
In the case of Purim, it is literally true! Haman, the Chief Minister of
Persia, felt slighted that Mordecai the Jew did not bow down before him.
In a moment of rage, Haman asked the bumbling King Ahasuerus for the ability to
destroy the entire Jewish people in an act of final revenge. When
Mordecai and the Jewish people heard the news, they were dumbfounded.
Their only hope was the beautiful Queen Esther, who at the last minute
approached the King telling him that she was in danger because she was
Jewish. The King hearing these words remitted his decree and the people
were saved.
On March 23rd, Jews around the world will gather to
celebrate with merriment and eat delicious cookies called Hamantaschen.
Purim is one of our most joyous Jewish holidays, a time to celebrate that
goodness can overcome evil. Most interestingly, the story of Purim is the
only book of the Hebrew Bible that does not mention God’s name. In the
Bible, it is God who performs miraculous acts to save the people. But here,
Esther and Mordechai join together to raise their voices and speak out for
justice. We can learn from their example and remember that it is in our
hands to make a difference in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment