The holiday begins at Nightfall of Saturday, March 23, 2024, and ends at Nightfall of March 24
For more information on this holiday visit: Purim – March 21-24, 2024 – Chabad.org
Pre-Purim Observances – The Fast of Esther
You can find exact time about the Fast day here: Zmanim – Halachic Times (chabad.org)
To commemorate the prayer and fasting that the Jewish people held during the Purim story, we usually fast on the day before Purim. This year as well we fast on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The fast begins approximately an hour before sunrise.
( (This Document contains G-d’s Name, therefore it may NOT be thrown out)
The Historical Background of Purim:
Purim, celebrated on the 14th of Adar, is the most fun-filled, action-packed day of the Jewish year. It commemorates our nation’s miraculous salvation more than two millennia ago.
The Persian empire of the 4th century BCE extended over 127 lands, and all the Jews were its subjects. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he orchestrated a beauty pageant to find a new queen.
The story of Purim is told in the Scroll of Esther, called Megillah. The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her uncle Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.
The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish People. In a speech that is all too familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people’s, and they do not observe the king’s laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them.” Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.
Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king’s presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman’s plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman and his ten sons were hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.
The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of G-d. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to G-d. Mordecai makes a vague reference to the fact that the Jews will be saved by someone else, if not by Esther, but that is the closest the book comes to mentioning G-d. Thus, one important message that can be gained from the story is that G-d often works in ways that are not apparent, in ways that appear to be chance, coincidence or ordinary good luck.
Masquerade
On Purim, children—and some adventurous adults, too—traditionally dress in costumes, an allusion to G‑d’s hand in the Purim miracle, which was disguised by natural events. Many synagogues have a masquerade party, along with prizes for the children, during or after the Megillah reading.
How We Celebrate
1. Hear the Megillah
Head to your synagogue to hear the reading of the Megillah, called “The Book of Esther” that tells the Purim story. Listen to the public reading twice: once on Purim night, and again on Purim day. This year these two days are Saturday after Shabath, March 23 after nightfall and Sunday, March 24 during the day. Pay attention—it is crucial to hear every word.
When Haman’s name is mentioned, you can twirl graggers (noisemakers) or stamp your feet to eradicate his evil name. Tell your kids that Purim is the only time when it’s a mitzvah to make noise!
2. Give to the Needy
One of Purim’s primary themes is Jewish unity. Haman tried to kill us all, we were all in danger together, so we celebrate together, too. Hence, on Purim day, we place special emphasis on caring for the less fortunate.
Give money or food to at least two needy people during the daylight hours of Purim day, March 24th. In case you can’t find any needy people, your synagogue will likely be collecting money for this purpose. At least, place two coins in a charity box earmarked for the poor.
3. Send Food Gifts to Friends (Mishloach Manot)
On Purim, we emphasize the importance of friendship and community by sending gifts of food to friends.
On Purim day, March 24th, send a package containing at least two different ready-to-eat food items and/or beverages (e.g., pastry, fruit, beverage) to at least one Jewish acquaintance during the daylight hours of Purim.
4. Feast!
During the course of Purim day, Sunday, March 24th, gather your family, maybe invite a guest or two, and celebrate with a festive Purim meal. Traditionally, this meal begins before sundown and lasts well into the evening. There is a custom (a mitzvah) to drink wine during the meal.
The table should be festively bedecked with a nice tablecloth and candles. Wash for bread or Challah, and enjoy a meal. Sing, drink, laugh, have fun together.
THE RITUAL WASHING FOR BREAD
Fill a large cup with water. Pass the cup to your left hand and pour three times over your right hand. Repeat by pouring on your left hand. As you wipe your hands recite the blessing:
Baruch atah A-donoy, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam, asher kidshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who sanctified with His Mitzvahs and commanded us on washing our hands.
When everyone has returned to the table, we raise the two challah loaves and recite the blessing:
Ba-ruch atah A-do-nay, E-lo-hei-nu Melech Ha-Olam, hamotzie le-chem min ha-are-tz.
[Blessed are You, L-rd, our G‑d, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.]
Blessing After Meal
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who, in His goodness, provides sustenance for the entire world with grace, with kindness, and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack [food], and may we never lack food, for the sake of His great Name. For He, benevolent G-d, provides nourishment and sustenance for all, does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed are You, L-rd, who provides food for all.
We offer thanks to You, L-rd our G-d, for having given as a heritage to our ancestors a precious, good and spacious land; for having brought us out, L-rd our G-d, from the land of Egypt, and redeemed us from the house of bondage; for Your covenant which You have sealed in our flesh; for Your Torah which You have taught us; for Your statutes which You have made known to us; for the life, favor, and kindness which You have graciously bestowed upon us; and for the food we eat with which You constantly nourish and sustain us every day, at all times, and at every hour.
And [we thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have wrought for our ancestors in those days, at this time For Purim
In the days of Mordechai and Esther, in Shushan the capital, when the wicked Haman rose up against them and sought to destroy and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to take their spoil for plunder. But You, in Your abounding mercies foiled his counsel and frustrated his intention, and caused the evil he planned — to recoil on his own head, and they hanged him and his sons upon the gallows
For all this, L-rd our G-d, we give thanks to You and bless You. May Your Name be blessed by the mouth of every living being, constantly and forever, as it is written: When you have eaten and are satiated, you shall bless the L-rd your G-d for the good land which He has given you. Blessed are You, L-rd, for the land and for the sustenance.
Have mercy, L-rd our G-d, upon Israel Your people, upon Jerusalem Your city, upon Zion the abode of Your glory, upon the kingship of the house of David Your anointed, and upon the great and holy House over which Your Name was proclaimed. Our G-d, our Father, nourish us, sustain us, feed us, and provide us with plenty; and speedily, L-rd our G-d, grant us relief from all our afflictions. L-rd our G-d, please do not make us dependent upon the gifts of mortal men nor upon their loans, but only upon Your full, open, holy, and generous hand, that we may never be shamed or disgraced.
And rebuild Jerusalem the holy city speedily in our days. Blessed are You, L-rd, who in His mercy rebuilds Jerusalem. Amen.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, benevolent G-d, our Father, our King, our Strength, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Maker, our Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, the King who is good and does good to all, each and every day. He has done good for us, He does good for us, and He will do good for us; He has bestowed, He bestows, and He will forever bestow upon us grace, kindness, and mercy; relief, salvation and success; blessing and deliverance; consolation, livelihood and sustenance; compassion, life, peace, and all goodness; and may He never cause us to lack any good. May the Merciful One reign over us forever and ever. May the Merciful One be blessed in heaven and on earth. May the Merciful One be praised for all generations, and pride Himself in us forever and to all eternity, and glorify Himself in us forever and ever. May the Merciful One provide our livelihood with honor.
May the Merciful One break the yoke of exile from our neck, and may He lead us upright to our land. May the Merciful One send abundant blessing into this house and upon this table at which we have eaten. May the Merciful One send us Elijah the prophet—may he be remembered for good—and let him bring us good tidings, deliverance, and consolation. May the Merciful One bless my father, my teacher, the master of this house, and my mother, my teacher, the mistress of this house; them, their household, their children, and all that is theirs; us, and all that is ours. Just as He blessed our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, “in all things,” “by all things,” with “all things,” so may He bless all of us together (the children of the Covenant) with a perfect blessing, and let us say, Amen.
From heaven, may there be invoked upon him and upon us such merit as will bring enduring peace. May we receive blessing from the L-rd and kindness from G-d our deliverer, and may we find grace and good understanding in the eyes of G-d and man.
May the Merciful One grant us the privilege of reaching the days of the Mashiach and the life of the World to Come.
to His king, and bestows kindness upon His anointed, to David and his descendants forever. He who makes peace in His heavens, may He make peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
Fear the L-rd, you His holy ones, for those who fear Him suffer no want. Young lions are in need and go hungry, but those who seek the L-rd shall not lack any good. Give thanks to the L-rd for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed is the man who trusts in the L-rd, and the L-rd will be his security.
Fun Fact – Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman’s pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman’s three-cornered hat.
Recipe for Hamentaschen
- 2/3 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup orange juice (the smooth kind, not the pulpy)
- 1 cup white flour
- 1 cup wheat flour (DO NOT substitute white flour! The wheat flour is necessary to achieve the right texture!)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- Various preserves, fruit butters and/or pie fillings.
Blend butter and sugar thoroughly. Add the egg and blend thoroughly. Add OJ and blend thoroughly. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating white and wheat, blending thoroughly between each. Add the baking powder and cinnamon with the last half cup of flour. Refrigerate batter overnight or at least a few hours. Roll as thin as you can without getting holes in the batter (roll it between two sheets of wax paper lightly dusted with flour for best results). Cut out 3 or 4 inch circles.
Put a dollop of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up the sides to make a triangle, folding the last corner under the starting point, so that each side has corner that folds over and a corner that folds under (see picture at right). Folding in this “pinwheel” style will reduce the likelihood that the last side will fall open while cooking, spilling out the filling. It also tends to make a better triangle shape.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown but before the filling boils over!
Traditional fillings are poppy seed and prune, but apricot is my favorite. Apple butter, pineapple preserves, and cherry pie filling all work quite well. I usually use Pathmark grocery store brand fruit preserves, and of course the traditional Simon Fischer brand prune lekvar. I have also made some with Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread); I find it a bit dry that way, but some people like it.
The number of cookies this recipe makes depends on the size of your cutting tool and the thickness you roll. I use a 4-1/4 inch cutting tool and roll to a medium thickness, and I get 20-24 cookies out of this recipe.
Uplifting story
My name is Chaim. I am eleven. I live in Israel. At the beginning of the school year my father met my teacher on the street. At first he tried to cross to the other side because he didn’t want to hear the usual teacher complaints about me that he was accustomed to hearing year after year, but the teacher spotted him and said, “Hello, how are you. I must tell you what a wonderful boy you have. He’s progressing in his studies from day to day and his behavior is exceptional. You can be really proud of him.”
My shocked father listened to what he said and literally burst with pride. He came home and gave me two resounding kisses, saying, “I have never had such nachas (parental joy).”
I, of course, was confused. On the one hand, I was happy with my whole heart to see my father so happy and proud of me. But on the other hand, I knew that it wasn’t true. I asked myself, Why would my teacher lie for me? I thought that maybe he was trying to encourage me, but in any case, I still couldn’t understand what was going on.
The next day I went to school and looked at the teacher, but he acted as if he hadn’t praised me to my father the day before. I didn’t understand his game, but just to be on the safe side and as a gesture of appreciation, I tried not to disturb him in class.
This went on several more times. Whether I behaved good or bad, my father would meet the teacher on the street and hear unimaginable praises sung about me. Then my father would return home beaming with happiness, pride and even prizes. The next day, the teacher would always act as if nothing happened. The whole thing was becoming increasingly uncomfortable and distinctly unpleasant for me. None the less, I thought I should behave better and even participate in class. My good behavior would usually last for about a week or so, after each of these encounters.
The mystery was solved on Purim. I arrived at my teacher’s house with my father to bring him shalach manos (a Purim Gift Basket). I was wearing a mask on my face and you couldn’t recognize me. The teacher greeted my father with a joyous cry of “Happy Purim! Please come in and drink something.” Then he called his family. “Come meet the father of my best pupil. I’ve already run into him several times and, judging by his reaction, he doesn’t believe me when I tell him that his son is so outstanding.”
My father actually blushed with pride.
“He sits at the back of the classroom yet still participates as if he were sitting right next to me.” A warning bell began to ring inside my head. It wasn’t true. I’ve sat in the front row since the beginning of the year because I disturbed the class. What was going on here? At that moment it occurred to me that he must have mistaken my father for someone else’s. As if to confirm my thoughts, the teacher cried “Come, Yosef, take off your mask so that everyone can see you.”
Yosef?!! Suddenly I understood everything. My teacher had mixed up the hardest working kid in the class with the laziest. I recalled how much Yosef’s father and mine looked alike. I started sweating under the mask and maybe there were even a few tears mixed in. My father though, was laughing, thinking that the teacher ‘mixed up’ my name as a Purim joke.
With one swift movement, the teacher removed the mask from my now very wet face. I saw how his expression rapidly changed to one of confusion. He looked at me and at my father, then back again at me and didn’t know what to say. “What’s going on here?” he said, “You’re Yosef’s father, aren’t’ you?”
“Chaim, not Yosef,” my father corrected him with a laugh, thinking that the teacher was continuing his Purim joke. I knew that if the teacher would explain what had become clear to him that moment, I was lost. I gave him a pleading look. Let him just not destroy my father’s Purim joy. Later, whatever would be would be.
The teacher looked at my pleading face and said, “Oh, of course, Chaim. I must have drunk too much wine and I’m mixing up Mordechai and Haman,” he said, and my father gave a hearty chuckle.
The scene ended somehow. My teacher shook my hand warmly, looked at me and said, as if suddenly remembering, “You know something?” he turned to my father, “Lately your son has really been making excellent progress.”
That was the most thoughtful Purim in my life. The mystery was solved. The teacher had mistaken my father for Yosef’s father and all the praises I got really belonged to Yosef. All of a sudden I realized how pleasant it was to be the best boy in class. I had never felt as good as I had in the previous weeks.
Now I can’t wait to go back to school to thank my teacher for keeping our little secret – and to start to work hard so that next time he meets my father, the praises will really be meant for me – when I am the hardest working boy in the class. [The above true story is documented in Kids Speak 4]
(©2020. Printed with permission from Rabbi Baruch Lederman, www.kehillastorah.org.)
Queen Esther’s Message to You
Every generation has its evil Haman. And he doesn’t care what type of Jew you are.
If you think the Scroll of Esther is simply telling an ancient story, think again. Queen Esther fought hard to be sure that all of her descendants would hear her timeless story. The Scroll of Esther is last lecture to us, especially today.
Esther is whispering to you: I have lived through the most difficult times. I was taken into the palace of King Achashverosh. A Jewess unable to reveal my identity, struggling to understand what is happening. The name of God is absent throughout the megillah so that you may understand my life…and thus contemplate your own. You might see world events as random occurrences. But know that God is present, every day, even if you cannot see Him. There are times in life that you will struggle. Darkness will surround you. You will feel all alone. I, too, was an orphan, facing the world after loss. Hear my story and know that it will give you strength to endure. As in the days of Esther, Jews are facing an enemy who wants to destroy, murder and exterminate them. This is not a new threat; just read the words of the Purim story to recognize that this danger to the Jewish people has been around for thousands of years. Every generation has its evil Haman. His children hate you for enduring, for not disappearing, despite their sinister plans. Whether in the city of Shushan, the gas chambers of Europe, or in Israel, your presence does not allow them to rest. He doesn’t care what type of Jew you are, if you attend synagogue or not, the size kippah on your head, or the level of observance you keep. To them you are a simply a “Yehud” – a dirty Jew.
Unfortunately, there are those amongst the Jewish nation who stand up and renounce their Judaism, as Hollywood applauds. They turn their back on their people, revise Jewish history, and align with those who wish to throw the Jews into the sea. They refuse to see the ocean of tears, the blood-soaked ground that give testimony to the suffering of the Jewish people. This is the ultimate vandalism to the murdered souls that call out and ask you to remember – to the men, women and babies who have been violated and slaughtered.
I, who was born upon the ashes of the Holocaust, tremble at the thought of this unashamed desecration of those who gave their lives because they were Jews. The cries of our brothers rise from the earth. There is no peace. When Esther is asked to enter the king’s chambers and plead for her people, she responds that it is not possible. She is afraid for her life. Mordechai responds, “And who knows? Maybe it was just for a time like this that you became Queen!”
Every person has his or her “Esther moment” – your personal mission that can propel you to rise above the enmity and make a difference for your nation. Esther is begging you to think: Why are you here? What can you do for the Jewish People? Do not discount the smallest acts, the seemingly insignificant mitzvah. Do not take your voice for granted. Do something! Wake up!
It’s easy to grow fatigued, to wonder how this story will end. But Esther reassures you: do not be afraid. See all that I have gone through. I had no idea that I, an orphan, would become the Queen who would help bring the rescue of our nation. You must never give up. Remain strong. Remember, division weakens you. Haman said it himself. “There is a people who are scattered and divided, spread out in all the countries of your kingdom.” When he saw our fragmented society, he knew he had a chance to bring his evil plans to life. It is sadly, the same story today.
In unity there is strength. In prayer there is hope.
Jewish unity is required for our nation’s survival. Esther concludes her megillah with a request that Jews honor this day of Purim and send gifts of food to each other. Esther wanted to foster friendship amongst her children continuously. She wanted us to reach out to every type of Jew. She asked that you extend your hand and open your heart.
This Purim, take a moment to hear the words of Esther. Set aside time for prayer. Plead for your people. Think of those who are hurting; the wounded in both spirit and limb. Think of their pain. Reach out to your neighbors, your friends, and your community with love. Bring joy into the world. With just a little bit of your light you can push away the darkness.