Purim

[sheep wrecked]

I am trying to find some information on Purim. There is very little in the book of Esther, which is the origin of the festival that is observed in Judaism, and now also in Messianic Judaism/Hebrew Roots. I found this description on the net and wondered what others thought

Quote:SHALOM and WELCOME

To a Festive Celebration for the Jewish Holiday of Purim

Purim is the most festive of Jewish holidays, a time of prizes, noisemakers, costumes and treats. The Festival of Purim commemorates a major victory over oppression and is recounted in the Megillah, the scroll of the story of Esther. Purim takes place on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar. This year (2009) Purim begins at sundown on the 09th of March

So here for your entertainment are some fun Holiday things for you and your family. We've got stories of Queen Esther, King Ahasuerus, Mordechai, and Haman, we've got graggers to spin, and Hamantashan to bake! We hope you find something you like!

So bring your kids and tell your friends. And please stop by again.

http://www.holidays.net/purim/

[Vic]

Purim is recorded in the the book of Esther in the Scriptures and was focused on the Jewish people and states clearly concerning the remembrance of Purim, in Esther 9:26-32, "The Jews ordained, and took upon them," and "as they had decreed for themselves...".

It originally was viewed as non-religious and in an article "Purim", written by Kaufmann Kohler and Henry Malter for the Jewish Encyclopeidia.com

Quote:"...Aside from the much-mooted question whether Purim is of Jewish or of heathen origin, it is certain that, as it appears in the Book of Esther, the festival is altogether devoid of religious spirit—an anomaly in Jewish religious history. This is due to the worldly spirit of the Book of Esther. The only religious allusions therein are the mention of fasting in iv. 16 and ix. 31, and perhaps the expression of confidence in the deliverance of Israel in iv. 14. This secular character has on the whole been most prominent in this festival at all times. Like Ḥanukkah, it has never been universally considered a religious holy day, in spite of the fact that it is designated by the term "yom-ṭob" (Esth. ix. 19, 22.). Accordingly business transactions and even manual labor are allowed on Purim, although in certain places restrictions have beenimposed on work (Shulḥan 'Aruk, Oraḥ Ḥayyim, 696).

... It seems, therefore, that the observance of Purim was at first merely of a convivial and social nature. Gradually it assumed religious features....

The first religious ceremony ordained for the celebration of Purim is the reading of the Book of Esther in the synagogue, a regulation ascribed in the Talmud (Meg. 2a) to the "Men of the Great Synod," of which Mordecai is reported to have been a member..." 1

From the article Legend of Hanukkah>

Quote:"... In Rabbi Hyam Maccoby’s, Revolution in Judaea, and as discussed in the article, To Embrace Hebrew Roots: Part II : The Bible & The Talmud, he noted that:

In the volume, Josephus, the historian, also contrasts the views of the Pharisees and Sadducees regarding the Oral Law:

"…the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the law of Moses; and it is for this reason that the Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory which are in the written word, and not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. " 22.

In defense and support of the Pharisees, Hyam Maccoby adds this tribute to their preservation and multiplying of religious rituals and traditions:

"The Pharisees added new Festivals (Chanukah and Purim) to the Jewish religious year; they added to the canon of Scripture…they added new doctrine to Judaism…they added new rites to the Temple worship…as well as being continual creators of new prayers and ceremonies in the synagogue." 23." 2

From the Wisdom of Kabbalah newsletter and their online site kabbalah.info, Purim is discussed in the article The Inner Purim:

Quote:"Purim – the holiday of opposites – joy vs. grief, concealment vs. disclosure, Mordechay vs. Haman, genocide vs. redemption...

A Kabbalist is a person who seeks deep inside the causes for the events in his life . It is evident to him that whatever it is he is about to discover, already lies within him, waiting. All he has to learn is how to come in contact with the force that makes things happen. That force will lead and guide him to control the future events of his life, his personal happiness and the bounty that will flow through him to the whole of mankind.

In the eyes of Kabbalah, Megilat Esther tells of the forces that unfold in the innermost parts of man. Forces that tell of what one discovers with one’s relationship with the Creator, the forces that guides the events of everybody’s life. These forces are called Mordechay, Esther, Haman, etc. ...
Mordechay, the inner force within a Jew, which wants nothing more than to cling to the Creator and worship Him, lived happily and the kingdom was at peace...

The evil Haman, who represents the egotistical in us, the opposite of the Jew, wants to exploit the situation for self gain. He eventually wants to overthrow the king from his thrown.

He believes that the fact that the Jews are dispersed testifies to their weakness, confusion and lack of faith. Therefore he finds the situation to be a rate opportunity to eliminate the Jews from the face of the earth, as they are the sole force that stands between him and exploiting the Creator. ...

What Haman fails to understand, however, is that the Jews are dispersed for a reason. It stems from the fact that the people of Israel has risen to a higher level now.

That higher level means a direct and open contact with the Creator. A bond so open, no one will be able to deny. Indeed we see the truth of it when at the end of the story, all peoples reform. The meaning is that all the desires in man, called Peoples, accept the main force that leads to confidence and happiness, called Israel. ....The Jew in a man is limited. That limitation can only be overcome by the evil Haman. That is why we need to find the Haman within us. ...."3

As we can see, purim has religious and mystical meaning to those practicing Judaism.

The question would be: Why are those who claim to believe the New Testament and Jesus Christ, involving themselves in these things?

endnotes:

1 http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.j...3&letter=P
2. http://www.seekgod.ca/legend.htm
3. http://www.kabbalah.info/engkab/holidays..._purim.htm

[sheep wrecked]

Thanx for all the information Lots of good stuff

Back in the day, when I was just getting into Hebrew Roots, I encountered my first Purim. Tradition [Talmudic] called for those who celebrate to dress up as their favorite character for the festivites - it did not have to be a Biblical one, but anything connected with anyone Jewish. If I remember, a couple of women showed up dressed as Barbara Streisand When I look back on it, it all had the appearance of a glorified "helloween" party

The "celebrations" included reading the story of Esther. When the reader came to the name "Mordechai", everyone was supposed to cheer and clap. When the reader came to the name "Haman", we all booed and hissed our disapproval. At the time, I thought it was all great fun, with lots of goodies to eat after wards, like:

Hamantashen - a triangular-shaped, poppy seed filled pastry. The name was intentionally distorted to "Hamantashan" which means "Haman's pockets" in Yiddish. Some say that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and that is why the pocket of dough is triangular.

In Hebrew, the pastry is called "Oznei Haman" which means Haman's ears. This name may have come from the midrash which says that when Haman entered the King's treasury, he was bent over with shame and humiliation (literally with clipped ears).

Mishloach Manot (literally "sending of portions") is another Purim food tradition. These are baskets filled with cakes, cookies, nuts, fruits and other treats given to neighbors, friends, and especially the needy. Hamantashen is often the centerpiece of these food baskets.

Seudat Purim - It is traditional to have a Purim Seudah (feast) on Purim day. At this meal, some serve an especially long, braided challah (in memory of the rope used to hang Haman), soup with kreplach (triangular shaped in memory of Haman's hat), and turkey (in memory of King Ahasuerus's reign from India ("Hodu") to Ethiopia and of his foolishness).
Others have a vegetarian meal since Esther ate as a vegetarian in order to keep kosher in the King's Palace. Of course, for dessert there is hamantashen.


information taken from:
http://judaism.about.com/od/purim/a/purimfood.htm

Looking back on it now, I see that it's not Biblical at all. All of those traditions are Rabbinic and I wonder, too, what all this has to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ?

:anyone: