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Friday March 2, 2007

In every generation, Purim will endure

Go to any rock concert these days, and sooner or later the lead singer will exhort the fans to “Get up and make some noise!”

Been there, done that. We Jews have been making noise for millennia, thanks in large part to the holiday of Purim, which falls on the 14th of Adar (this year March 4). Groggers in hand, a sanctuary full of rambunctious Jewish families on Purim makes more noise than a Harley Davidson convention (well, maybe not, but it’s Purim — excess is allowed).

Being present for a reading of the Book of Esther is only one of several requirements to properly observe Purim. Others include partaking in a festive meal, sending gifts to family and friends (called mishloach manot), and offering tzedakah to the poor. All good things. Please do them.

Other traditions, from eating hamentashen to dressing in costume to downing a shot or two, only add to the festive spirit. Anyone who routinely comes home for Purim knows those basic facts. But here are a few Purim tidbits you may not have come across:

Did you know that any Jewish city that was walled in during the time of Joshua (cities like Jerusalem) celebrates Purim the next day, on the 15th of Adar?

Did you know “grogger” comes from the Polish word “grzegarz,” meaning “noisemaker”?

Did you know that making hamentaschen dough strictly with white flour (as opposed to folding in whole wheat flour) will result in sub-par cookies?

Did you know that “Purim” was the winning word in the 1983 National Spelling Bee?

And perhaps most intriguingly, did you know the Jewish sages teach that when the Messianic Age comes, all other Jewish festivals, from Passover to Chanukah, will no longer be observed? Only Purim will continue to be observed.

How can a relatively minor holiday, which many think of as a kind of Jewish Halloween, be afforded this measure of veneration? According to the Talmud, it derives from a line in the Megillah: “The memory of Purim will never cease from among their descendants.”

The reason for this lies with Esther, the heroine of the Purimshpiel. Her name in Hebrew also means “hidden.” In the Megillah, the word “God” is never mentioned. God, during the festivities of Purim, is hidden.

Hidden but not absent. That is why Jews will always celebrate Purim. No matter how many Hamans, Hitlers and Ahmadinejads come our way, a miraculous hidden power is always there to redeem us. The Jewish role in the ever-unfolding drama of civilization continues now and forever.

We wish our readers a joyous, treat-filled and noisy Purim.

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