Purim
14th Day of the Last Month on Hillel II Calendar 14th Day of the 12th Month on Zadok Calendar
Overview
Traditionally, Purim is held during the final month of the year (either the 12th month or the 13th month on the Hillel II calendar, depending on how many months are in that year).
Purim occurs on the 14th day of the month and lasts 1 day, although some celebrate Purim through the 15th day of the month.
On the Zadok Calendar, Purim falls on the 14th day of the 12th month, which is a weekly Sabbath (Saturday).
Purim is not a mo’edim (appointed time) according to Torah, but is a traditional Jewish holy day.
Purim in Esther
Esther 9:17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day of the same, they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
Esther 9:18 And the Jews at Shushan assembled on the thirteenth day of it, and on the fourteenth day of it, and to rest on the fifteenth of the same, and to make it a day of feasting and gladness.
Esther 9:19 On account of this the Jews of the villages who lived in the unwalled villages made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and a day of sending portions to one another.
Esther 9:20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near and far,
Esther 9:21 to cause to rise among them to make a feast the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly;
Esther 9:22 as the days in which the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day, to make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions to one another, and gifts to the poor.
Esther 9:23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written to them,
Esther 9:24 because Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to torment them and to destroy them.
Esther 9:25 But when Esther came to the king, he commanded by the letter, Let this evil plot which he plotted against the Jews return on his own head; and they hanged him and his sons on the wooden gallows.
Esther 9:26 On account of this they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. For on account of this all the words of this letter, and what they saw concerning this matter, and what had touched them,
Esther 9:27 the Jews rose up and took on themselves and on their seed, and on all joining themselves to them, even not to pass, to be keeping those two days according to their writing, and according to their time every year;
Esther 9:28 and that these days should be remembered and kept in every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not pass from among the Jews, and their memory not perish from their seed.
Esther 9:29 And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim.
Esther 9:30 And he sent the letters to all the Jews, to the hundred and twenty seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus words of peace and truth,
Esther 9:31 in order to confirm these days of Purim in their set times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had caused to rise up on them, and as they caused to rise up on themselves and on their seed, the matters of the fastings and of their cry.
Esther 9:32 And the decree of Esther made rise these matters of Purim. And it was written in the book.
Jewish Traditions
NOTE: Some of the Jewish traditions associated with Purim are steeped in Kabbalah beliefs. More information on the Kabbalah aspects of Purim can be found here at Chabad.org.
Origin of the word “Purim”
Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian.
- Esther 9:23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written to them,
- Esther 9:24 because Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to torment them and to destroy them.
Haman had thrown lots (pur) to determine when he would carry out his plan to exterminate the Jewish people. As such, the holy day set aside to celebrate his defeat was called “Purin”.
Saying Concerning Purim
The Jewish people have a traditional way of summarizing both Purim and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). Their saying goes, “They tried to kill us. God saved us. Let’s eat.”
Interestingly, after Yeshua was crucified (they tried to kill Him) and then resurrected (YHVH saved Him), He appeared before the disciples and asked if they had any food to eat.
- Luke 24:36 And as they were telling these things, Yahshua Himself stood in their midst, and said to them, Peace to you!
- Luke 24:37 But being terrified, and being filled with fear, they thought they saw a ghost.
- Luke 24:38 And He said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts come up in your hearts.
- Luke 24:39 See My hands and My feet, that I am He? Feel Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see Me having.
- Luke 24:40 And saying this, He showed them His hands and feet.
- Luke 24:41 But yet they not believing from the joy, and marveling, He said to them, Have you any food here?
- Luke 24:42 And they handed a broiled part of a fish to Him, and from a honeycomb.
- Luke 24:43 And taking these before them, He ate.
The Day Before Purim
It is customary to fast the day before Purim to commemorate Esther’s fasting and praying to YHVH in the hope that He might save His people.
Typical Purim Traditions Include:
- Exchanging gifts of food and drink, known as “mishloach manot”.
- Children dress up in costumes (more details about this custom can be found here at Chabad.org).
- Donating charity to the poor, known as “mattanot la-evyonim”.
- Eating a celebratory meal, known as “se’udat Purim”, that includes wine or other intoxicating beverages.
- Eating 3-cornered pastries filled with poppy seeds or another sweet filling, called “hamantaschen” (or oznay Haman).
- Reading special prayers, known as “Al HaNissim”, from a Jewish Siddur (prayer book).
- Public reading of the Book of Esther, known as “reading of the Megillah”, usually done in a synagogue on the eve of Purim, and then again during the day of Purim.
- Using noisemakers known as “gragers” to drown out Haman’s name during the reading of the Book of Esther.
Historical Different Timings for Purim
According to Jewish tradition, depending on where you were located, the day you celebrated Purim may be different from other people.
Generally, Jewish people all over the world celebrate Purim on the 14th day of the last month, the day when their ancestors rested from the war against their enemies. This is the standard custom of celebrating Purim.
At the time of the Book of Esther, the Jewish people of Shushan (a fortified city in Persia) rested 1 day later, so they celebrated Purim on the 15th day of the last month (the 12th month). In ancient days, this custom was extended to include any city that was surrounded by walls, notably Jerusalem. This custom is no longer generally practiced.
In ancient times, Jewish villagers only banded together with fellow Jewish people in the larger towns on Mondays and Thursdays, which were market days. Because of this, the Jewish sages decreed that they should read the Megillah (Book of Esther) on the market day preceding the 14th day of the last month. This custom is no longer practiced.
More details on the Jewish traditions surrounding Purim can be found here at Chabad.org.