Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Fast of Esther, Purim 5771 Amalek still exists

, for those that do not know, is graphically rich, filled with characters of all types and levels and written up in a movie script of a plot that occurred over 2,400 years ago. This year it falls on Sunday. Normally the fast is the day before but since we don't fast on Shabbat or the day before it, the fast ends up being on Thursday, as it is this year.

The story has Villains, Heroes, Kings and Queens, Women of Leadership, Harems, 6 month log parties and the Gallow's short it's an excellent adventure which only partially explains the joy it brings to everyone.

Every child, even my 3 year old, can tell you the basic story and we remember it forever.

So if you don't know the story, here is my 30 second pitch:
King Achashveros has Queen Vashti, kills her, needs new one, finds one that is Jewish named Hadassah but she is called Esther, takes her to the palace. King's right hand man, Haman gets into an argument with Mordechai, Jewish and Esther's Uncle and also a King adviser. Haman gets mad, decides to kill the Jews after discussing with his wife. Convinces the King to listen to him. Mordechai and Esther create a plan to stop the action which involves every one in Shushan to fast and pray for 3 days before Esther tries to convince the King to rescind the order. Naturally she does, Haman is thwarted and hung, along with his 10 sons on a set of Gallow's Poles. Mordechai becomes the King's right hand man and all is good again.

One thing to know, you will not find God's name anywhere in the Book of Purim.

Coupled with the holiday are a handful of requirements that everyone must fulfill on THE day of Purim.
These include:
1)Matanot L'evyonim - Gifts to the poor(donations of money, food)
2)Mishloach Manot - Sending of a Gift to a friend (Usually 2 different types of food items that require different blessings.
3) Listening to the Megillah being read - We read it twice, once in the evening then once the next morning.
4) Purim Seudah - The Feast, what you expected a Jewish holiday without food?

So we fast and pray and ask that God protect us from the evil that people can perpetuate against each other. While Haman was from the tribal clan of Amalek, the Rabbis over the years took that any group that tries to destroy the Jewish people is from Amalek.

This Shabbat, we read a section of the Torah that every Jew must here, known as Parshat Zachor, it is a short, 8 lines, from Exodus 17:8-16 that reminds everyone of the cowardly ways evil can work, namely by attacking women and children first.

Before you leave this post and think it is all historical, last Friday night, as Shabbat had started, a terrible tragedy occurred in a town called Itamar in Israel. A family of 8 lost their parents and 3 siblings(ages 11, 3 and 3 months) because someone came into their home, slit their throats and stab them repeatedly (the link contains graphic pictures) because they were Jews.

It is said in the Talmud Shavuot 39a: Kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba zeh. “All Israel is responsible each for the other." With that in mind, our synagogue, will have a memorial service for the Fogel family tonight.


  1. Keith, thanks for putting your faith out there for all to see. In the Christian faith, we use the story of Esther to encourage young women in particular to stand up for what is right (although many other great sermons can be derived from this rich book - particularly the peril of trying to work against God's chosen people).

    Thank you too for mentioning the tragedy that took place this past weekend. Though incomparable in scale to the events in Japan, it by far overwhelms with the sheer malice of it. We will also be offering prayers for this family and the Jewish people - all the more as tensions increase in the mid-east.


  2. The funny thing is Vashti is truly the upright woman in many ways and the ONLY one to say no to the king, yet Esther gets all the benefit of history.
    But yes, the Megilla is full of insights from a religious view as well as from a business view.
    No question on a global scale Japan takes precedence, but this event was almost ignored by so many countries.
    Thank you for your prayers and wishes.

  3. Shalom my brother. Thank you for reminding me of the story. It has been a long time since I read that one.