Whoever enters Adar shall be happy. These are the lyrics to a song commonly sung when the Hebrew month of Adar starts. Adar is known for housing the Jewish holiday of Purim, celebrated on the 14th day of the month.
Purim revolves around the story of Megillat Esther, one of four standalone scrolls read on holidays as part of the Jewish Tanakh. The story tells of a Persian empire led by king Ahaserus that spans over 127 territories. Ahaserus banishes the queen Vashti and holds a beauty competition to see who will replace her. At the same time, Haman, a royal disciple of the king, plots to destroy the entire Jewish population because of the defiance of Mordecai the Jew.
Mordecai encourages his cousin, Hadassah, to apply for the king’s contest. She takes on the name Esther to hide her Jewish identity from the king. She finds favor in his eyes and is selected as the new queen. Meanwhile, Mordecai continues to refuse to bow to Haman, believing that a Jew should only show submission to God.
Haman does a lottery to decide on a date to execute his plan to exterminate the Jewish people. The lottery lands on the 14th of Adar, but when Mordecai finds out, he urges Esther to seek help from the king. Esther fasts for three days leading up to her confrontation with the king, praying for assistance from God. When she confronts the king, she invites him to a banquet with Haman. At that banquet, she invites the two of them to another banquet the next day.
That night, the king cannot sleep and requests that the official court records be read to him. The entry read to him is a story recounting Mordecai’s efforts to thwart a plot the king’s guards had to assassinate him. Realizing that Mordecai never got recognition for his efforts, the king asks Haman an iconic question: “What should be done for the man the king wishes to honor?” Haman, assuming the king is referring to him, details a grand celebration including a parade on the king’s horse. Haman is horrified upon learning that the man the king wishes to honor is, in fact, Mordecai.
At the second banquet, Esther reveals both her Jewish identity and Haman’s plot, enraging the king. He orders Haman to be hanged, and the Jewish people are saved.
The holiday of Purim revolved around three main mitzvot, or laws. These are Megillah, Mishloach Manot and Matanot La’Evyonim.
The first, Megillah, refers to the reading and hearing of Megillat Esther. The actual mitzvah is to hear it, though if one can read the Megillah with the correct pronunciation and tune, they are obligated to do so.
The second, Mishloach Manot, refers to the giving of foods to different people. People are obligated to give at least two different foods to one person, and they are encouraged to give to as many people as they can. The most common food to give is Hamantashen, or Oznei Haman in Hebrew. These are triangle-shaped cookies, usually filled with jam or chocolate. They are meant to mimic the triangular hat that Haman supposedly wore at the time of the Megillah.
Related to Mishloach Manot is Matanot La’Evyonim, or charitable donations to the poor. The idea is that everyone should give to those who are less fortunate, even those who rely on charity themselves. The rule is to give to at least two people, but in modern days giving to one organization is acceptable because they serve multiple different people.
A popular tradition people observe during Purim is Ta’anit Esther, or the fast of Esther. This is based on the part of the Megillah when Esther fasts for three days, though in modern times people only fast for one day, the day before Purim. This fast is more lenient than other fasts, beginning at dawn on the day before Purim as opposed to the night before the fast day, as many other fasts do.
The rules are also more lenient on who should fast, giving exceptions for people who are even slightly sick and women who have just given birth. There is even an exception that states that should someone be made uncomfortable by the fast, they should be allowed to eat or drink something small, such as coffee, before the fast is technically over.
Purim is marked by traditions. From the fast to the tradition to dress in costumes, Purim is a joyous time on the Jewish calendar.
