Can We Have A Little Purim Around Here?

 

Very loosely inspired by the Book of Esther

Now, back in the day, Esther was a babe.  She went in where a babe should go in, and she went out where a babe should go out!  She had hair the color of a raven's wing, skin like a creamy olive sunset and eyes of a profound earnest brown.

See, the king of Persia in those days, Xerxes, or Ahasuerus, had a big party for all his buds and tried to get Queen Vashti to come out of her boudoir and do a little shimmy for his boys and she wasn't buying it! So out she goes on her ear.  Some say divorce and some say execution! 

King gets lonely, no queen....so they talk him into a beauty contest for all the best of the local talent.  Esther won the contest hands down, because the head beautician liked her and gave her special enhancements, including the finest Kohl for her eyes made of burnt rose petals and spices.  She was suffused with the finest perfumes. Her hair was braided in fantastical arrangement.  The king was so blown away that he put the crown on her head himself!

Now, Esther had been raised as a daughter by her cousin Mordecai, since her parents had died.  Mordecai told her "do not tell anyone that you are a Jew!" Not prudent to let that out!

So, next, Mordecai hears a couple of guards muttering about a plot to do in King Xerxes!  So he tells Esther to tell the king, and she does and she also gives cousin M the credit for foiling the plot.  The guards are executed.

Right around then, Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, kind of the Sheriff of Nottingham around Persia at that time.  Haman runs to King Xerxes and whines that there are a bunch of characters in Persia who are not following the king's rules.  Haman gets the king to agree to kill all these lousy Jews.  

So Mordecai begs Queen Esther to Do Something but she is afraid to step up.  After some more pleading, she agrees.  But just like in  the old folk tales, there is a requirement first.  She asks that all the Jews there in Persia fast for three days with her, while she readies herself to appeal to the king for mercy.

After the three days of fasting, Queen Esther gets dolled up and goes to talk to the king.  He asks her what her request is.  She says she wants both King X. and Haman to attend a banquet with her and she will explain what she wants at the banquet.  OK so far? Not so ok!  Haman was still so pissed that he had the gallows  pole for Mordecai put up in readiness!

So, King X. has a really bad night.  He goes over the books and accounts and history of his reign and stuff and is reminded of what Mordecai did for him, like saving his life already!  X. tracks down Haman and asks him what he should do for a man who has pleased him greatly.  Haman thinks he means himself. (Doesn't this sound just like something in a storybook?)  So he really lays it on.  Riches etc etc, honors and like that.  Imagine how enraged he is when he finds out all the loot is for Mordecai!

So, at her big dinner the next day, the king asks Queen Esther again what her request is.  She asks if she and her people can be spared in spite of Haman's plot to kill all the Jews.  King Xerxes is getting tired of this business with Haman and the Jews and becomes furious!  He has Haman hung on the pole that he had set up for Mordecai.

Queen Esther and Cousin Mordecai were given all Haman's holdings and property and stuff and a decree was written to protect the Jews in Persia!

Ende

Until next time.

🏶🏶🏶🏶

Well, everybody knows the story.  Esther ends up saving her people by being in the right place at the right time and being truly virtuous.  It is the only book in the Bible in which God is not mentioned.  

In tone it is like many folk stories, but that might be because they took their tone from Bible stories.

Jews all around the world have a bit of a party on Purim, with costumes, general silliness and certain foods.

A fancy dinner for Purim.

A Real Purim Story: How Hamantaschen Cookies Got Their Name

My Rosen great grandmother made these, but not with corners.  My great grandparents were Swiss, so maybe it was different there.  Hers were like a little round pie with a round opening in the top layer.  Same fillings.  We have used date, prune, raisin, poppy and apricot jam for them.  They are super. 

One Purim at our congregation I made a poster bidding one and all to come hang with us for the party after meeting.  The poster had two feet hanging from the top!  Murray, my rabbi, let me do it too!