Which jewish holiday is explained in the book of esther

Purim is a jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the jewish people from haman. The jolly festival of purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the hebrew month. Which jewish holiday is explained in the book of esther. Hanukkah and purim jewish holidays from the book of esther.

Esther is the most secular of the biblical books, making no reference to gods name, to the temple, to prayer, or to distinctive jewish practices such as kashrut keeping kosher. The dramatic saga was written down so that jewish people could read about the amazing turn of events every year on the holiday of purim, the anniversary of the jews victory over their enemies. The book of esther serves as the authorizing document for purim, a holiday. The book of esther is one of the megillot, five scrolls read on stated jewish religious holidays. Learn more about the traditions and history of purim. Esther is the heroine of the purim story, in which the jewish people who live in the sprawling persian empire are saved from haman s evil scheme to annihilate them. Five things you didnt know about the jewish holiday. The feast of purim is a jewish holiday that celebrates the deliverance of the jews from genocide during their exile in the persian kingdom. Esther is read during the purim feast on 14th and 15th adar februarymarch. During the time of king ahashuerus, one of his ministers, haman, sought to destroy the jews in revenge for being snubbed by the. According to the book of esther in the torah, the jewish people of the city of shushan were threatened by the villain haman, a prime minister who convinces the. The book of esther is commonly known as the megillah, which means scroll. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The history behind the halloween of jewish holidays.

In the jewish bible, esther follows ecclesiastes and lamentations and is read on the festival of purim, which commemorates the rescue of the jews from hamans plottings. Purim, a joyous jewish festival commemorating the survival of the jews who, in the 5th century bce, were. The old testament book of esther provides the historical and theological background that explains the importance of the feast of purim. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, as well as others of generally weak health, who would suffer by fasting do not fast therein. The story is related in the biblical book of esther. Neither the word for god nor the name yahweh lord, occurs in the hebrew text. The book of esther is a remarkably different biblical book because.

According to halakha jewish law, the megillah may be read in any language. The scene is shushan susa, the winter capital of persia, not israel. Purim held on the 14th day of the hebrew month of adar usually march or april commemorates the day esther, queen of persia, saved the. Therefore, for holidays where the celebration begins in the evening, we list the eve of the holiday separately. Purim is a joyous holiday that recounts the saving of the jewish people. These are to be days of feasting, celebration and sending presents of food to one another and giving gifts to the poor esther 9.

The tale is told in the book of esther, known as the megillah, and ends. The nonjews guide to jewish holidays is a very detailed book about the jewish calendar, the sabbath, rosh hashanah, yom kippur, and chanukah. It is one of the five scrolls megillot in the hebrew bible. The book concerns the marriage of its jewish heroine with a gentile king. The book of esther recounts the story of purim, telling of how the jews of persia. Maya prays for rain by susan tarcov, my jewish year. Because jewish law requires people to hear every word of the scroll of esther, the person chanting the book is forbidden to resume until the noise abates. Jewish people fought for religious freedom and were able to throw off the yoke of their hellenistic oppressors. Naturally, being a rather unstable fellow, ahasuerus firesslashdivorces her.

Ahasuerus, king of persia, wants his wife vashti to show off her. Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the jewish calendar. What is purim a jewish holiday explained by rabbi jason. The book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. In the protestant canon, esther appears between nehemiah and job. Purim is a community celebration that includes the reading of the scroll of esther, called the megillah. Which prophet provided spiritual leadership for israel following cyruss decree. It also explains holidays that i knew very little about such as tu bshevat, purim, and yom hashoah. That very day king ahasuerus gave the property of haman, the enemy of the yehudim, to queen. The book of esther tells the story of a jewish girl in persia who becomes a queen and uses her position to save the jewish people from an attempted genocide. Every year on the fourteenth day of the biblical month of adar late winter or early spring, jewish people around the world celebrate the biblical holiday of purim, a day of feasting and rejoicing in gods deliverance of israel through queen esther and mordecai from the genocidal plans of haman. The joyous holiday of purim celebrates the salvation of the jews from the wicked haman, through the leadership of queen esther and her. The book of esther records the events and mordecais instructions to celebrate the anniversaries of what turned out to be two days of victory for the jewish people.

The book of esther begins with the queen of king ahasuerusvashtisnubbing the kings request to meet with her. Some jewish communities put on a purim shpiel, or play, that usually pokes fun at. And so, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth monththat is, the month of adarwhen the kings. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third section ketuvim, writings of the jewish tanakh the hebrew bible and in the christian old testament. The primary commandment related to purim is to hear the reading of the book of esther. You put on the mask and the inner self is able to explode, he explained. Learn all about the jewish holiday purim tori avey.

Named a 2007 national jewish book award runnerup in the category of contemporary jewish life and practice. Drag queens enliven clark county synagogues celebration. The book of esther recounts the story of purim, telling of how the jews of persia were saved from destruction. Purim, a story to celebrate jewish voice ministries. This quiz contains ten questions from the book of esther. The book of esther is known as the megillah, which means scroll. The story of this victory is recorded in the book of esther. The story of the book of esther as it appears in the hebrew bible is as follows. Hebrew, meaning scroll, it is usually used to refer to the scroll of esther megillat esther, also known as the book of esther, a book of the bible traditionally read twice during the holiday of purim. Although there are five books of jewish scripture that are properly referred to as megillahs esther, ruth, ecclesiastes, song of songs, and lamentations, this is the one people usually mean when they speak of the megillah. Purim holiday why is the feast of purim celebrated. During the purim holiday celebration, jews participate in a boisterous public reading of the biblical book of esther, as well as delivering baskets of food and drink to friends, eating hatshaped cookies, performing plays and parodies, and dressing up in costume though the revelry is often compared to our american.

Purim this day of jewish merrymaking marks the salvation of the jewish community from near destruction by the persian tyrant haman. While jews normally come to synagogue in suits and dresses, their attire on the playful holiday of purim is more likely to be costumes and masks. Jpss holiday books take us through the joys, spirit, and meaning of the seasons. According to the talmud, a person is required to drink until they cannot tell the. Esther was actually her persian name, her hebrew name was hadassah, which means myrtle branch. Following tradition, the books explanation of purim as a historical event to be. The four mitzvot of purim purim is a time of great celebration, but also a time of mishloach manot, or giving thanks to family, friends and those less fortunate. Purim is a jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the jewish people from haman, an achaemenid persian empire official who was planning to kill all the jews, as recounted in the book of esther. Esther with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esthera comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a part of his harem. Hence it belongs to the bestknown otbooks with the jews and it is also the book, which has the oldest copies.

The book of esther has served the jewish people as support of their national hope and especially so in the days of persecution. Shushan, a legendary account of how the familys ancestor mordechai gained power in court, and of the source of the familys wealth and authority. A jewish girl, esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen. She cried and pleaded with him to overturn the evil of haman the agagite and his plan against the jews. The purim story celebrates esthers bravery, mordechais wisdom and booooo haman. Tracing the history of the book of esther and jewish. For those new to the jewish calendar, it may be helpful to know that jewish days always begin in the evening. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king. This story is the basis for the jewish holiday of purim, a holiday which is not prescribed in the law of moses. Purim, a joyous jewish festival commemorating the survival of the jews who, in the 5th century bce, were marked for death by their persian rulers.

This article takes a look at the jewish festival of purim, including how it is. According to the hebrew calendar, purim is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the hebrew month of adar and. The book of esther, according to the original text, and original chapter and verse system, explained in modern terms. The books of ezra, nehemiah, and esther trace the history of the jews beginning at 538 b. Normally, congregants arent supposed to clap in synagogue, but purim is a lively and loud holiday, sometimes called jewish halloween, explained jackie wetchler.

Yet esther, of all the biblical books outside of the torah, is the only one that addresses the origin of a new festival. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide. The book of esther begins with a sixmonth 180day drinking feast given by king ahasuerus for the army of. Esther was a prophetess who possessed exceptional beauty and modesty. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus, and her cousin mordecai persuade the king to retract an order for the general annihilation of jews throughout the empire. According to schellekens interpretation, the book of esther is a fanciful family history of a rich and powerful jewish family in 4th century b. The original text of the megillah book of esther with a running commentary culled from the talmud and midrash, the great torah commentators and the chassidic masters. The massacre had been plotted by the kings chief minister, haman, and the date decided by casting lots purim. Since the fast of esther is not one of the four fast days which are specifically mentioned in the prophetic writings, it is observed with greater leniency than the other fast days.