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Posted on 03/11/2017 6:59:18 AM PST by SandRat
I would like to share with all of you readers, the history and lesson behind the upcoming Jewish holiday. Jewish people around the globe will be celebrating the holiday of Purim from nightfall on March 11 until after the March 12.
The story in short:
In the year 364 BCE, Haman, one of the king’s top advisors, plotted with the King to annihilate and destroy all the Jews. The king decided to make a feast for all his constituents, hoping this would lead the Jews to sin which in turn would give him the upper hand. At the party, the king invited the queen to show off her beauty. When she refused to attend, the evil Haman suggested the queen’s execution. This led to the king crowning a modest Jewish maiden, named Esther, as the next queen. Esther was an integral part in having the malicious decree abolished. She had all the Jews gather, pray and fast to plea with G-d to save the Jewish people. In the end, the king gave the Jews permission to defend themselves and Haman was killed and hung.
How and why was this miracle turned into a holiday?
In many ways, Queen Esther showed great self-sacrifice until the decree was abolished. As she represented the Jewish women of her generation and, ultimately of all those to come as well, she knew it was essential for her to ensure the continuity of the Jewish people. In response, she requested that the story and great miracle be recorded and read yearly lest women forget the important role they play.
One of the traditional foods we eat on Purim is the Hamantash - a three-cornered cookie filled with poppy seeds or jam. The meaning behind it: In the Book of Esther, G-d’s name is not mentioned but the story reads like a natural series of events. Nevertheless, G-d was still watching and orchestrating the miraculous victory. His “role” was simply hidden, just like the filling is hidden in the cookie. Below is a recipe for your enjoyment. Shared from Chabad.org
Ingredients
½ cup sugar
¼ cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Filling of your choice (poppy seed butter, apricot or strawberry jam, chocolate filling)
Dough Directions
Mix the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.
Add 1 cup of flour and the baking powder. Mix.
Add the second cup of flour until the dough forms a soft, but not sticky ball. You may need 2-3 more tablespoons of flour if your dough is sticky.
Roll out the dough and cut out circles.
Put a teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle.
Gently fold the sides and pinch shut tightly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes on 350°F.
Yields: 20 Hamantashen
Locally, the community is welcome to join us in celebrating Purim and enjoying the traditions of Hamatashen. We will be having a Megillah (Book of Esther) reading on March 11 at 8:30 p.m. at Chabad at 401 Suffolk Drive and on March 12 at 1 p.m. at the Main Post Chapel to accommodate our Jewish servicemen. Come dressed up.
Rabbi Benzion Shemtov, the son of Rabbi Yossie and Chanie Shemtov of Chabad of Tucson, grew up in Tucson. He and his wife Chaya have recently established Chabad of Cochise County, based out of Sierra Vista, to provide Jewish and holiday programs and Torah classes for all ages in the area.
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Just re-define the term:
“Before Christian Era.”
or, as Michael Rood puts it:
“Before Common Errors”
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The movie “One Night With The King” is the best rendition of the book of Esther I’ve ever seen.
No thanks. It would be way too hard to drive in that robo-getup to deliver my packages of goodies to friends. I make a new, different costume every year.
Here is MY acclaimed Hamentashen recipe. These are triangular pastries baked for Purim in remembrance of the 3-sided hat the evil grand vizier Haman used to wear. It was Haman (may his name be erased) who plotted to kill all the Jews in the ancient Persian kingdom ruled by King Ahasueros.
Hamentaschen
2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 lb. margarine
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients well in mixer. Roll out dough on chilled surface to a bit less than 1/4" thick. Cut out circles with cookie cutter or small glass. Place dough rounds on greased cookie sheet. Using teaspoons--one to scoop up some filling and one to scrape it off the first spoon onto the round--place small amount of your favorite filling--poppy seed filling, apple butter, strawberry preserves, etc.--in the middle of each round. Bring up the edges of each round on 3 sides and then pinch the round thoroughly closed to form triangles. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until lightly starting to brown at the corners. Let cool well before sampling!
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Here name was not "Hassidah" (which I assume is your attempt to refer to chesed, "lovingkindess") but rather Hadassah (myrtle), but thanks for playing.
Don't quit your day job.
I ask your forgiveness.
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Gladly given, and well deserved!
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Every holy day, I try to learn something new about the factors contributing to its observance. This year of 5777, I learned about Esther’s modesty. She didn’t go to the king willingly and remained a Jew and loyal to Mordechai. Any relations between Esther and the king couldn’t be considered adultery under halacha.
The Megillah doesn’t have Hashem’s name anywhere in the text, yet Hashem’s Presence exists throughout.
Also, giving the kid sitting next to you the loudest noisemaker will trigger tinnitus!
Thank you.
The intention is to include, not exclude. We're commanded to start counting at a certain point (Exodus 12:2), so in order to fulfill the commandment and fulfill another commandment not to bear a grudge (Leviticus 19:18), the term BCE is used as not to exclude those who follow a different calendar which is much more widely followed than the Hebrew calendar.
Bearing a grudge would mean not using the term BCE, and intentionally confusing people with a point of time reference using the Hebrew calendar.
For example, if I said "the year 5777" to someone using the Gregorian calendar, they would think it was a time in the future, and not 2016/2017 strictly solar or CE.
I see, and thank you. I’ve never heard that explanation. The first time I heard BCE was on a university campus by a decidedly leftist instructor. John Batchelor uses it a lot, as well and he seems to try very hard to be secular.
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