The History of Purim
Purim originally happened 2,500 years ago.

The situation seemed bleak. The Holy Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed seventy years earlier, the Jews were exiled to Babylon and then to Persia, and the Land of Israel lay in ruins and desolation.

Dispersed throughout Persia (today's Iraq and Iran), many Jews lost faith in the prophecies that predicted their eventual redemption from exile and return to Israel. Instead of taking pride in their Jewish heritage, they were awed and impressed by alien kings and lifestyles, palaces and parties, and lost vision of their own future and destiny.

Purim's main characters:
Haman
The vicious Jew-hating Haman became the Persian Prime Minister, and schemed and plotted to solve "the Jewish problem" by annihilating every Jewish man, woman and child. A shrewd and devious manipulator, Haman received the King's approval for his wicked plan.

Mordechai and Esther
Haman's horrible plan almost worked, were it not for the intervention of Esther, the heroine, and Mordechai, the righteous leader.

Sensing Haman’s danger, Mordechai wore sackcloth and ashes and cried through the streets, rallying Jews to observe Torah and return to G-d.

By Divine Providence and exceptional circumstances, Mordechai's niece, Esther, was chosen as the new Queen. Mordechai urged her to approach the King and beseech him to save her people.
Queen Esther proclaimed a communal fast, prayer and penitence, and then went to the palace to invite the king to a party.

That night, the restless King was reading his memoirs. As the pages turned, he recalled a forgotten episode, how Mordechai the Jew had saved the king's life from two plotting courtiers who had tried to poison him.

The King immediately ordered Haman to pay public tribute to Mordechai by dressing him up with the royal garments and parading him on the Royal horse through the streets of the Capital.

Queen Esther pointed out Haman as the arch villain, and the King ordered Haman hung on the same gallows he had prepared for Mordechai.

Victory
The Megillah scroll describes the courage of Queen Esther and Mordechai, and the bravery and devotion of all the Jewish people. Throughout that whole year, not even a single Jew left his people, although that could have saved his life.

The fortunate turn of events aroused the Jews to return to their traditions, faith and observance. They rallied against their enemies on the 13th day of the month of Adar, the very day chosen by Haman to execute his "final solution." After several years, the Jews eventually returned to the Holy Land to rebuild the Second Temple.

The Megillah vividly describes how "The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, joy and exultation," so shall it be to us. May we, too, merit salvation and the ultimate Redemption, speedily in our days.

Purim Highlights
The Megillah
To relive the Purim events, we listen to the reading of the Megillah (Scroll of Esther) both on Saturday night, March 3, and on Sunday March 4, during the day.

It is important to listen carefully to hear every word of the Megillah. We twirl "gragger" noisemakers when Haman's name is mentioned and stamp our feet, to "eradicate the name of Amalek," Haman's ancestors who attacked Israel after the Exodus.

In Those Days, In Our Time
The Talmud states:
A person who reads the Megillah 'backwards' (in the wrong sequence) did not fulfill his obligation."

Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chassidus, explains that we should not read the Megillah 'backwards,' as an old once-upon-a-time story, for the Purim events are relevant and current in our situation to this very day. The Megillah is not just about our ancestors in the past, but also addresses us in the present.

Shaloch Manos
It was Jewish unity that saved the day, so we send each other food gifts to express our unity.

We give at least two kinds of ready-to-eat foods to at least one friend, through a third party, on Sunday March 4. Men send gifts to men, and women to women. Children are encouraged to exchange gifts, and the more the merrier.

Gifts to the Poor
Giving charity is a year-round Mitzvah with added significance on Purim day , to be given to at least two poor persons. If it is not possible to deliver the contribution personally, the money can be placed in a charity box (Pushka) for later distribution.

The Purim Feast
The festive meal eaten on the Purim day expresses our holiday spirit. We celebrate joyfully with family and friends, and toast a joyous L'chaim!

More Purim Observances
The Fast of Esther
To commemorate the prayerful fasting before the Jews fought for victory, we fast on the previous Thursday (March 1). The fast begins 72 minutes before sunrise and lasts until 40 minutes after sunset.

Masks
It is customary to masquerade, for we 'rejoice on Purim until we don't know the difference between Haman and Mordecai.' The mask concept is based on a Hebrew word "hester" associated with "Esther," meaning hidden, when G-d seemed to be hidden and concealed during Haman's evil plotting.

Hamentashen
Three cornered Hamantashen pastries filled with poppyseeds, prune, apricot or other jams are a favorite. To some, Hamantashen recall haughty Haman's three cornered hat, while other sources say the three corners point to the merit of our Patriarchs: Abraham Isaac and Jacob that cornered Haman.

The Half Shekel
In Jerusalem's Holy Temple, every person contributed a "half shekel" coin to participate in the services. Today it is customary to contribute the equivalent of a half shekel (3 half-dollar coins) to charity.

Special Prayers
On Purim, we recite the "Al Hanissim" prayer, thanking G-d for His miracles of deliverance. We also include the "Al Hanissim" when we say Grace After Meals.

During the morning service in the synagogue, we follow a special reading from the Torah Scroll describing the war with Amalek, before the Megillah is read.