Purim, which falls on March 13-14 in 2025, is a holiday of the salvation of Jews from the hands of enemies during the days of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes), a holiday of deliverance from the villain Haman, who planned to destroy the entire Jewish people.
History of the holiday
In 355 BC, Haman, the supreme dignitary at the court of Ahasuerus, achieved the adoption of a decree from the king on the complete extermination of all Jews in the empire. Thanks to the efforts of the spiritual leader of the Jews, Mordechai, and his niece Esther, who, keeping her origins a secret, became the king’s wife, Haman’s plans were thwarted, and he himself perished along with other enemies of the Jews. The day intended for the destruction of the Jews turned into the day of their victory over their enemies and is celebrated as a joyful holiday.
The Fast of Esther
Adar 13 (March 13 in 2025), the eve of Purim – the Fast of Esther, in memory of the fast that Mordechai and Esther declared when King Ahasuerus issued his decree. Like all fasts, the Fast of Esther is intended for us to analyze our lives and repent of our misdeeds. After all, the Scroll of Esther tells us not only about the joy of the Jews about their unexpected salvation, but also about their fear and sorrow in a moment of great danger. Since it is impossible to combine two opposite moods in one day, our Sages divided Purim into two parts – the fourteenth of Adar, a day of joy and feasting, and the thirteenth, a day of fasting and prayer.
The Days of Purim
The days of the 14th and 15th of Adar are the two days of Purim. The Scroll of Esther says: “The Jews in Shushan made the fifteenth day a day of celebration. But the Jews of the village established the 14th of Adar as a holiday.” In our time, “Shushan Purim”, i.e. 15th of Adar, is celebrated, in addition to Shushan, in the most ancient cities of the Land of Israel (including Jerusalem), while in other places Purim is celebrated only on 14th of Adar (March 14 in 2025).
The Celebration of Purim
The four main commandments of Purim:
Reading the Scroll of Esther.
Feasting and joy.
Sending refreshments (“mishloach manot”, “shalachmones”).
Donations to the poor.
The sages also established that on Purim one should read the passage from the book of Exodus beginning with the words “And Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim”, and also that in all the prayers of this day one should read the insertion containing words of gratitude for the miracles: “Al anisim”.
Here is the text of this insert:
“We thank You for the miracles, for the deliverance, for the valor, for the victories, for the wars that You waged for our fathers in those days at this time (of the year). In the days of Mordechai and Esther, in the capital Shushan, when the wicked Haman rose up against them, plotting to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, from young man to old man, children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder all their property; but You in Your great mercy frustrated his plan and turned the vengeance on his own head, and they hanged him and his sons on a tree.”
It is not advisable to do everyday work on Purim, although this is permitted. The Sages said about this: “A person will not see a blessing from everyday work done on Purim.”
Reading the Scroll of Esther
Everyone is required to listen to the reading of the Scroll of Esther twice on Purim: in the evening (March 13, 2025) and the next morning or during the day. This commandment applies to both men and women. And it is better to listen to the reading of the Scroll in the synagogue with a large gathering of people, since this is also a “glorification of the miracle”.
Before reading, the Scroll is unrolled and folded “accordion-style”, since in verse 9:20 it is called not a scroll, but a “letter about Purim”.
When reading the Scroll, the verse “that night sleep fled from the king” (6:1) is especially emphasized, for this moment is the basis of the miracle, and from it salvation was revealed. Also, when reading, the names of the ten sons of Haman are singled out (9:7-10), read in one breath, to show that they all constituted a single force and were all defeated and killed together.
At the words “and Mordechai sent a letter to all the Jews” (9:29), the Scroll is slightly lifted and shown to the community, for the Scroll of Esther is that very letter. It is also customary to knock, stamp one’s feet, and make other noise when pronouncing the name of Haman, for it is said: “Blot out the memory of Amalek.” For Purim, they even make special toys – rattles, which children rattle when pronouncing the name of Haman.
Feasting and Joy
The main Purim feast takes place during the day, after the morning reading of the Scroll of Esther, and it should include much food, wine, and joy. The festive meal the day before, after the evening reading of the Scroll, is also held in a festive manner, with festive clothes and candles lit; but the daytime Purim feast is a mitzvah, and it begins shortly after midday and continues until nightfall. In 2025, since Purim falls on a Friday, the meal must begin before midday, although this is not the only option. (For more information on what to do when Purim falls on the eve of Shabbat, see here. ) The morning time between the reading of the Scroll and the feast is used to send treats and to give to the poor, that is, to fulfill the third and fourth commandments of Purim.
It is known that the miracles of Purim are connected with wine: at the feast of Ahasuerus, Queen Vashti was deposed, and Esther appeared in her place; the fall of Haman occurred during the feast that Esther gave; and it is also known that through repentance and return to God, the Jews corrected the crime that they committed by participating in the feast of Ahasuerus; Therefore, our Sages, blessed be their memory, decreed: “At the feast of Purim, one should drink so much that one can no longer distinguish the phrase “cursed is Haman” from “blessed is Mordechai.”
Although one should make one’s feast on Purim as generous and joyful as possible, it is even more important to use the available opportunities to better fulfill the commandment of “sending fruits” and especially “giving to the poor,” for there is no greater and more worthy joy for a Jew than to gladden the hearts of the poor, orphans, widows and strangers.
The most popular dish of Purim is gomentash – a triangular bun filled with poppy seeds and honey.
Giving alms to the poor
The Scroll of Esther says: “That the Jews make these days days of feasting and joy, and of sending gifts to one another, and giving alms to the poor.” On Purim, everyone is obligated to give alms to at least two needy people
This commandment is additional to the general commandment of giving, which the Torah tells us about. Gifts must be given during the day on Purim, preferably immediately after the morning reading of the Scroll of Esther, in order to help the poor to have a festive meal.
Sending treats (“mishloach manot”, “shelachmones”)
To fulfill the commandment “to send treats to one another”, everyone is obliged to send at least two dishes as a gift to at least one friend (a man to a man, a woman to a woman). In this case, “treats” are understood to mean any food that can be eaten or drunk immediately, without further preparation. It is customary to “send treats” through a messenger, and not oneself, since the very name of the commandment says “sending”, that is, through someone. Just like gifts to the poor, treats are sent during the day, and not the night before.
Purimshpil
A traditional performance called Purimshpil is held on Purim. Adults and children dress up in various costumes, put on masks, and sometimes a large carnival procession is held.
The custom of dressing up has a deep symbolic meaning: although the face of the Almighty is hidden, and He does not clearly show His governance of the world, but this is only an outer shell; the Almighty is unchangeable and remains the same as He revealed Himself to us when we left Egypt. Until the time of Esther, miracles were obvious, from this time on they became hidden, but their essence did not change.
Original publication https://ru.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/841034
