“Even when His Name is not mentioned, God is present in every line of the Book of Esther.” — Midrash Rabbah

Purím (פורים): full and detailed study

1) Definition and biblical foundation

Purím is a holiday rabbinical that commemorates the salvation of the jews from the decree of annihilation promoted by Haman in the days of the Persian empire under king Ajashverosh. Its primary basis is the Book of Esther, instituted to celebrate the 14th and 15th of adar with the public reading of the meguilá (Esther), banquet, sending portions of food and gifts to the poor. The text itself explains the name: pur = “lot/batch”.

2) historical-literary

The story is set in Persia; the identification of historical Ajashverosh with Xerxes I is proposed classical but not conclusive. A datum is the singular of the book is the the absence of the name of God, which in the tradition is linked to the theme of the hide (hester panim) and salvation through means “natural”. The institution of Purím as a permanent standard is fixed in Esther 9:20-32.

3) Calendar: when do you celebrate?

• Cities are not walled: 14 adar.
• Walled cities “from the days of Joshua” (e.g., Jerusalem): 15 adar (Shushán Purím). This rule comes from the Mishnah (Meguilá 1:1) and recognizes the status of the Land of Israel.
• Year Hebrew leap: there is adar I and adar II; Purím is celebrated in adar II. Adar I is marked Purím Katán (14 adar (I) without mitzvot formal; it is not said Tajanún or you are fasting.
• Ta'anit Esther (Fast of Esther): 13 adar; if the 13th falls on Shabbat, the fast is brought forward to Thursday the 11th of adar. It is a fast minor by teshuvah and memory of the facts.
• Purím Meshulash (triduum in Jerusalem): when 15 adar falls on Shabbat, the mitzvot are distributed between Friday–Shabbat–Sunday (e.g., meguilá and matanot la evyonim Friday; The Hanisím and reading “Vayavó Amalek” on Shabbat; seudá and mishloaj manot the Sunday).

“Purím teaches that miracles do not always descend from the sky; sometimes they walk among us disguised.” — Rav Eliyahu Dessler

4) The four mitzvot of the day

4.1 public Reading of the Meguilá of Esther

• Mandatory night and day (two readings). The source talmudic main is Meguilá 4a; the Shulchan Aruch OJ 687 coding times: all the night; and on that day from sunrise (ex-post from amud hashájar).
• Who is required: men and women (because “they also were involved in the miracle”). There is discussion about whether a woman can do to fulfill a male; the practice varies by community.
• Blessings: before you read, recite three (the mikrá meguilá, sheasá nisim, shehejeianu); after the reading, when there is a minyan, Harav et riveinu.
• Details of the reading: reads in roll-kosher; it is customary to read fluently the ten sons of Haman in a single exhalation; community responds with clutter to the name of Haman (custom).

4.2 Mishloaj manot (sending of portions)

• Minimum: two servings of foods ready-to-eat (or drink), a person. The ideal is more and quality. Source: OJ 695:4.

4.3 Matanot la evyonim (gifts to the poor)

• Minimum: two gifts to two poor, one to each. The budgetary priority of Purím favors this mitzvah above the banquet and the mishloaj manot when resources are limited. Primary source: Rambam, Hil. Meguilá 2:15-17 and OJ 694.

4.4 Seudat Purím (banquet holiday)

• Day (the evening meal does not exempt). It is customary to meat and wine.
• Drinking “ad delo yadá”: the gemara (Meg. 7b) speaks to rejoice, to not discern, “cursed is Haman / blessed is Mordechai”, but the poskim make it clear that it is enough joy moderate or sleeping after drinking a bit; being drunk in a irresponsible way is out of the halachah.

“In Purím, the man is disguised, but it reveals its soul.” — Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

5) Liturgy and readings of the day

• The Hanisím in Amidá and Birkat Hammazón. Do not say Hallel (the meguilá makes its function).
• Reading of the Torah (the morning of Purím): Exodus 17:8-16 (Vayavó Amalek), three aliot. In Shabbat Zajor (prior to Purím) reads Deuteronomy 25:17-19 to remember Amalek.

6) geographical Variants and techniques

• Walled cities (Shushán Purím): 15 of adar; the criterion “and from the days of Joshua” is mishnaico and unlinks the status of if today preserved wall. Jerusalem celebrates the 15.
• Old provisions of villages: the Mishnah allows (theoretically) reads the 11-12-13 by market needs; practice fallen into disuse.

7) The fast of Esther (Ta anit Esther)

Fasting less from the dawn to the night on the 13th of adar (before Purím); if it coincides with Shabbat, is brought forward to Thursday. Exemptions for pregnant women, infants, or the sick are common.

“Purím is the triumph of moral courage on the political indifference.” — Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

8) Customs and symbolism

• Costumes and satire (Purím-shpíl), matonot not to discriminate against the applicant (“all who extends the hand receives”), noise at the mention of Haman* (grager). They are habits-oriented pirsumé nisa (publicizing the miracle) and to strengthen the social unit.
• Half shekel (zejer lemajatzit hashekel): custom pre-Purím to donate the symbolic value, not the obligation, to oraita today. (A practice widely spread in the poskim contemporary).

9) Halachic practice

1. Night of 14 (or 15 in walled cities): meguilá with blessings.
2. Day: meguilá in the morning; matanot la evyonim (at least two poor people); mishloaj manot (two portions-to-one); seudá in the afternoon, with joy. The Hanisím all day.

10) frequently asked Questions and common mistakes

• What is met with only listening to? Yes, who listen a reader competent meets; you must hear every word. (Meguilá 18a).
• What Mishloaj manot “two-blessings different”? It is not a requirement; the minimum is two food ready for consumption, although of the same berajá.
• What can be replaced matanot la evyonim for a donation generic? Not: the money of Purím is for poor that same day; do not stray.
• Do you work allowed? Purím is not Yom Tov bible; you can technically work, but the custom is to avoid tasks that remain to the joy of the day (see OJ 696-697, practice, community).

11) theological Meanings

Purím underlines the providence hidden: the salvation arrives without miracles and manifest through human decisions (Esther and Mordechai). The double-read (night/day) reinforces the continuing memory of the miracle. The proximity with Zajor connect Purím with the struggle ethics against Amalek: to remember and to remove the evil.

Nuclear sources (to learn more)

• Tanakh – Book of Esther (read comprehensive; the institution of 14/15 of adar; “pur = batch”).
• Mishnah/Talmud – Treaty Meguilá (dates, obligations, details of reading).
• Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 686-697 (fasting of Esther; reading night/day; seudá; mishloaj manot; matanot la evyonim; Purím Katán).
• Rambam, Hilchot Meguilá 2 (priority of charity; minimum requirements; spirit of the day).
• Associated reading: Vayavó Amalek (Ex 17:8-16) in the morning of Purím; Zajor (Dt 25:17-19) the Shabbat prior.
• Purím Meshulash (distribution of mitzvot when 15 adar falls on Shabbat, in force in Jerusalem).

Checklist final

• To confirm if your city is 14 or 15th of adar (Shushán Purím).
• Attend meguilá night and day (listen to every word; with blessings).
• Prepare mishloaj manot: minimum 2 food 1 person.
• Prepare matanot la evyonim: minimum 1 donation 2-poor (on that day).
• Make seudá day with joy responsible (ad delo yadá interpreted with moderation).
• Say The Hanisím (Amidá and Birkat Hammazón).
• Observe Ta'anit Esther (unless exempt) on the 13th of adar; if it falls on Shabbat, fast forward to Thursday.

“The laughter of Purím is a laughter that overcame the fear.” — Yehuda Amijai, poet israeli