History or Fiction – The Story of Purim is Still True!
by Arliene Botnick, February 28, 2024
14 Adar. “And the month was turned from sorrow to gladness from mourning to joy.” (The scroll of Esther. 9:22)
As we complete Adar 1, and look forward to the beginning of Adar 11, we begin to prepare for the holiday of Purim. This past Sunday at Sunday school, some of our grades were making colourful scenery for our Purim shpiel; our junior grades made amazing masks, and graggers out of Mac and Cheese boxes, and our senior class made the most delicious hamantaschen. We’re all ready for the holiday and as the quote above says. “Be happy, it’s Adar. Purim is coming.” But what exactly are we celebrating?
It’s an event that is considered history to some or fiction to others. We read about a hero, called Mordechai who spends a lot of time outside the king’s court where fortunately- by chance- he hears about a plot by 2 of the king’s guards to murder the king. Mordechai was at the right place at the right time. Coincidence? Or, as they say in some many police TV shows, there is no such thing as coincidence. Mordechai’s beautiful niece, Ester, has won a beauty contest and ends up in the inner circle, the harem, of the king’s palace. Coincidence? Maybe? A wicked Prime Minister, called Haman, decides all Jews must die because Mordechai doesn’t bow down before him (not a very good reason for genocide) And a very foolish and drunken King called Achashverosh throws “lots” to see on which day all Jews are to be killed. This is the quintessential Jewish story of our not being accepted as part of a community, of our being discriminated against and targeted for destruction. They wanted to kill us. We survived, and we celebrated and wined and dined!
The events take place in Persia, outside of the land of Israel. When we are a minority and not in a position of power in the government of the country in which we live, we are the perpetual outsiders, at the mercy of those in control. (Sounds like some other countries we know). It’s a story filled with exaggerations, with coincidences, with thoughtless, cruel edicts and it could’ve ended up with our complete destruction, but it didn’t!
When Mordechai learns of the impending decree to kill all the Jews, he calls on Ester, his niece, no longer to hide her Jewish identity. He tells her that she is not safe even though she thinks she has assimilated into the king’s inner circle. He also tells her that if she doesn’t help, the help would come from elsewhere. God’s name is never overtly mentioned. It’s an interesting lesson she learns one cannot, and maybe should not ever try to hide one’s identity. In the beginning of the story, she could not disclose her identity because, as a Jew, she could not be in the king’s harem. But now she has talk to the king, disclose her true identity and risk her life to save her people. As well, that coincidental bit of information that Mordecai had learned about the impending assassination of the king, which was written into the king’s journals which , one night, by chance, when the king couldn’t sleep and reads about the man who saved his life, brings honour and accolades to Mordechai, at the expense of Haman’s pride. Haman is instructed to dress Mordechai in rich apparel and parade in honour this man, whom he hates. throughout the kingdom.
We know the rest of the story. Although the king can’t retract his edict, he does allow, because of his love for Ester and her plea, that the Jewish community fight back and they (we) did, with the help and support of “many princes and governors and those who did business with the Jews.” Haman is hung on the very, very huge gallows that had been built for the hanging of Mordechai.
We did successfully defend ourselves on the 13th of Adar and we celebrated on the 14th of Adar. Today we celebrate the holiday by reading Megillat Ester. We create a Purim shpiel, kind of a morality play, to tell the story. We wear masks to hide our faces, just as perhaps God was hidden overtly in the story. God’s name is never mentioned. The eternal lesson may be … God helps those who help themselves. And perhaps we wear masks because nobody in the story was what they appeared to be. Haman was definitely not a good Prime Minister. The king was not wise, nor sober most of the time, and made very foolish decisions. And Ester hid that she was Jewish for a very long time. We also are commanded to share our joy with others, and we put together baskets of goodies, such as fruit and candy and sweets called’ mishloach manot’ to give to our neighbours and friends.
Is the Purim story historically provable? Did it really happen? Does it matter if it actually did happen or not? Perhaps we can accept it as a paradigm, our perpetual story of the challenges and dangers of being a minority people under the rule of the majority culture that won’t accept us. It’s also a story that gives us hope. It’s a story that says our neighbours will be there to help us and support us. The story of Ester is set around 400 BCE. This is 2024 and the story is still our truth! We are still here, and we will continue to be here because, although sometimes God seems hidden, help will come and we will survive. “Be happy, it’s Adar, and Purim is coming!”
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