Question for Discussion:
What is the ikar, essence of Purim?
The Passover Narrative:
-
- Joseph comes to Egypt and becomes the vizier; it seems like a permanent haven for his family
- Joseph and the Jews are safe and powerful,
- A new king rises to power and he didn’t know Joseph
- A vizier (2nd in command) serves at the pleasure of the King
- Your power is not your own (second in command does not have real intrinsic power)
- The new king does not recognize the power of Joseph and the Jews are no longer safe
- God has a plan and uses Moses to carry it out
- There is human action but God is responsible for freeing the Israelites from Egypt
- God is very present
- The Israelites leave Egypt and only answer to God
- --> this story is recorded in the Torah for all future generations to read
The Purim Narrative:
- The Jews live in Shushan under the rule of a non-Jewish King, Achashverosh
- Queen Vashti refuses to dance before her huband, the King and is banished
- Mordechai, a leader of the Jewish people in exile, instructs Esther to hide that she is Jewish and attempt to become the new queen
- Haman (an Amalekite) is appointed as Prime Minisher and issues a decree that all should bow down to him
- Mordechai refuses to bow down and infuriates Haman
- Haman receives permission to destroy all of the Jews
- at the insistence of Uncle Mordechai, Queen Esther agrees to come before the King and ask that the decree be reversed
- The King does not cancel the edict but gives the Jews the right to defend themselves against those who try to harm them
- the Jews successfully defeat (massacre) their enemies throughout the provinces in a battle that continues for 2 days
- Haman, his wife, and their ten sons are hanged publicly
- the Jews celebrate
- the King records Mordechai's deeds in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia
- "King Achashverosh then imposed a tax on the mainland and on the sea islands"
Question for Discussion:
What are the similarities and differences between the Passover and Purim narrative?
What are the similarities and differences between the Passover and Purim narrative?
(א) וַיָּשֶׂם֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אחשרש [אֲחַשְׁוֵר֧וֹשׁ ׀] מַ֛ס עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְאִיֵּ֥י הַיָּֽם׃ (ב) וְכָל־מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה תָקְפּוֹ֙ וּגְב֣וּרָת֔וֹ וּפָרָשַׁת֙ גְּדֻלַּ֣ת מָרְדֳּכַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר גִּדְּל֖וֹ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ הֲלוֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֙פֶר֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י הַיָּמִ֔ים לְמַלְכֵ֖י מָדַ֥י וּפָרָֽס׃ (ג) כִּ֣י ׀ מָרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְרָצ֖וּי לְרֹ֣ב אֶחָ֑יו דֹּרֵ֥שׁ טוֹב֙ לְעַמּ֔וֹ וְדֹבֵ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם לְכָל־זַרְעֽוֹ׃
(1) King Ahasuerus imposed taxes on the mainland and the islands. (2) All his mighty and powerful acts, and a full account of the greatness to which the king advanced Mordecai, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Media and Persia. (3) For Mordecai the Jew ranked next to King Ahasuerus and was highly regarded by the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brethren; he sought the good of his people and interceded for the welfare of all his kindred.
What does Chapter 10 verse 1 teach us about the aftermath of the usual Purim story?
- Where was the narrative recorded?
- Who were the Jews beholden to following the narrative?
- Would you consider the Purim narrative a short-term or long-term success for the Jewish people?
אסתר מן התורה מנין (דברים לא, יח) ואנכי הסתר אסתיר מרדכי מן התורה מנין דכתיב (שמות ל, כג) מר דרור ומתרגמינן מירא דכיא:
They also asked Rav Mattana: From where in the Torah can one find an allusion to the events involving Esther? He replied to them that the verse states: “Then My anger shall be kindled against them on that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come upon them; so that they will say in that day: Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? And I will hide [haster astir] My face on that day for all the evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned to other gods” (Deuteronomy 31:17–18). They also asked him: From where in the Torah can one find an allusion to the greatness bestowed upon Mordecai? He replied: As it is written with regard to the anointing oil in the Tabernacle: “And you shall also take the chief spices, of flowing myrrh [mor deror]” (Exodus 30:23); and we translate mor deror into Aramaic as: Mira dakhya, which resembles the name Mordecai.
What was God's role in each narrative?
Rava is offering one of a number of explanations for the fact that we do not recite Hallel (psalms of praise) on Purim
BT Arakhin 10b
Rava said: There [in the case of Pesah] all is well. We recite, "Halleluyah, worshippers of God, praise [God]!" - and not the servants of Pharoah [i.e. we are truly no longer Pharaoh's slaves but rather the worshippers of God]. Here [in the case of Purim], can we say "Halleluyah, worshippers of God, praise [God]!" and not the servants of Ahasuerus? We are still his servants!
Rava said: There [in the case of Pesah] all is well. We recite, "Halleluyah, worshippers of God, praise [God]!" - and not the servants of Pharoah [i.e. we are truly no longer Pharaoh's slaves but rather the worshippers of God]. Here [in the case of Purim], can we say "Halleluyah, worshippers of God, praise [God]!" and not the servants of Ahasuerus? We are still his servants!
We do not recite Hallel (Psalms of Praise) during Purim because
-
- We are not free to be God’s servants (we are still servants of the King)
- We live under the shadow of a power that is not God
- We are not free to be God’s servants (we are still servants of the King)
Was Purim a transformative experience for the Jewish people? Why or why not?
(has this narrative ever repeated itself)
אָמַר רָבָא מִיחַיַּיב אִינִישׁ לְבַסּוֹמֵי בְּפוּרַיָּא עַד דְּלָא יָדַע בֵּין אָרוּר הָמָן לְבָרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי רַבָּה וְרַבִּי זֵירָא עֲבַדוּ סְעוּדַת פּוּרִים בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי אִיבַּסּוּם קָם רַבָּה שַׁחְטֵיהּ לְרַבִּי זֵירָא לְמָחָר בָּעֵי רַחֲמֵי וְאַחֲיֵיהּ לְשָׁנָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ נֵיתֵי מָר וְנַעֲבֵיד סְעוּדַת פּוּרִים בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא בְּכֹל שַׁעְתָּא וְשַׁעְתָּא מִתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָּא
Rava said: A person is obligated to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until he is so intoxicated that he does not know how to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai. The Gemara relates that Rabba and Rabbi Zeira prepared a Purim feast with each other, and they became intoxicated to the point that Rabba arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, when he became sober and realized what he had done, Rabba asked God for mercy, and revived him. The next year, Rabba said to Rabbi Zeira: Let the Master come and let us prepare the Purim feast with each other. He said to him: Miracles do not happen each and every hour, and I do not want to undergo that experience again.
What does this story between Rabba and Rabbi Zeira imply about miracles?
How does it relate to the Purim narrrative?
Lesser Discussed Lessons of Purim
**Evil people succeed because people around him let him**
- When fools are in power they can do great harm
- We can’t stop there being evil people; and others that will enable that person and they are just as responsible
- We are good at noticing the evil of other people and have a hard time noticing the evil within us and our people