The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) is an 'American non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy' [as per the description on their website.]
In 2013, they carried out a survey of Jewish Americans and asked the following question:
'What is the most important Jewish holiday to you personally?'
The results were divided into two categories which differentiated older and younger Jewish Americans.
Amongst the former:
53% cited Yom Kippur
24% Passover
9% equally divided between Rosh Hashanah and 'Other'
6% Chanukah
Amongst the latter:
37% Yom Kippur
21% Passover
20% Chanukah
11% divided between Rosh Hashanah and 'Other'.
Two interesting observations can be gleaned from the above, one of which is that the younger Jews prefer Chanukah to the older ones! The second is that Purim has been consigned to the 'Other' category presumably along with Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah and Shavuot.
The least surprising headline is that Yom Kippur came out on top, albeit less prominently amongst the youth. That Passover came second was also not unexpected. If you ask most Jews which chagim mean the most to them, I would suspect that Yom Kippur and Pesach would feature prominently in their responses. As someone I know once said, it is human nature for people to respect the most difficult festivals. They have the choice of either not eating for 25 hours or facing the frantic lead up to Pesach.
But what about poor Purim? Why didn't it deserve its own slice of the pie chart?
In 2013, they carried out a survey of Jewish Americans and asked the following question:
'What is the most important Jewish holiday to you personally?'
The results were divided into two categories which differentiated older and younger Jewish Americans.
Amongst the former:
53% cited Yom Kippur
24% Passover
9% equally divided between Rosh Hashanah and 'Other'
6% Chanukah
Amongst the latter:
37% Yom Kippur
21% Passover
20% Chanukah
11% divided between Rosh Hashanah and 'Other'.
Two interesting observations can be gleaned from the above, one of which is that the younger Jews prefer Chanukah to the older ones! The second is that Purim has been consigned to the 'Other' category presumably along with Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah and Shavuot.
The least surprising headline is that Yom Kippur came out on top, albeit less prominently amongst the youth. That Passover came second was also not unexpected. If you ask most Jews which chagim mean the most to them, I would suspect that Yom Kippur and Pesach would feature prominently in their responses. As someone I know once said, it is human nature for people to respect the most difficult festivals. They have the choice of either not eating for 25 hours or facing the frantic lead up to Pesach.
But what about poor Purim? Why didn't it deserve its own slice of the pie chart?
I've heard of Purim being referred to as the 'Marmite festival'. People seem either to love it or, if not actually hate it, admit that they don't really enjoy it very much. Not everybody finds it easy to go to shul and endure forty-five minutes of hearing the din that accompanies Haman's name. The tendency for some of our brethren to interpret the directive to become so drunk that they don't know the difference between Haman and Mordechai (and for that matter, the Rabbi and anyone else in the community) - doesn't lie well with others. It's lovely to receive Mishloach Manot, but does that mean that I should feel the need to spend hundreds of pounds on food that someone might not be able to get through by the time Pesach comes along? Finally, not everyone enjoys dressing up and in some cases, being terrified by those who delight in frightening the life out of anyone who encounters them in the Shul car park with their gory outfits. Purim on the face of it, at least, might deserve to be consigned to the 'Other' category after all.
Our Sages though had a different view and I am hoping that what I am about to reveal (pun intended) might help to rescue its reputation and present it in a new light.
Firstly, please try to put aside the current image that we have of Purim. Forget the noisy shul, drunken chassidim and piles of newly acquired chametz which landed just when you thought you were getting through your household's supply. Instead, let's go back to the original text - namely Megillat Esther.
Firstly, please try to put aside the current image that we have of Purim. Forget the noisy shul, drunken chassidim and piles of newly acquired chametz which landed just when you thought you were getting through your household's supply. Instead, let's go back to the original text - namely Megillat Esther.
The dramatic story that unfolds along with the megillah, which is incidentally translated as the 'Scroll of Esther' -'Legalot' in Hebrew means 'to reveal' and is meant to represent a long letter) is well known. The long-lasting future legacy of Purim however, is often forgotten. We are told in Chapter 9:
(כח) וְהַיָּמִ֣ים הָ֠אֵ֠לֶּה נִזְכָּרִ֨ים וְנַעֲשִׂ֜ים בְּכׇל־דּ֣וֹר וָד֗וֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה֙ וּמִשְׁפָּחָ֔ה מְדִינָ֥ה וּמְדִינָ֖ה וְעִ֣יר וָעִ֑יר וִימֵ֞י הַפּוּרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה לֹ֤א יַֽעַבְרוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְזִכְרָ֖ם לֹא־יָס֥וּף מִזַּרְעָֽם׃ {ס}
Indeed, these days are remembered and marked in every generation, family by family, province upon province, town upon town; and these days of Purim will never be neglected by the Jews, nor will their memory ever cease to be among their children.
You might have read this verse many times and not given it much thought but ask yourself this question: Why should this festival which we consider to be 'minor' to the point that we don't even refer to it as a Chag, have such an important coda attached?
What did our Rabbis (of which Mordechai, the author of the Megillah, along with Esther) have in mind by instituting this commandment?
The following analogy is put forward by Rabbis at the OU:
Reuven and Shimon have been given an assignment. They have been told to identify their friends on a dark winter night. Reuven is supplied with a flashlight so it's easy for him to recognise the others. Shimon can only do so by listening to their voices whilst they talk and carefully noting the sound they make when they walk. Of course Reuven has a much easier job and promptly identifies all four friends as he can see them. Shimon manages the same but only after concentrating on their cadences and walking patterns. In doing so, he develops listening skills he didn't know he had.
When day breaks, Reuven extinguishes his flashlight because he doesn't need to use it with the appearance of the sun. Shimon however now has a new skill. He can recognise people even when he doesn't see them. This talent serves him well the next evening and the next after that as he is able to use his new-found talent to 'see' his frends even if he can't actually view them.
The following analogy is put forward by Rabbis at the OU:
Reuven and Shimon have been given an assignment. They have been told to identify their friends on a dark winter night. Reuven is supplied with a flashlight so it's easy for him to recognise the others. Shimon can only do so by listening to their voices whilst they talk and carefully noting the sound they make when they walk. Of course Reuven has a much easier job and promptly identifies all four friends as he can see them. Shimon manages the same but only after concentrating on their cadences and walking patterns. In doing so, he develops listening skills he didn't know he had.
When day breaks, Reuven extinguishes his flashlight because he doesn't need to use it with the appearance of the sun. Shimon however now has a new skill. He can recognise people even when he doesn't see them. This talent serves him well the next evening and the next after that as he is able to use his new-found talent to 'see' his frends even if he can't actually view them.
This year, we are presented with an interesting anomaly. That of two Adars. Usually, we would jump at the chance to celebrate a festival as soon as possible yet when it comes to Purim, we push it back a month. The reason for this lies in connecting Purim and Pesach as being the two festivals when Gd delivered us in the times of Esther from the evil machinations of Haman and in the times of Moshe, from Egyptian slavery.
How do we know this, because Gd started His recitation of the Ten Commandments with the words "Anochi" - I am the Lord your Gd who took you out of the Land of Egypt'.
When it comes to Esther, we need to look for a hint to the story in the Torah. We find it towards the end of Sefer Devarim, where Gd tells Moshe that in the future:
How do we know this, because Gd started His recitation of the Ten Commandments with the words "Anochi" - I am the Lord your Gd who took you out of the Land of Egypt'.
When it comes to Esther, we need to look for a hint to the story in the Torah. We find it towards the end of Sefer Devarim, where Gd tells Moshe that in the future:
(יח) וְאָנֹכִ֗י הַסְתֵּ֨ר אַסְתִּ֤יר פָּנַי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עַ֥ל כׇּל־הָרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה כִּ֣י פָנָ֔ה אֶל־אֱלֹקִ֖ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
And I- I will hide my face at that time because of the evil they have done by turning to other Gods
Our Rabbis see the direct connection between the word 'Anochi' and "Haster Astir' - the same verb and letters as 'Esther'.
The Jewish people can recognise Gd's Divine presence in two ways. Firstly explicitly through His visible hand in the Exodus and then in much more concealed manner, through the hidden background to the salvation experienced in the Megillah. In both cases, Gd refers to himself and his actions using the description of 'Anochi'
The Jewish people can recognise Gd's Divine presence in two ways. Firstly explicitly through His visible hand in the Exodus and then in much more concealed manner, through the hidden background to the salvation experienced in the Megillah. In both cases, Gd refers to himself and his actions using the description of 'Anochi'
How do these events connect to Reuven's flashlight and Shimon's recognition skills?
Our Rabbis explain that when the night of Exile that we are currently living in finally ends with the coming of the Mashiach and the blazing spiritual and physical sunlight that he will bring with him, we will no longer need to use our 'torches'. We will have Shimon's ability to reach out to the world. The light that will emanate from the coming of the Mashiach will negate the importance of our current Chagim, such as Pesach and Sukkot, to remind us of how Gd led us when we were at our most vulnerable. All the festivals that came about as a result of the Exodus, which includes Yom Kippur and Sukkot will no longer be necessary. That is except of the one special day when we weren't privy to have that flashlight. When we groped in the dark against a foe that could have annihilated us but instead gathered together to ask Gd to save us - even though we could not see his guiding light. That one day which we were commanded to celebrate forever back in the Megillah.
Our Rabbis tells us that when the Moshiach comes, the only festival that we will still celebrate is Purim.
And in a final twist, let's look again at the holiday which topped the poll for both the older and younger respondents. The Torah in Parshat Emor (27:27) calls it:
Yom HaKippurim which could be translated as "The Day which is 'ke-Purim' - like Purim"
Love it or not, Purim is here to stay, irrespective of where it was hidden within the poll!
Have a freiliche, happy Purim and Shabbat Shalom.
Our Rabbis explain that when the night of Exile that we are currently living in finally ends with the coming of the Mashiach and the blazing spiritual and physical sunlight that he will bring with him, we will no longer need to use our 'torches'. We will have Shimon's ability to reach out to the world. The light that will emanate from the coming of the Mashiach will negate the importance of our current Chagim, such as Pesach and Sukkot, to remind us of how Gd led us when we were at our most vulnerable. All the festivals that came about as a result of the Exodus, which includes Yom Kippur and Sukkot will no longer be necessary. That is except of the one special day when we weren't privy to have that flashlight. When we groped in the dark against a foe that could have annihilated us but instead gathered together to ask Gd to save us - even though we could not see his guiding light. That one day which we were commanded to celebrate forever back in the Megillah.
Our Rabbis tells us that when the Moshiach comes, the only festival that we will still celebrate is Purim.
And in a final twist, let's look again at the holiday which topped the poll for both the older and younger respondents. The Torah in Parshat Emor (27:27) calls it:
Yom HaKippurim which could be translated as "The Day which is 'ke-Purim' - like Purim"
Love it or not, Purim is here to stay, irrespective of where it was hidden within the poll!
Have a freiliche, happy Purim and Shabbat Shalom.