The History Of The Feast Of Purim

The feast of Purim came about because one of the mitzvot (commandments) of Purim is to eat a great meal together and celebrate with food and drink.

What is Purim?
Purim, which falls during the months of February or March, is a festive Jewish holiday celebrating the power in people to make a change and overcome adversity. While many Jewish holidays celebrate miracles sent by God, such as the 10 plagues in the Passover story, God isn't even mentioned in the story of Purim, the Book of Esther. The miracles come from within the people, who took action against the character of Haman, who plotted the Jewish people's destruction in the story. The entire celebration of Purim celebrates the way that miracles can happen even if they come through people, and that is also a sign of God's presence.

Why a feast?
The feast of Purim comes from feasting in the story of Purim itself. In fact, the story begins with a six-month-long party for the palace staff thrown by the king, followed by a weeklong party for the whole kingdom of Shushan. Later, the plans of the evil Haman are thwarted by Queen Esther at the second of two feasts she hosted for the king and Haman. To celebrate the victory of the Jewish people against the plans to destroy them, the end of the Book of Esther includes directions to eat a festive meal. The rabbis of the Talmud reiterate this as one of the four mitzvot (commandments) of Purim.

What are the four mitzvot of Purim?
One is to hear the Book of Esther read twice. While listening to the Purim story, it is traditional to shake a gragger (noisemaker) at every mention of Haman's name, to drown it out. The noise also keeps people paying attention to the reading. Another commandment is to give gifts of food (mishloach manot) to friends and family. A third is to give charity (tzedakah) to the poor.

The last mitzvot is to eat a festive meal together. At this meal, it is traditional to drink wine. Wine is a part of every Jewish celebration, but Purim is the only holiday in which drinking to excess is acceptable. In fact, the Talmud actually says "drink until you can't tell the difference between -Cursed is Haman; blessed is Mordechai.'" Why would this be included? It is thought that drinking lowers inhibitions and allows the joy hidden within to be revealed. This parallels God being hidden in the story and the miracles revealed when Esther reveals her Jewish identity to the king.