Purim begins on Monday evening, March 2nd, following Taanit Esther on the same day.

The fast begins at 5:17 AM and ends at 6:21 PM.

Darkhei Noam will be meeting for Maariv and Megillah reading at Trevor Day School at 1 West 88th at 6:10 PM
Please arrive early, space in the auditorium is limited, A second reading location will be held simultaneously at Trevor once the auditorium is at capacity.

A SPECIAL CHILDREN'S PRE MEGILLAH PROGRAM WILL BEGIN AT 5:40 PM IN ROOM 205.

Tuesday, March 3- Purim Day, Shacharit and Megillah reading will be held at SAJ 15 West 86th Street at 7:00 AM.

Purim is a joyous holiday in the Jewish calendar. It celebrates Queen Esther’s saving the Jews of Persia, a story included in the Tanakh, which we read twice on Purim. The holiday is named for the lot, or pur, that Haman cast in his attempt to find the perfect time to destroy the Jews. 

MITZVOT OF PURIM

There are four important mitzvot on Purim (the 4 M’s): 

• Megillah - hearing Megillat Esther read, both at night and during the day. 

• Mishteh, a.k.a. the Purim seudah - eating a festive meal, per Esther 9:22, including wine* and meat for those who are able, on Purim day (not at night). Usually the Purim seudah is held in the afternoon after mincha; however, when Purim falls on Erev Shabbat, many prefer to eat the Purim meal earlier in the day, so as not to interfere with the building up of one’s appetite on Erev Shabbat in preparation for eating the first Shabbat meal on Friday night. 

• Mishloach Manot - sending gifts of food to others, per Esther 9:22, on Purim day (not at night). Specifically, one should send two ready-to-consume foods/drinks to at least one other person. 

• Matanot Le’evyonim - giving charitable gifts, per Esther 9:22, on Purim day (not at night). Specifically, one should give two charitable gifts to at least two different people.

* The mitzvah of drinking of wine at the seudah עד דלא ידע/“ad delo yada” does not prescribe intoxication or unsafe drinking of any kind. Please drink responsibly. 

HAMENTASHEN

Since the 18th century, one of the most identifiable Ashkenazi “Jewish foods” is the triangular hamentashen, or אזני המן in Hebrew (literally, “Haman’s ears”). The most traditional fillings for these pastries, poppyseed paste (“mohn” in German, a possible etymology of the name montashen, or hamentashen, as “tashen” means pockets) and lekvar/prune jam, are thankfully now joined by other fillings, including apple butter and hazelnut spread. Although most hamentashen are triangular in shape, at least one German custom is to bake half-moon shaped montashen; however, those require poppyseed or prune filling. 

PERSIAN PURIM

In Iran, Jews would travel to the city of Hamadan (almost 120 miles north of Shush) to visit the tombs of Esther and Mordechai on Purim, and even hear the megillah read there. Halvah (flour-based, not tahini-based as in the Mediterranean version) is a more common Purim food than hamentashen for Iranian Jews, and is traditionally the “mishloach manot” given to others. 

COSTUMES

The theme of hiddenness is an important one in the Book of Esther. It is the only book in Tanakh that does not mention God’s name, and one important message we can learn from this is that God works in mysterious ways, sometimes in ways that are not apparent to us. Esther also hid her Jewish identity from Achashverosh and everyone in the palace, and was able to utilize that hidden identity to help save her people. Masquerading in costumes is associated with this Purim theme of hiddenness, and many people, children and adults alike, have the custom of dressing up in costumes on Purim.