Hamantaschen a Special Purim Treat

You may have noticed that one of the traditional foods which is eaten on Purim is a triangular shaped cookie, usually filled with prunes, poppy seeds, chocolate or apricot filling. These cookies are known as "Hamantaschen", or “Haman’s pockets" in Yiddish, and referred to as "Oznei Haman," "Haman’s ears," in Hebrew. It is also customary to eat seeds and nuts during Purim to remember the foods that Queen Esther ate in the palace of the King when she had no access to kosher food. In addition to conducting a Purim feast with delicious foods during the day on Purim, it is also part of the practice of Purim to deliver gifts of food to friends, neighbors and relatives on Purim day, to add to the communal sense of joy all people should share in on Purim. And to make sure that no one at all is left out, there is a special commandment to deliver gifts of food or money to people in need, so that they, too, can celebrate the holiday in the joy it is meant to be celebrated.
Rabbi Balkany wishes you and your family, and all people around the world, a very happy and special Purim celebration.

Purim is in the Air says Rabbi Balkany

Purim is fast approaching, due to arrive on Saturday night, February 27, and continuing throughout the day on Sunday, February 28th. As was mentioned in a previous post, the Scroll of Esther is read in the synagogue and the name of the instigator of all the trouble, Haman, is drowned out by loud noise whenever it is mentioned during the reading. But what else is done to mark Purim as a special day. Although it is not strictly a commandment to wear masks and costumes, this practice is almost universal, especially among children. It is not clear where this custom is derived from, but it is interesting to note that the character of G-d himself does not appear anywhere in the narrative of the story of Esther. It can be said that G-d has disguised himself within the story line and characters of the biblical book and is there, just hidden. Also, there is other “hiddenness” within the story of Esther. Esther herself does not reveal her national heritage as a Jewess to the King until the end, when she tells him so that her people can be saved from destruction. As a matter of fact, the name Esther itself means “hidden” in Hebrew.There is a tradition that says that when Haman lead Mordecai through the streets of Shushan on the horse, that Haman’s daughter spilled refuse on the man who she thought was Mordecai, but was really her father. A bad case of mistaken identity. It is also said that because no one knew that Mordecai knew all languages, he was able to overhear and understand the plot to kill the king, which he told to the King and which later proved to be a valuable asset when seeking favors from the King.

Rabbi Balkany says, “Adar is here so Purim can’t be far behind.”

Purim is a wonderful holiday celebrated in the month of Adar, which according to the Jewish calendar is the last month in the year. This is because the first month is considered to be Nissan, the month in which Passover falls and the month when the Jewish people became a nation, when they left Egypt during the Exodus. But enough about Passover. Let’s get back to Purim. This holiday is quite special. First of all, it commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from destruction at the hands of their enemies when they were living in exile in the Persian Empire. The entire story is recounted in the Scroll of Esther (Megillat Esther) which is read aloud in synagogues throughout the world this year on Saturday night, February 27th, and again on Sunday morning, February 28th. During the reading children and adults alike go wild at the mention of the name of the story’s villain, Haman, and shout, boo, scream, whistle and shake noisemakers which are also known as grogers. As you might imagine, this custom appeals to all children (except for very young ones who might be afraid of all the noise) as well as the rowdier adults among us. It is a remarkable contrast to the usual respect and decorum shown in the synagogue the rest of the year and is only one of the ways Purim distinguishes itself as unique among Jewish holidays.