For my job, I have to do a fair amount of writing. Lots of the writing I do is about financial stuff, but every month I get to write a "human interest story" amongst the other boring stuff I have to write about. This month, I chose to write about the Jewish holiday of Purim. Sure, the holiday was over before the newsletter got published, but still, it was a fun article to do. So much fun, in fact, that said article is today's blog. So, ladies and gentlemen, I bring you:

The Story Of Purum -- The Festival of Lots

Purim is the most festive of Jewish holidays, taking place on the 14th and 15th days of Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar. This year, Purim began at sundown on March 6. It is a time of prizes, noisemakers, costumes, and treats. In fact, in terms of how it is celebrated, one could even consider it the Jewish version of Mardi Gras.

The Festival of Purim commemorates a victory over oppression, and is recounted in the Megillah, the biblical scroll on which the Book of Esther is written. In celebration of the festival, people gather in synagogues to hear Esther's dramatic story. Whenever the villain's name is mentioned, people stamp their feet, boo, hiss, and twirl noisemakers (called gregors). It has become a custom to attend Purim services in costume. Religious schools hold carnivals and masquerade parties for adults and children alike.

The story itself is an ancient one of court intrigue, deception, miscommunication, drunken parties, assassination plots, a foolish king, villains, a strong hero, and one beautiful heroine. It all sounds a bit like something contrived in Hollywood.
The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordechai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. Because the king loved Esther more than any other woman, he made her queen. However, the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordechai advised her to conceal her heritage.

Soon after Esther became queen, Mordechai overheard an assassination plot against the king. He reported the conversation to the palace, and the two perpetrators were apprehended. The incident is recorded in the king's chronicles, but although Mordechai saved the king's life, his efforts go unrewarded, and are quickly forgotten.

The villain of the story is Haman, (boo!) an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king, who is appointed Prime Minister. The day of his promotion, he passed an edict that all must bow before him. Mordechai incurred the wrath of Haman by refusing to bow. In revenge, Haman plotted to kill not only Mordechai, but all the Jewish citizens of Persia.

Being the king's advisor gave Haman the advantage of always having the king's ear. In it, he whispered, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore, it does not befit the king to tolerate them." (Esther 3:8.) The king believed his trusted advisor, and gave him permission to do with the Jews as he saw fit. This gave Haman the permission he needed to exact his revenge. Lots were cast and a day chosen for the annihilation of the Jews. That day was the 14th of Adar.

When Mordechai learned of this plan, he rushed to Esther and begged her to speak to the king. She agreed. To prepare herself, Esther fasted and prayed for three days, at the end of which, she came up with a plan of her own. She decided to invite the king and Haman to two special banquets. Haman was elated to be so honored, and hurried home to tell his wife.

That night, King Ahasuerus had trouble sleeping. To pass the time, he asked that his book of chronicles be read aloud. Not so coincidentally, the chapter read to him recounted the time Mordechai revealed an assassination plot against him. He learns then that Mordechai was never rewarded. Haman, who "just happened to be in the palace," overheard the king wondering how to reward such a man.

Haman, who assumed the king wished to honor him, advised the king that the lucky one should be adorned in the king's robes and crown, paraded through the streets on the king's horse, and proclaimed as the king's honored subject. The king liked Haman's suggestion so much that he allowed Haman to bestow the honor on Mordechai. Haman is naturally mortified, but has no choice but to fulfill the King's orders.

After this humiliation, Haman attended Esther's second banquet. At this feast, Esther revealed that she was Jewish and exposed Haman as the evil plotter against her people. The king was so angry that he ordered Haman killed. However, the king is unable to rescind Haman's decree against his Jewish subjects since it already bore the king's seal. Instead, he allowed the Jews to arm themselves and fight.

The day turned from grief and mourning to one of freedom for the Jewish people when Haman and his ten sons were killed on the very gallows erected to kill Mordechai and the Jews.

And that, is the very much abridged story of Esther.