HAPPY PURIM!!

Instructions

INFO ABOUT PURIM STORY, HAMAN, & AMALEK: Once long ago, in Persia, in the days of King Achashverosh (Ahasuerus), the king held a huge long party for his whole nation to attend in his capital, Shushan. Everybody attended, including Jews, even though our leader and Rabbi Mordichai, the righteous man told us not to. The people neglected their duties and enjoyed the feast that humiliated our Beis Hamikdash (The Temple). King Achashverosh (Ahasuerus) called for his beautiful wife Vashti to come show her beauty to the people at his party, but she refused after she miraculously grew a tail and tons of pimples sprouted on her face. The king was furious, and his second-in-command Haman suggested the king kill Vashti to teach people a lesson, so he did. Haman was an evil self-adoring man descending from Amalek. Amalek was the son of Eliphav, the son of Esav (Esau), the brother of Ya'akov (Jacob, son is Isacc), whose descendants are forever the archenemy of the Jewish people and still are. Haman was always furious at Mordechai for not bowing down to him and the idol on his necklace like everyone else, and made a gallows to eventually hang him on. The king held a party to find a new wife. A nice Jewish maiden, named Esther, was unfortunately forced to go to the party like all of the other women. Esther was Mordechai's cousin, and she grew up in his house. Even though she refused all things that could have made her beautiful like all of the other women, King Achashverosh (Ahasuerus) chose her from all of the women. She was forced to become his queen. Meanwhile, the minister Haman was devising a plot to kill all of the Jews. He made lots (which is what Purim means: Lots.) to see which month to do it in, and they all came on the Jewish month of Adar (mostly March). Haman was very happy, because Moshe's (Moses') passing was in that month, on the 7th. Little did Haman know that Moshe's (Moses') birth was also on that same day, the 7th of Adar. He told the king, and he agreed. Mordechai found out about Haman's scheme and mourned and tore his clothes. Esther saw that Mordechai was distressed so she sent him some new clothes. He refused to wear them, and told Esther the situation. Esther, out of having no other option, made the courageous decision to approach the king and ask him to cancel the decree. The Jews fasted for her sake. Even though the queen was not allowed to visit the king without being called within 30 days and would be killed if she did, a Malach (angel) made Achashverosh (Ahasuerus) extend his spear to Esther, and she asked him is she, the king, and Haman should have a banquet together. They did, and the king asked what she wanted. She said to make another banquet the next day. The next day, she told the king that the evil Haman planned to kill her people. King Achashverosh (Ahasuerus) was so mad at Haman that he hung him and all of his family on his own gallows that he built for Mordechai. Thus, Esther and Mordechai received Haman's property, and all of the Jews lived. For this, the whole month of Adar is known as a very happy month. There are a lot of more details about the Purim story, such as a plot to kill the king that Mordechai stopped and was thus rewarded, Haman being forced to ride Mordechai on the king's horse with his royal garnments thinking it would be him on the horse, Haman's daughter throwing trash on him from her window thinking he was Mordechai, and much more. For more information, visit https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/645995/jewish/The-Purim-Story.htm or https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/1471/jewish/Complete-Story-of-Purim.htm. Mordechai and Esther wrote down this story (All chapters: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16474) in a scroll called the Megillah, that we read tonight (March 2, 14 Adar), and Tommorow morning (March 3, 14 Adar).