Reflections on Esther, Haman and Mordechai

MICHELE MARR

So you won’t have to write to ask me why this column published on St.

Patrick’s Day isn’t about the saint and his namesake day, I’m going

to tell you upfront. Since this is a weekly column in a weekly

newspaper, when several faith-related holidays cluster closely

together, I have to make a choice.

I have chosen to write about Purim, a Jewish festival likely to be

less familiar to many.

Also, Congregation Adat Israel, whose Chabad synagogue is in

Huntington Beach on Warner Avenue near Bolsa Chica Street, has

extended an invitation to the community to join in its Purim

celebrations a week from today. I wanted to let you know about that a

week in advance.

In West Orange County, its presence is largely centered in this

city under the leadership of Rabbi Aron David Berkowitz and his son,

Rabbi Yossi Berkowitz.

Anyone living within a mile or two of the synagogue has probably

seen members of the congregation walking before sunset on Fridays in

their distinctive style of dress to Shabbat prayers at the synagogue.

The men characteristically wear full beards, hats and dark clothing;

women dress modestly in garments with long skirts and sleeves.

A week from today at Congregation Adat Israel, the celebration of

Purim will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the Purim Megillah, the reading of

the scroll of Esther whose story Purim commemorates.

Esther’s story is set in Persia, more than 2,300 years ago during

the reign of King Achashverosh. Mordechai, a relative of the orphaned

Esther, has raised her and taught her to love the Torah and to fear

nothing and no one.

Achashverosh throws a six-month party to celebrate the vastness of

his kingdom. While making merry, he sees fit to kill his wife Vashti

when she doesn’t come after being called. He’s soon convinced he

needs to replace her and holds a beauty pageant from which to choose

a bride.

Lovely Esther is among the beauties and Achashverosh, who knows

nothing of her Jewish heritage, snaps her up to be his new wife.

Then there’s Haman, the story’s villain. Haman is an ambitious

crusader for a local anti-Jewish faction and he is also exceedingly

jealous of Mordechai, who the king once honored for preventing his

assassination. Haman cooks up a plot to have the king order that not

just Mordechai, but every Jewish man, woman and child in the kingdom,

be killed.

Tipped off to his scheme, Esther fasts and prays for three days,

asking all of her people to do the same. Soon after, revealing her

Jewish identity to him, she pleads with Achashverosh to spare them.

He does and hangs the wily Haman instead -- on the 14th of Adar

accordingly to the Jewish calendar.

Ever since, the day Esther saved the day has been a joyful symbol

of Jewish survival.

It’s celebrated with costume parties and the keeping of four

commandments, or mitzvoth: listening to the reading of the scroll of

Esther; giving gifts to the needy; sending food to friends and eating

a festive Purim meal, including intoxicating drinks and a nearly

intoxicating buttery pastry known as Hamantaschen, or Haman’s hats.

During the reading of Esther’s story, it’s customary for the

children to drown out any mention of the wicked Haman’s name with

noisemakers called graggers. It is the only time, some say, when

making noise can be a mitzvah.