Leap of Faith: Purim

Purim (meaning ‘lots’) falls this year on the evening of 6 March. The biblical book of Esther is the source of Purim. Although lacking any historicity, the Book of Esther tells of a Persian king, Achaverosh and his Jewish Queen Esther, and an attempt by his chief minister, Haman, to wipe out the Jews on a date selected by the drawing of lots. Esther’s uncle, Mordechai, discovers the plot, advises his niece to inform the king and, as a result, the Jews are saved at the cost of the hanging of Haman and his 10 sons and the Jews killing 75,000 Persians in defence of their own lives.

At Purim Jews are obligated to hear the reading of the Book of Esther, which is often accompanied by riotous – even drunken – fancy dress parties and the consumption of hamantaschen (pastries filled with poppy seeds, jam and/or chocolate and shaped as Haman’s ears or pockets). Perhaps more endearing and in accord with Esther 9:22, which speaks of mishlo’ach manot (‘sending portions’), many Jews send edible gifts to family and packages or money to the poor.

The early adherents of Liberal Judaism either ignored or, in some cases, made an overt, articulated decision to reject Purim. In Liberal Judaism; An Essay, Claude Montefiore observed: “Purim and the Fast of Av, which, though not mentioned in the Pentateuch, once played an important part in Jewish life, but… are now dropping into desuetude”. A generation later, Britain’s first Liberal Rabbi, Israel Mattuck, wrote: “There is another traditional feast which, though observed by some Jews, is not observed by all – the feast of Purim. The basis for it is the story of Esther. It is a sort of spring carnival with, I think, no particular religious significance. The story upon which it is based is historically doubtful. And there are some objectionable features in its celebration. For these reasons, but particularly because it lacks religious significance, many Liberal Synagogues do not observe it.”

Over the years Purim re-established itself in Liberal Jewish circles such that its Affirmations of Liberal Judaism “affirm{ed} the importance of the major festivals and Chanukah” and “encourage{d} the observance of other days of celebration, such as Purim.”

Other than being an excuse for a communal party,4 it may be that this coming Purim will be important for two reasons – one ancient, and one modern. The Jewish community rightly considers itself secure in modern Britain but perhaps the invasion a year ago of Ukraine by Russia, and the resurgence in continental European of anti-Semitism might make an annual moment of reflection on the dual aspects of modern democratic life a relevant one. Perhaps too the early Liberal Jews missed a feature of the Purim story in which, in typical fairytale style, there is a clear division between the ‘goodies’ and the ‘baddies’ – between righteous conduct and evil.

If modernity has taught humanity anything it is this: politics, economics, even history and all the manifestations of human existence are rarely black and white. Living and its challenges are often much more complicated and grey than we might wish them to be but in that uncertainty and doubt is real challenge and great excitement. Whether Purim 2023 is an excuse for a communal celebration or a moment for philosophical reflection, may it be a source of strength and an impulse for good in our lives.