The Festival of Purim 2021

Posted on 19th February 2021 Posted By: AOY-Canada Categories: AOY Events

About the Festival of Purim

The festival of Purim is celebrated on the 13th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). That will be on February 25 this year at sundown until Friday 26-2021 at sundown. It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.” You can join in on the unique observances of the holiday by commemorating the salvation of the Jews in the time of Esther and to become the Esther of your generation. It’s a time to pray and fast for Israel, for all the Jews that still haven’t recognized Yeshua as their King, Lord and Saviour, and for all gentiles (unsaved family members, friends, neighbours for their salvation.) When you break the fast we enter into the celebration of Purim in thanksgiving praise to our King Yeshua for saving all His people.

How to Celebrate Purim

In the morning there is a special Torah reading (Exodus17:8-16), describing the battle Joshua waged against Amalek —Haman’s ancestral nation—almost one thousand years before the Purim events unfolded. We also read the book of Esther

We commemorate these fasts every year by fasting on the day before Purim, a fast which is called Ta’anit Esther (the Fast of Esther ). If Purim falls on a Sunday, the fast is observed on the Thursday beforehand. Fasting is simple. If you are healthy and over the age of bar or bat mitzvah , don’t eat or drink from Wednesday the 25th at sundown until the next day Thursday at sundown.

Some people fast for three days as it is written in book of Esther. You can ask The Holy Spirit (Ruah HaKodesh) prayerfully to guide you in this matter.

Before reading the book of Esther , the reader should recite the following three blessings:

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14”

1 – Blessed are You, YHWH, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us regarding the reading of the Megillah.

Hebrew: ברוךאתהיהוהאלהינומלךהעולםאשרקדשנובמצותיווצונועלמקראמגלה

2 – Blessed are You, YHWH, King of the universe, Who has wrought miracles for our forefathers, in those days at this season.

Hebrew: ברוךאתהיהוהאלהינומלךהעולםשעשהנסיםלאבותינובימיםההםבזמןהזה

3 – Blessed are You, YHWH, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.

Hebrew: ברוך אתה יהוה אלהינו מלך העולםשהחינו וקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה

Blessings Translated

1. Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olom A-sher Ki-de-sho-nu Be-mitz-vo-sov Ve-tzi-vo-nu Al Mikra Megillah.

2 . Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olom She-o-so Ni-sim La-avo-sei-nu Ba-yo-mim Ho-heim Bi-z’man Ha-zeh

3 . Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olom She-heche-yo-nu Ve-ki-yi-mo-nu Ve-higi-o-nu Liz-man Ha-zeh.

– Read the Purim story: Called the Book of Esther, it tells the story of King Ahasuerus, Queen Vashti, Queen Esther, Mordechai the Jew, and the evil Haman and their involvement in or relation to stopping a plot of annihilating the Jewish people. It is a fascinating tale that ultimately ends in the victory of the Jews, and the creation of a holiday to commemorate and celebrate what happened.

– Prepare the Purim baskets ( mishloach manot ): These are gifts of non-perishable food items which are distributed among friends and family on Purim day. According to Jewish law, the minimum requirement is to give two different types of food to one person, but most people prepare and give more than one basket. These baskets can be decorated and filled to the extent you wish; there is no rule of thumb. Deliver the baskets on Purim Day.

– Fast on the day or three days preceding Purim. This is the Fast of Esther and is observed, commemorating the three-day fast Queen Esther and the Jews undertook prior to speaking to the king about saving the Jews in the Purim story. The fast ends at nightfall.

– Dress up: This step is purely optional but is a widely-observed and accepted custom of the holiday. Most children, teenagers, and even some adults put on costumes to increase the celebration of the day.

– Hear the Megillah (Book of Esther) read aloud: This is read once at night and once during the day of Purim. The reading usually takes less than an hour to finish, and when the name Haman is mentioned, it is customary to make a lot of noise to “blot” out the evil name..

– Give gifts of charity ( Metanot La’evyonim ) to the poor: This is one of the most important observances of the holiday.

– Prepare or partake in a festive meal: As it is a joyous occasion, plenty of different dishes (ideally of meat) and grape juice or wine is usually served. The meal should begin in the afternoon on Friday and be completed by nightfall.

The primary Festive Purim Meal is eaten in the late afternoon on Purim, after Minchah (the afternoon prayer). One must eat bread (the washing of hands ritual) at least one cooked food, and drink at least one cup of grape juice or wine. We call this the Purim Seudah.

The drinking of Grape juice or wine is significant, because many of the events of Purim happened through wine. Ahasueraus got drunk and killed Vashti, paving the way for Esther to be made queen. Esther gave wine to King Ahasueraus and lowered his defenses, which resulted in his killing Haman. Thus the Megillah tells us that we should celebrate by “feasting.” The Hebrew words for “feasting” means bread, cooked food, and drinking grape juice and/or wine.

Happy Purim (Feast of Esther)

From Us at Ambassadors of Yeshua, Canada