The national Republican., 1869-02-25
Matiuual gspnblitall
THURSDAY noRSlso uiirEpRuARY .. ls,s
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.

PURrx, FEAST or HAMAs, Lors, &c
(lSes Esiisr Il and 10, or Eosrteenn and
FI6essM Days Of Adr.) )-Thls evening |
February 25) commences the Jewish social |
festival, called In Hebrew "Purim," or
'sLots," which is observed In commemora-
ton Of the events described in the book Of |
Esther, called by the Jews "Meglllnh Es- |
ther." In the Christian church II has been |
called "Ahasuerus." The preceding day, |
the 18Th Of Adar, Is held as a fast day, and
was instituted by Mordecai and Esther. |
Purirn was established subsequently to the
laws Of Moses, and therefore the Jews are |
not prohibited from following their usual |
avocations. II is consecrated with heartfelt |
Joy, which usually attends marked and mer-
ciful protection OF Providence. Inc chief
facts which this festival commentaries are
briefly these In the third year OF the reign
of Ahasuerosh, (so called In Hebrcw,) King
of Persia, he made sumptuous banquet for
all his nobility, and prolonged his feast for
one hundred and eighty days. On one occa-
sion, being very merry with wine, he desired
his beautiful queen, named Vashti, to be
publicly exhibited, but she refusing to violate
the decorum Of her sex, he not only divorced
her, but Published an odlct concerning her
disobedience In order to Insure to every hus-
band the rule In his own house.
About the seventeenth year of his reign
search was made throughout the entire
empire by officers Of his household for the
most beautiful maiden TO be Vashti's, (his
late quecn's) successor. Choice fell on
Esther, pretty Jewish maiden, and who
found favor In Ahasuerus' eyes, and whom
he married. She belonged to the house Of
Benjamin, born during the exile, and whose
family did not avail themselves Of the per-
mission to return to Palestine, under the
edict Of Cyrus. Her parents being dead,
ath rath uaH kr1 .rlt
by her uncle Mordecai, the "Jew." II Is
remarkable that Of all the characters mar
rated in the Scriptures, Mordecai is the only
one who Is designated by the cognomen "Ha-
Iehidah," the Jew. He was resident at the
time at SuAa, then the capital Of the Persian
empire. In the twelfth year of Ahasuerus'
reign, his minister, Haman, the Amalekite,
descendant Of Agog, had, through the
smiles OF fortune, risen to the utmost height
OF power. An hereditary hatred against the
worshippers Of the true God, the first dis
play of which we find Immediately after the
liberation Of Israel from Egyptian bondage,
(see Exodus XIV, 9, 81 has descended to him
from his fathers, and Is latent In his breast.
The occasion to call II forth, and to feed its
ranking vengeance, Is now on hand. Nor
decai alone OF all the mobiles and officers who
crowded the royal gates refused to manifest
the idolator, or observe the signs OF paying
homage by prostrating himself to man.
True to the Characteristic which ever since
then has distinguished his nation, he stood
prepared TO die rather than to contaminatc
himself in any manner with such profane
practices. Now, this adherence to duty, re-
gardless OF all consequences; this stubborn
defiance OF human power when obedience to
his God In called In question, Is recognized
by Hamani the old quarrel Is rekindlcd; he
seizes the opportunity to condemn not only
poor Mordecai, but the whole nation Of Jews
to merciless slaughter. 30 does he excite all
those Of his own nation to become the will
ling executioners. Ten thousand talents of
silver he offers to the King for the agreeable
privilege, and a certain day Is appointed,
(l8th Adar.) The King refuses this i'm
mense sum, though he gives his assent to
bis urgent request. Couriers were at once
dispatched TO the most distant provinces to
enjoin the execution of this decree. As soon
as this bloody mandate became known to
Mordecai, he covered himself with sack
cloth and ashcsi he rent the air with his
cries. Esther, hearing Of her uncle's grief,
sent "Hhtach," q fayorite servant, to de-
servant he sends the message: "If thou alto.
gether hodest thy peace ut this time, an en-
largement and deliyernnce will arise TO the
Jews from another place"
The spirit which animates him descends on
his kinswoman. Readily she prepares to
undertake the dangerous office, but she Ia
found equal to the occasion. She risks her
life by entering the royal presence uncalled,
and having by judicious management
(prayers and fasting) procured u favorable
opportunity, accuses Haman to the King OF
plotting TO destroy her and her people. Iii.
doom was sealed, and when one of the ser.
wants present intlmated that this man had
prepared gallows tlfty cubits high on which
to hang Mordecai, the King at once said,
Han nn 0h.N ,t..hf II.
forsook the King, and he points the means
employed by Providence for the preservation
of the Jews. Being unable to sleep, he COM
manded the records of his reign to be read.
The reader had providentially turned to the
part recording the conspiracy which had
been frustrated through Mordecai. The
King asked what has been the reward of
this mighty service, and being answered,
Nothing he ordered that any one being
without should be asked in. II happened
HamAn was there for the purpose to ask
leave TO hang Mordecai upon the gallows he
had prepared. He was asked what should
be done to the man the King delighted to
honor. Thinking no one else but himself
the favorite named the highest and most ex-
alted honors; but his astonlshment and dis
may were terrible when the Monarch said
"Make haste and do even so to Mordccai,
that sitteth at the Kings gate" Here we
might quote the admirable lines that every
deyout Jew repeats before laying down TO
sleep at nighti "IIenci Loki junem yeloh
jishon shomer Jisrael." The guardian Of Is-
rael slumbereth not Himself aud permits not
others TO sleep when the existence Of his peo-
pie are at stake. Haman, constrained, hur-
riedly repaired to the man whom he most
bitterly hated to attire him with the royal
robes, and to conduct him In the magnificent
cavalcade through the entire city, proclaim
ing, soto Uoee, "Thus shall It be done to the
man whom the King delighted to honor"
His downfall was now rapid; when Ahasuerus
heard OF the gallows prepared for Mordecai,
he commanded that Haman himself should
have the honor to grace 1t. The
first use Mordecai made Of the power with
which he became now invested, and which
was even greater than Haman had lost, was,
as far as possible, to counteract the decree.
1t could not be recalled, as the rulers of Persia
have no power TO rescind decree once issued
but the Jews were authorized to stand on
their defence, and eyaded In great measure
their destruction. They defended themselves
manfully. They slew 500 of the natives In
shushan alone, and about 5000 In the pro-
yinces. The contemporaries of the event
thus ordained and took upon themselves and
their seed, and upon all such as Joined them
selves unto them, not to fail in keeping
Purem.
Such Is the substance Of this ancient festi-
val NOW Tor the way II Is celebrated. The
day preceding the feast Is observed as eta
ney's Esther"-fast of Esther. In the even
ing the congregation assemble In the Syna-
goegue to listen TO the chanting of the "Me-
giila prayers and hymns follow. Amer
returning from the Synagogue some good
things are served up TO iii the inner man
1he remainder Of the festival is spent In
pleasure, the rich not forgetting their poorer
Deihren-whelher christian or gentiie-all
are made happy. Presents arc literally ex-
changed, verifying the passage, "Ye shall
make them days feastlng and rejoicing, send.
Ing presents TO one another, and distrlbuting
gifts to the poor" In the evening, parties
are given, balls and masquerade follow;
nor Is II considered breach Of the MosnIcoi
law for man ana S-oman to assume the pnrL
OF the other sex, and, as recent Jewish
dlvlne observed, (now no more y every
isIaelite In his Inward feelings and outward
oehaylors so appreciates the signal deliyerance
Noaehsaied to his fathers as II he were pres
ent ana exposed tothe imminent danger from
Mhleh they escaped. Such Is the feast Of
Luim' tn, nln not only memorial to Israelltes,
gut nAeMse testimony to all the nations of
the earth, that iust urA n -