The San Francisco call., 1899-02-26
FEAST OF PURlM
And
What 1t Means to the Jews

" HE Jews ordained, and took upon
them, and upon their seed. and upon
all such as Joined themselves unto
them, so as it should not fail, that
Il they would keep these two days ac-
cordfng to their writing, and according
to their appointed time every year.-Es-
ther ix:N.
n "a a long time since this writing was
set down In the sacred records OF the
Mosaic dispensation, yet with tnat won
derful fidelity TO tradition which mas ever
characterized the race, the Jews nave
naver failed to celebrate, by every KIND
az feasting and rejoicing the annual
faasf of Purirn. The event taxes place
annually on the 18th day OF the month or
Adar. which corresponds to. our $50 OF
February, and commentaries one Oh tne
most remarkable escapes which the jew
,sh nation ever had from total destruc
ton. ,os,
II was In the year Of the world 32sI' or
p. G. 473. that Esther, the beautiful Jew
ish maiden, aided by the willy Moroecal, q,
Haman. king Ahasueruss whose moTals NOR
we're not entirely above reproacn. LOOK
great fancy to Esther, ana 1e her ~ inilIY deYeap
ths mans of Haman but to raise the Jews
into a dominant position in the ian1 a. 9a
knows how Haman erected a gallows MY
cubits high, on which to hang MoraeSaI 'sS
and his compatriots IL In,s TINS nleas Was as
high fh' as a large ships mast, and i is ,G dII-
ficiIlt to see how Hannah with the nm
tied meehancal apPllancrssS Pa1nrsng % 'fe feat But
there is no doubt about his haVlng pee.
strIlng up on his own scaffold, Lor She
pm Phi os s,,,rviIes as a proverb wherever the
Bible is known ana feaq: ..,o- oto,,+ +ha
There are several peculiaritles aoouI nv
|aasf of Purim which mark it as an eVenI
anart from all other Jewish celebratlonsS;
II is not a religious festival, IKE .nat 3t,,e1
the Passover; it t has II no elIo AIl that is re-
0,,ired of the people is that tney Snaii at
enjoy themselves in every Possiuue sVen
an anu t,,s see rerv ~ noorest. are made happy. OF
course there is a. religious serEicetf fbe
that is only at the commenoe-iilHT,eay ne H,ay inter-
FeTe with the merrymakers Inc Ii 1rtnJi- fni
Eox mode of procedure Is more closeas soo1
lowed in Europe than IN ,at ie after sun
ct the congregation is requIgp iSssshfaas- ~ IS
10 the synagogue, where lHe PoJn oho11t this
- 80 fs read peculiar feature aOout us .s
nelns Iner ls is that the rabbi does not read IN
the ordinary way, but intones he un rabbi is
Waod Wit "a antor he can bring tears 70 Ine
q 81 his listeners as he recltes Iilis oiar pa
eeSSetic story of the nations triumph oNe-
its oppressorrno;a sToarroarkable feature about this
service is that it is the only one ,oa+ter "a Of
a collection is taken up @ 1xholesome pre-
SSuSice AGAINST passing the plate aIounu rt
iSSoir syoa goglieS and never 90 II eNcSppo
- some yerv special cause but 10. SGa irt
reason. the explanatioa or WhiSa 1Sa nH,ston 10
in antiquity, it has come 70 p,a1 pe ,I,e en5 FOR
to pass the plate round d.ia1it AT IN aid of
the wealthy to give ipei eiiS 80
their poorer brethren. .;,ory notious
Then contrary to all ORDINARY H9tioii;s tQl 20
of reIigious etiquette, the congregaIo9Ii 10
allowed to do some very pec1ul1lat+ ~ I5s
Wbenever the name of the deteSteo ma ma
man is mentioned the worshlpers staInp
IHenrously on the floor and eXcla1m IN a
Io,7S voice s.Iet his name be blotted out.
NIso the rabbi when reading these pas
saees runs over them very raploiy, ms as
ff To minimize their importance lie
names of twelve sons OF dainan, an, ,yd1p W.
Sons of contempt the congregation ex-
ci5intne, ssRlessed be the lSrae1teS!
cursed be- Haman, blessed be Mordecal
Once this service Is over the secular sloe
of the festival begins, and the people are
out restraint Masquerade balls dinners;
theater parties any form of fun and
frolic are all in order. 1t used to be the
custom to perform, a kind. of miracle play
on this occasion, and the practice is still
kept up in some remote parts, ana In the
orphan asylums. The whoIe oramatIc
story of Esther is performed by charac-
ters dressed in female attire. and II the
acting is good the play is bound to excite
the most thrilling interest
IT is a moot question with the pundits
whether Christ did not himself observe
the feast of Purinn, and it is also claimed
that, in the early days, the celebration
was identical with the feast of the Pass
over. At any rate, the event has always
had firm hold upon the minds OF the
people, and there is a proverb which says.
1.-THE temple may fall, but Purim never.