What is Purim? Common Asked Questions
Before we discuss what Purim is, we’ll answer the question everyone wants to know… When is Purim?
This year Purim starts in the evening Monday, March 9 and ends Tuesday, March 10 when it gets dark.
What is Purim? That is a very good question. Many people think it is the Jewish version of Halloween. We Dress up in costumes. We have parties and we even drink wine!
On the contrary, Purim is one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar. It says Yom Kippur is called Yom H’Kipurim, Likened to Purim which shows exactly how holy it is.
Great miracles took place on Purim and this is why we celebrate.
On Purim, we read over the story that took place. Haman wanted to wipe out all the Jews of Persia and he had the king on board with him.
As we all know, Mordechai and Esther saved the day and the evil Haman was killed.
One of the reasons we dress up in our costumes on Purim is to remember that G-d was hidden throughout the entire story.
Everything was a hidden miracle. This is a big part of the mitzvot we do on Purim. As you know, each mitzvah has an action that corresponds with it.
To show that action, we dress up in our costumes. Some people dress as firefighters, policemen, and even Hatzala Volunteers.
Purim is a special time, great miracles took place for the Jewish people and this is why we celebrate.
This is also why it’s important to stay safe on Purim. At Hatzalah Beit Shemesh, we get more than our usual amount of calls on Purim.
We see our share of hidden miracles all the time, but we must not take that for granted.
On Purim, if you are drinking, be responsible. Take care to hydrate, and understand your limits.