Last
night at sundown the Jewish holiday Purim began and
continues until tonight's sun set. Back in
2012 the celebration coincided with International
Women’s Day on March 8. This year
the slippery Jewish lunar calendar missed
that by four days. But what the hell,
like horseshoes and hand grenades we’ll declare close good
enough.
Back
then I was intrigued because at the center of Purim is one of the few women of
the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament to take a leading role in
the story. The lovely Queen Esther always struck me as
wonderfully subversive and feminist. So I wrote her a poem imagining her sitting
down with some contemporary sisters.
But
first to familiarize folks with her story and the joyous festival which
commemorates it—I’m talking to my fellow Goyim—a
pause to review just what the hell went on.
 |
| Queen Esther Revealing Her Identity from a stunning series of contemporary mosaics of the Purim story by Lilian Borca. |
A young girl, Esther, is picked by a drunken Persian king to be his new bride. She keeps her Jewish identity a secret. Meanwhile her protector and cousin Mordecai discovers a plot to kill the
king and by informing saves his life.
The King appoints the vain and treacherous Haman as his new vizier. Haman is offended when Mordecai is insufficiently obsequious to him in
public. Miffed, he plots to have not
just Mordecai, but all of the Jews of kingdom killed. He gets the king, who has been participating
in public drinking festivals for six
months and is perhaps a tad addled, to sign such a decree.
After sending words to the Jews of the kingdom to join in a three day fast
and prayer Esther gets the king drunk yet again at a royal drinking festival
that she hosts with Haman among the guests. After the first night of debauchery
Esther reads to the King the annals
of Mordecai’s life saving service.
She then
asks Haman what boon the King should give to a man who has done him great
service. Vainly thinking she means him,
Haman says the honoree should be dressed in the royal robes and paraded
before the people on the king’s own
horse.
The king astounds Haman by bestowing the boon on Mordecai and orders him to
see that the command is carried out.
On the second night of the Festival Esther reveals that she is Jewish as is
her cousin and that by the edict the king himself had signed all of her people,
and she herself were marked for death.
Outraged, the king orders Haman hung
on the gallows built for Mordecai and names the Jew as his new Vizier. He cannot revoke his own edict, but he issues
another which allows Jews to arm themselves and slay their attackers. On the 13th
Day of Adar the planned attacks are launched but the Jews slay their
attackers by the hundreds and thousands, including all seven sons of Haman.
The Jewish people are saved and flourish for a while as never before in
exile.
 |
| Women in a Purim equality protest during Purim in Jerusalem, 2013. |
Purim celebrates the deliverance exuberantly with costumed recreations of
the story, noise makers meant to drown out Haman’s name whenever it is read in
the telling of the story, special foods, and, of course plenty of drinking and
merrymaking.
The story of Esther, heroine and savior of her People, resonates with women
whether Jewish or Gentile.
Purim/International Women’s Day
14th day of Adar 5772/March 8, 2012
Queen Esther tossed her head,
gleaming black hair
tumbling to those
lovely shoulders
that had enticed a
lecher King.
She
laughed.
Her people, the Women of another age,
leaned toward her
waiting her word.
She cast her blazing eyes upon them,
laughed again
and spoke at last.
“So many Hamans. Where shall we
begin?”
—Patrick Murfin
this is wonderful thank you
ReplyDelete