Ingredient 3. Matanot le-Evionim (Gifts for the poor)
Sometimes, when eating, drinking and being generally merry, we
tend to forget about those who can't afford it.
W e
invite all our families to come and celebrate Purim on Friday, March
21st at 6pm at the Temple. There will be a special service,
a “Trattoria” kid-friendly dinner and special fun program! As we
encourage people to RSVP for dinner, we also request that everyone
brings with them some canned food, which we shall take to the local
food bank. Even if you cannot come to celebrate with us on March 21st,
perhaps you still want to bring some canned foods with you next time
you come to Temple? This way, the givers and the receivers remain
anonymous (to each other) which is one of the highest forms of
charitable- distribution (according to Maimonides, great Jewish
scholar and commentator). Maimonides also said in relation to Purim:
"It is better for a man to increase gifts to the poor than
to enlarge his feast and to increase gifts to his friends. For there
is no greater and more wonderful joy than to make happy the hearts of
the poor..."
The custom of giving gifts to friends, and especially to the poor,
along with praying and celebrating together, teaches us the importance
of unity and community. We are responsible for each other, and working
together we can accomplish miracles.
4. Having fun and Masking it up!
T his
is by no means a commandment, but it's fun! Because the main theme of
Purim is that things didn't turn out quite the way it seemed they
would, it became a the custom to dress up and mask one's own identity.
Get the connection? Often, people (children and grown- up children)
attend the Purim feast dressed up.
So, now knowing all the essentials of the Purim celebration you can
imagine what the Purim party might look like. Your Purim party might
look like this:
 The
Banquet of Esther and Ahasuerus
1640s, Jan Victor
Oil on canvas
Staatliche Museen, Kassel
or like this:
Esther's Feast: The Story of Esther Series
Wool and silk; tapestry.
France. Paris. 1764
Hermitage Museum
And if, like us, you are not satisfied with just seeing the fun Purim
party, there’s still a chance to celebrate with all of your friends at
WHC! |
