Jeremy Rosen
Can We Take Purim Seriously?
Summary
Jeremy Rosen discusses the story of Purim, including the figures King Ahasuerus, Queen Vashti, Esther, Mordecai, and Haman. He examines the historical accuracy and interpretation of those events.
Jeremy Rosen
Manchester-born Jeremy Rosen was educated at Cambridge University England and Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He has practiced as an orthodox rabbi, as principal of Carmel College in the UK, and as professor at the Faculty for Comparative Religion in Antwerp, Belgium. He has written and lectured extensively in the UK and the US, where he now resides and was the rabbi of the Persian-Jewish community in Manhattan.
According to the Megillah, there are two days of celebration. In the diaspora, we only have one day. We read the Megillah in the evening and in the morning. Then the main party is on the day of Purim itself. And the party consists of food and drink, and you have to send presents around. Wherever you live you’ll see kids going around with presents to take to their neighbours and with gifts for the poor and a lot of drinking.
When the Messiah comes, all the festivals will be scrapped and we won’t need them anymore because we’ll be so close to God we won’t need these rituals to keep us going. But the one festival that will remain will be Purim. And why Purim? Well, because Yom Kippurim, the day of Kippur, ends with the word Purim. Therefore Yom Kippur will turn into a day of rejoicing and being happy in the beauty of the Messianic era. And therefore we’ll turn agony into joy.