Although there are many aspects of Purim that appeal to children, I was a 60-year-old adult before I gained a fuller appreciation of the holiday this year. Now you might ask: Why am I talking about Purim when we just celebrated Tu B'Shevat a few days ago? Well, that will be clearer in a few minutes.
As a girl raised in an Orthodox synagogue, and in an only slightly observant home, I was not exposed to a full explanation of Purim. Over the years, I enjoyed my share of waving groggers at the sound of Haman's name, eating hamantaschen, devising costumes for my sons, and even drinking Purim schnapps, certainly gaining a better appreciation of Esther, but that was about it.
Then, in the past year, in my role as Adat Shalom Fundraising Chair, Jaime Banks introduced me to the concept of Mishloach Manot and Rabbi Fred taught me about Matanot L'Evyonim, two ancient Purim customs that were totally new to me. Mishloach Manot is the mitzvah of sharing portions (manot) with others, usually food items. Matanot L'Evyonim is the mitzvah of giving gifts to the poor.
Rabbi Fred introduced us to various Judaic sources, including the writings of Conservative Rabbi Isaac Klein and Phillip Goodman's 1949 JPS Purim Anthology. Although not two of the 613 mitzvot, these two Purim customs are cited in the biblical Esther text itself, near the end of the Megillah. In Chapter 9: Verse 22, the Megillah talks about "sending portions" to friends on Purim, and giving gifts to the poor. According to Rabbi Fred, "That makes it one of those bizarre commandments which is not in the Torah, but is insinuated as a biblical commandment nonetheless in the later biblical literature. As a result, a tradition emerged of sending a minimum of two manot/portions to friends and family, and a cash/tzedakah gift to a minimum of two people in need."
According to Rabbi Klein, the customs are referred to in the Shulchan Aruch Orech Hayim 694 and 695. Families, especially the women, exchange gifts of foods and pastries. The custom of giving gifts to the poor on Purim has become a casualty of our modern system of organized charities. In ages past, it was ordained that on Purim, people were to be extra generous, giving to all who asked without question. It is still customary in many congregations to put collection plates on a table in the vestibule of the synagogue. The contributions are called machatzit ha-shekel, in memory of the half-shekel that was collected in ancient days around Purim-time for the upkeep of the Temple in Jerusalem.
In more contemporary times, and especially recently in the greater Washington community, the practice of Mishloach Manot has become a popular vehicle for organizational fundraising. The most common practice that we know about involves people paying varying amounts of money to send Purim greetings to others. At first glance, we thought we had discovered another great fundraising tool. However, upon closer review, we realized we needed an option that was true to Adat Shalom's values of inclusiveness, education and Tzedakah, while avoiding the possibility of some members getting lots of greetings and others not getting any.
Just a few weeks ago, with input from the Executive Committee and Rabbi Fred, Jaime Banks and I crafted the "Adat Shalom Purim Project" that has been adopted. You will soon learn the details in the February edition of The Scroll, on the Adat Shalom web site, and in a letter to be mailed to all members.
In the Adat Shalom Purim Project, each member is invited to purchase for $6 each a Purim gift bag that will include a small variety of traditional Mishloach Manot goodies to share with other families and friends. The bags will contain hamantashen, Israeli candy and snacks. The bags will also include a card explaining the Purim customs of Mishloach Manot and Matanot L'Evyonim. For the custom of Matanot L'Evyonim, you are also invited to include a voluntary contribution of any amount that we will send to benefit Ramat Lechi, the youth after-school program in Bet Shemesh, Israel that our community has helped to support over the past few years.
We hope you will share in the excitement we feel about this project. I personally have grown just from the process of moving from our initial ideas to plans more in keeping with who we are as a community. One playful Purim tradition is the wearing of masks and costumes. But another contemporary practice is to use Purim as a time to study and reflect upon taking off our masks and experimenting with greater authenticity.
The process of re-working our original ideas with an emphasis on fundraising, to the new idea that incorporates our cherished values of inclusivity, low cost and Tzedakah, has been another rich experience for me. Once again, Adat Shalom values paved the way for sound decisions and a project truer to who we are as a community.
This new project is no longer planned as the grand fundraiser we once imagined. The annual High Holiday Appeal and the very important Capital Campaign are our two major fundraisers. Although we may realize some profit, this new project provides an opportunity to incorporate ancient meaningful traditions into our contemporary lives. Once Purim is over, we will ask for feedback to help us evaluate the success of the program and to determine its continuation.
So, yes, let's continue to honor Esther, to laugh at another fabulous Adat Shalom Purim Shpiel, and wave our groggers, but let us also embrace these ancient customs now new to Adat Shalom.