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Unmasking the Minhagim of Purim
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Have you ever looked around at Megillah reading, wondering about why we're shaking graggers and wearing costumes? Join our Director of OU Halacha, Rabbi Ezra Sarna, as he digs into the deeper meaning behind the minhagim of Purim.
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Transcript
Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
Purim is a time when our shuls seemingly turn
inside out. Instead of everyone sitting silent
in their Shabbos finest, you might find people
making noise or wearing outrageous costumes.
Let’s take a deeper look and try to unmask
the deeper meanings behind these minhagim.
1. Machatzis Hashekel
When davening Mincha on Taanis Esther, you might
notice a plate on the bima with large silver coins
taped together. These are to remember the mitzvah
of Machatzis Hashekel (the half shekel given
for the communal karbanos). The Gemara teaches us
that it was through this mitzvah that we merited
our salvation in the Purim story. Since we can’t
bring karbanos today, we have a minhag to give
a half-shekel to tzedakah as a remembrance of
this mitzvah right before we read the megillah.
2. Dressing Up
Purim is the only time
of year you might find your shul full of clowns,
princesses, and superheroes. There are many given
reasons why some wear costumes on Purim. Perhaps
the most popular is that Hashem’s name does not
appear in the Megillah. Since he remains hidden
in the story, we hide our faces behind masks.
The Megillah places an important emphasis on
clothes. For example, Mordechai wears sackcloth
to mourn and Achashverosh’s finery when Haman
parades him through the street. Some suggest
the custom to wear royal-themed costumes reminds
us that every person has the potential to rise
to greatness, like Mordechai and Esther.
Another explanation revolves around the
mitzvah to give tzedakah to anyone who asks
on Purim. Wearing costumes allows people to
ask for what they need while concealing
their identities to avoid embarrassment.
3. Making Noise
The custom to make noise whenever Haman
is mentioned during Megillah is exciting for young
and old. The minhag finds its origin in a Midrash
which teaches us that we are required to curse the
name of a wicked person. Another reason for this
practice is that it helps children stay awake and
attentive during Megillah reading, in anticipation
of the rare chance to make noise in shul.
While today, there is nothing more iconic
than the gragger, some still fulfill this
custom with older traditions, including
banging on table tops and stomping their feet.
54 Haman’s can be a lot, which is why some
shuls have the custom to only make noise
after certain mentions of Haman’s name.
From masking up to shaking graggers, the
minhagim of Purim turn the usual on its head,
enhancing the day and its mitzvot in
ways that are impossible not to notice.