As we approach חג פורים, the festival of Purim, we teach our students the מצוות mitzvot (Commandments) and the customs related to the חג (festival). פורים Purim – which literally means “lots” and is sometimes known as the Feast of Lots. This is the Jewish holiday when Jews commemorate being saved from persecution in the ancient Persian Empire. Purim is a very happy festival.

מצוות (Mem) is the first letter in all of Purim’s Mitzvot. In fact, the Hebrew letter Mitsvot itself starts with the letter מ (Mem).

So, what are the Mitzvot of Purim and how are they connected to the letter מ (Mem)?

1.  מגילת אסתר (Megillat Esther)
The first Purim Mitzvah is to hear the reading of the Megillah (the book where the story is written) once on the eve of Purim and the second time on the day.

2.  משלוח מנות Mishloach Manot (Giving food “portions” to one another)
This Purim Mitzvah is for us to give food items to each other in celebration of the Chag and increasing joy.

3.  מתנות לאביונים Matanot La’Evyonim (Giving to the needy)
This Purim Mitzvah is to provide for the needy in order to remind ourselves that we are a united community as well as to reach out to people who are less fortunate than us.

4.  משתה Mishte (Feast)
This Purim Mitzvah of having a feast is in order to be happy and celebrate the miracle of the survival of the Jewish People.

We anticipated our celebration of פורים Purim on the first day of the month of אדר (Adar) which was on Wednesday 26 February 2020. In Primary School, we had a Crazy Hat Day as part of our Hebrew Rosh Leregel Rosh Chodesh Adar celebration and a joint Kabbalat Shabbat for Years K-12.

Our Year 2 class performed a song about the מנהגים minhagim (customs) of Purim during assembly time.

On Tuesday 10 March 2020, the whole school will celebrate חג (Chag) Purim and we will engage in the Mitzvot on that day.

Wishing us all a Chag Purim Sameach – a happy and fun Purim