FORT SILL, Okla., March 31, 2016 -- Queen Esther, wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia, holds a revered place in Jewish history. She risked her life to stop the king's second-in-command from annihilating all of the Jews simply because one man refused to bow to him.
In a story fit for a movie or a novel, the biblical tale of intrigue, loyalty and faith is the hallmark of the Jewish celebration of Purim.
The annual reading of the Book of Esther, also known as the Megillah, was at Quarry Hill Chapel, March 23. Chaplain (Capt.) Mark Edelstein of the 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus Air Force Base, officiated.
Booklets were given to the participants, and several people volunteered to read chapters from the Megillah.
Edelstein sang the beginning portion in Hebrew, reading from the traditional parchment scroll made of sheepskin. He also held up the sacred scroll for those who had never seen it and its Hebrew writing.
Participants took turns reading portions of the Book of Esther, and the plot unfolded. King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes), after making "merry with wine" at a celebration, ordered his wife to disrobe in front of the guests, wearing only her crown. She refused, and for that the king had her removed.
A new queen was sought to take her place in the harem. Esther was cousin to Mordecai, a Jewish palace guard. She became the king's favored wife, and thus queen.
One of the king's high officials, Haman, had an inflated view of his own self-importance, and despite having power and wealth, couldn't stand Mordecai's refusal to bow before him. "We all know someone like him," said Edelstein. "He has everything but this one little thing."
Thus disrespected, Haman decided to kill not only Mordecai, but all the Jews in the kingdom. He convinced the king to give the decree, and Haman set the date for the slaughter.
Although Esther was queen, addressing the king without being summoned could cost her life.
However, Mordecai convinced her she must appeal to the king to save the lives of all her countrymen. She told the king that even her own life would not be spared in the genocide, since she, too, was Jewish. The king could not rescind his decree, as that would make it look as if he had made a bad decision, so he agreed to allow the Jews to defend themselves. Not only did they do so, they annihilated 75,000 enemies. Thus today's Jews see Esther as the savior of their people.
The word Purim comes from the Hebrew word "pur" which refers to the throwing of the dice.
"We see things as completely random, like the throwing of the dice," said Edelstein. "No one has control of how the dice are going to land."
During the reading, every time Haman's name was mentioned, participants twirled graggers, noisemakers designed to "obliterate" Haman's name from history.
The Book of Esther does not mention God directly, unlike nearly all of the other books of the Old Testament. "He is behind the scenes," said Edelstein. "God in our daily lives is behind the scenes as well." He said there are symbols in the Jewish celebration that imply that good things are hidden behind bad events. Even the traditional triangular pastry called Hamantaschen (Haman's pockets), which was enjoyed after the reading, reveals a sweet fruit jam inside the "pocket" of an evil man.
In addition to reading the Book of Esther, Jews celebrate Purim by presenting gifts to each other, giving to the poor and feasting. Purim is observed on the 14th day of Adar, the 12th month of the Jewish calendar.
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