מִקְרָא מְגִילָה
מִֹשְתֶה
מִֹשְלוֹחַ מַנוֹת
מַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיוֹנִים
Reading the Megillah
Feasting and Gladness
Sending Gifts (portions of food) to friends
Presents to the Poor
(כ)וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מָרְדֳּכַ֔י אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח סְפָרִ֜ים אֶל־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּכָל־מְדִינוֹת֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ הַקְּרוֹבִ֖ים וְהָרְחוֹקִֽים׃ (כא)לְקַיֵּם֮ עֲלֵיהֶם֒ לִהְי֣וֹת עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֠ת י֣וֹם אַרְבָּעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְחֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֔ר וְאֵ֛ת יוֹם־חֲמִשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר בּ֑וֹ בְּכָל־שָׁנָ֖ה וְשָׁנָֽה׃ (כב)כַּיָּמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־
נָ֨חוּ בָהֶ֤ם הַיְּהוּדִים֙ מֵא֣וֹיְבֵיהֶ֔ם וְהַחֹ֗דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נֶהְפַּ֨ךְ לָהֶ֤ם מִיָּגוֹן֙ לְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמֵאֵ֖בֶל לְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת אוֹתָ֗ם יְמֵי֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה וְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמִשְׁל֤וֹחַ מָנוֹת֙ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֔הוּ וּמַתָּנ֖וֹת לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִֽים׃
(20)Mordecai recorded these events. And he sent dispatches to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near and far, (21)charging them to observe the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar, every year— (22)the same days on which the Jews enjoyed relief from their foes and the same month which had been transformed for them from one of grief and mourning to one of festive joy. They were to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor.
in My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew, by Abigail Pogrebin, p. 167
Today we think about Purim as a day of partying and excessive drinking and masquerading and customs, but it's actually so much deeper than that. If we look at what's happened to the character of Haman, he has been imbued with every enemy of the Jewish people. Haman has taken on the face of whatever threat we Jews were, and are now, confronting. At different times in Jewish history, we've called Haman the different names of our oppressors. We've dressed him up in different garb and allowed him to represent each peril. There's always a Haman.