Transcript Chapter 10

Checklist
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Congregational
Projector
Blue cord to projector
Power cord extension to
projector
Computer
Power cord to computer
Mouse for computer
Net antennae
Usb cord for antennae
Usb extension for antennae
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Torah scroll
Tallit
Extra Tallit for reader
Kippa
Tsit tsits
Webcam
Shofar
Keys for building
Envelopes
Biz cards
Welcome cards
Sign
Sandwich boards
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Supplies
Plastic spoons,
knives and forks
Coffee maker
Coffee
Coffee cups
Water/juice cups
Juice
Food/desert
Tablecloth
Napkins
Temple Sheckles Available In The Hallway!
Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit
is there of circumcision? 2 Much in every way!
PENING
low the Shofar
3
3
PENING
Why do we blow the Shofar?
Exodus 19:16
“On the morning of the third day there was
thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over
the mountain, and there was the sounding of
a very loud SHOFAR blast. Everyone in the
camp trembled.”
Because this is the way G-D begins sacred
assemblies
4
4
Announcements
News
HEMA ISRAEL
Hear oh Israel
Shema Israel
Adoni
Elohaynu
(Hear
oh Israel the L-RD
our G-D)
Adoni
Echad
(The L-RD
is one)
7
7
HEMA ISRAEL
Hear oh Israel Part 2
Barukh shem k'vod malkhuto l'olam va'ed.
Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for
ever and ever.
8
8
hy do we recite/sing the SHEMA?
Because Messiah said it was the greatest Commandment
Mark 12:28-29
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard
them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had
answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the
greatest commandment of all?”
29 And Yeshua answered him, “The first of all the
commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord
our God is One Lord:”
9
9
e-nay Ma Tov
Behold how good - Psalm 133:1
Am
He-Nay Maw tove
Behold how good
Oo-maw nye—eem
And how pleasant it is
Shevet aw-heem
For brothers to dwell
Gum Yaw Hawd
In unity
10
10
men
CL 3 A
A-men ….A-men….A-men, A-men, A-men
Baw-rouk Ha-Shem, Baw-rouk Ha-Shem,
Blessed be the Name, blessed be the Name
Baw-rouk Ha-Shem Me-she-ach
Blessed be the Name of Messiah
11
11
Chavareem Toveem!
• Chavareem Toveem!
• Meet any new people. Let them see that Messianics truly
understand community and brotherly/sisterly love.
• If someone is already talking to a visitor stand in line to meet
them don’t just walk away. We want to descend on them like
they are a lost relative.
• Say hello to old friends. Find out how their week has been
going. Show that you care.
• Say hello to anyone you have something against… and give
them a hug . There is room in the Body for forgiveness.
• Exercise modesty with your hugs.
Chavareem Toveem
Chavareem Toveem
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Chavereem toveem (Good friends) Chavereem Toveem (Good friends)
this is the time to stand up and sing
Chavereem Toveem (Good friends) Chavereem Toveem (Good friends)
on this Sabbath day it's an offering we bring
Baruch HaShem chavere shellee (Blessed be The Name my friend)
we're brothers and sisters… one family
Chavereem toveem chavereem toveem
this is the time to stand up and sing
Chavereem toveem chavereem toveem
on this Sabbath day it's the offering we bring
Baruch HaShem chavere shellee
united in Him we will live throughout eternity.
Chaveereem toveem
Prayers
• My mom fell and had to be taken to the
Emergency room. My brother Mike also fell
and had to go to Emergency.
• Joann, Barbara, Pam, Karin, Jesse, Bob,
Mona and Gleeah (joining us in 3 weeks) for
physical healing.
• Prayer for Salvation for loved ones and the
Jewish people…
Prayers
• Sha'alu shalom Yerushalayim
Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. May His
Shalom (Yeshua) come quickly.
• Japan safety for the people
• Jenny’s husband Tom for safe exit out of
Japan
Prayers
-Seh Shalom
CL3 Play Em
Em
O-seh Shalom
Am
Beem rue-mawv
D7
G
Who yah-seh
Am
Shalom aw-lay-nu
D7
G
V'al kol
Em
Em
Yees-raw-ale
Am
B'-eem rue
Em
Bf7
Em
Eem rue Ah- main
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Em
Am
D7
G
Ya-a-seh sha-lom Ya-a-seh sha-lom
G
Bf7
Em
Shalom aw-lay-new V’al kol Yees-raw-ale
Sing twice 2X
May He who makes peace in His heights make peace
upon us and upon all Israel…Amen."
18
18
Special
ring our gifts to the altar
We Bring Our Sacrifice With Praise
We Bring Our Sacrifice With Praise
Unto the House of the LORD (2 X)
And we offer unto Him
Our sacrifices with thanksgiving
And we offer unto Him
Our sacrifices with joy
20
Next Week’s Parsha
• Mar 26, 2011 Shmini ("Eighth"):
• Leviticus 9:1-11:47
• Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
• Luke 7-9
No readings today
• Today we’ll be telling the story of Esther.
The Beema
• It’s so fitting that we recently
finished our Parsha readings of the
Book of Exodus. Those last chapters
in Exodus were talking about the
furnishings in the Temple and now
we have this additional furnishing to
our Synagogue.
The Beema
• We really want to thank Bob and Linda for
their work on this piece. It will be a blessing to
our Congregation for years to come.
• Matt will be the one responsible for
transporting it every week, we also want to
thank him for his pledge in doing this.
• This Beema is considered a holy furnishing
and it is to be respected as it is consecrated to
the L-rd.
The Beema
• And as the Torah instructs us, the head of the
congregation is to bless those who have made
or worked on the furnishing Exodus 39:42
• 42 The people of Isra'el did all the work just as
ADONAI had ordered Moshe. 43 Moshe saw
all the work, and-there it was! - they had done
it! Exactly as ADONAI had ordered, they had
done it. And Moshe blessed them…
The Beema
• Bob, Linda may a portion of the Blessing I
obtain be given unto you in the Name of
Yeshua HaMashiach. Thank you for your work
and may HaShem richly bless you. Shabbat
Shalom.
The Beema
• We also want to thank Danni again for
donating it. It may have seemed insignificant
at the time, but G-d has taken something that
had some years on it, it had some nicks and
cuts and recreated it into a piece that is used
in His House to bring glory to Him.
• Just as He has taken each one of us here and
made us new Creatures in Him through His
Torah and brought us into His House to shine
out into the world.
The Beema
• So we thank you for that Danni and
may G-d bless you and keep you in
His perfect Shalom.
• Baruch HaShem.
Video Cam Reminder
• Turn on the video camera.
Today’s Joke
•
An archaeologist was digging in the Negev
Desert in Israel and came upon a casket
containing a mummy, a rather rare
occurrence in Israel, to say the least. After
examining it, he called Abe, the curator of
the Israel museum in Jerusalem.
Today’s Joke
•
"I've just discovered a 3,000 year old
mummy of a man who died of heart failure!"
the excited scientist exclaimed.
Abe replied, "Bring him in. We'll check it
out."
A week later, the amazed Abe called the
archaeologist.
Today’s Joke
•
"You were right about both the mummy's
age and cause of death. How in the world
did you know?"
Today’s Joke
•
"Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand
that said, '10,000 Shekels on Goliath'."
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
By Rabbi Stanley
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
So last week we
talked a little about
Shabbat and now
we’re going to go
into it a bit deeper
then we’ll celebrate
Purim.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Shabbat isn’t just
about having a “day
off”. If you look at it
like that, you’ve
missed the essence
of it.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Shabbat is about
taking the day that
G-d has appointed
and keeping it
sanctified.
It is a day when we
reflect on our own
redemption.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
That’s why if you
didn’t keep Sabbath,
you were supposed to
be killed.
Think about it…
The most important
thing to mankind is
where we’ll spend
eternity whether
mankind realizes it or
not.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
The only way to a
favorable eternity is
through
redemption.
If the Children of
Israel didn’t take
the day to
contemplate that…
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
And just took the
attitude of “what will
be will be”…
that kind of
disposition could very
easily run rampant
through the
community and lead
to paganism or
secularism.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Let’s just look at
this country for a
moment.
45 million U.S.
adults today lack
church affiliation.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Over the last 50 years, while the U.S. population
doubled, United Methodists fell from 11 million to 7.9
million, Episcopalians dropped from 3.4 million to 2
million, the Presbyterian Church USA sank from 4.1
million to 2.2 million, etc. The religious journal First
Things (I’m not endorsing this magazine as a religious
publication) noting that mainline faiths dwindled from
50 percent of the adult U.S. population to a mere 8
percent — said that “the Great Church of America has
come to an end.” One dubbed it “Flatline
Protestantism.”
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Secularism is a danger to
humanity and G-d knew
that.
He wanted to be sure
that we, His Children,
didn’t fall into it so He
gave us Instructions to
kill anyone who didn’t
keep His Shabbat to
protect Israel from that
danger of secularism etc.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
If one didn’t keep
Shabbat and wasn’t
punished, many would
follow his or her lead.
Before you know it,
Shabbat is forgotten and
the contemplation of
redemption is reduced.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
As we contemplate
our redemption, we
grow in
understanding of
who G-d is and what
His relationship is to
us.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Ezekiel 20:19,20
"I am the LORD your God; walk in My
statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do
them; and hallow My sabbaths, and they
shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye
may know that I am the LORD your God."
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
Do you see the parallel
that’s being made
here?
Keep His Shabbat and
His Laws and you’re
connected to the
Creator of the Universe.
He becomes YOUR G-D!
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
It’s an amazing thing
to know who your Gd is and this is the
only way to the
Creator.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
The First Church (The Notzreem) and Apostles
observed Shabbat:
Acts 13:14
"Now when Paul and his company loosed from
Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John
departing from them returned to Jerusalem. But when
they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in
Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath
day, and sat down."
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
So obviously Paul
kept Shabbat as we
see in that passage.
We read just a little
further in Acts 13 and
we see this…
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
"And when the Jews were gone out of the
synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these
words might be preached to them the next
sabbath. Now when the congregation was
broken up, many of the Jews and religious
proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who,
speaking to them, persuaded them to continue
in the grace of God. And the next Sabbath day
came almost the whole city together to hear
the word of God." Acts 13:42-44
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
So here we have
some Gentiles who
overheard Rabbi
Shaul teaching and
they said to him,
“Come and preach to
us anytime of the
week”?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
NO! They said come
teach us on “Shabbat”.
So even the Gentiles
knew what was right and
said teach us on the
proper day.
I wish the Gentiles today
were as informed as
these Gentiles were
then.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
It is not up to man to
decide the things of G-d.
His appointed times are
His appointed times.
When we decide to
change those things, at
that very moment… we
have set ourselves up as
god.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
Humanity’s greatest
excuse is the excuse.
“But, but, but.” is the
prayer G-d hears
most.
It’s not “Give me this
give me that.”
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Because there’s a lot
that G-d wants to
give us and can’t
because we don’t
follow His
commandments.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Most people want
long life. If we keep
His Laws He’ll give us
that.
People
misunderstand this
portion…
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
•
Duet 16…
16 Honor your father and mother, as ADONAI
your God ordered you to do, so that you will
live long…
It’s not only honoring your mother and father.
There’s a context, read the verse directly
before it!
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
•
Therefore ADONAI your God has ordered you
to keep the day of Shabbat.
It’s a continuation and a double meaning
here.
Keep Shabbat and honor your parents.
Failing these commandments not only
resulted in lack of health. If you were caught
failing them, you were taken out and stoned
to death.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
It’s saying keep
these
commandments and
G-d will give you
good health. Don’t
keep them and you’ll
die sooner one way
or the other.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
But as Jews we don’t
keep G-d’s Laws
because of bad
consequences.
We have found true
peace by striving
towards the benefits
of keeping His Laws.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
It’s good to know
the consequences
just as it’s good to
know about hell.
But don’t keep
G-d’s laws because
your scared of hell…
it wont work that
way anyways.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
So look for the
benefits.
The greatest benefit
of Shabbat is
drawing close to
G-d.
Getting to know Him
and His character.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
And this is what we
do on Shabbat.
We then receive the
benefit of “riding on
the high places of
earth”. That’s a
Hebrew idiom for
experiencing the
abundance of G-d…
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Isaiah 58:13,14 "If thou turn away thy foot because
of the sabbath, from pursuing thy business on My
holy day (note: not the Holy Day of the Jews); and
call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD
honourable; and shalt honour it, not doing thy
wonted ways, nor pursuing thy business, nor
speaking thereof; Then shalt thou delight thyself in
the LORD, and I will make thee to ride upon the high
places of the earth, and I will feed thee with the
heritage of Jacob thy father (Note: Oracles of G-d);
for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
Keep Sabbath and
you’ll be fed the
heritage of Jacob.
Keep Sabbath and
His Oracles will be
revealed to you.
Now, we see many
passages where Paul
kept Shabbat…
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto
them, and three sabbath days reasoned with
them out of the scriptures," Acts 17:2
"And he reasoned in the synagogue every
sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the
Greeks." Acts 18:4
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
The Brit Chadasha (New
Testament) never says
the Sabbath day is
changed.
Some passages in
Scripture have been
interpreted incorrectly
to argue a Saturday-toSunday changeover, let's
examine one:
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
Acts 20:7
And upon the first day of the week, when the
disciples came together to break bread, Paul
preached unto them, ready to depart on the
morrow; and continued his speech until
midnight.
“See, see right there, Sunday they were
breaking bread see!”
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Yeah, I see but there
are many problems
in making this about
a Sunday morning
worship service.
The Church does not
have a slam dunk
here.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
First off, this could very
possibly even probably
be occurring Saturday
evening *not* Sunday
morning.
Remember Biblical days
begin at sundown and
continue until the
following sundown.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
("And God called the light Day, and the
darkness he called Night. And the evening and
the morning were the first day." Genesis 1:5 ).
So here it is the first day of the week and it is
evening. Since they are 'breaking bread' --
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
They most likely are
gathering together for
Havdalah, (Havdalah,
literally 'separation' - a
ceremony involving
bread, wine and spices
and we pray and have a
short service which
marks the end of
Shabbat).
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Havdalah begins
“Saturday” at
sunset, the disciples
would all meet
together for this
service and then
Sha'ul preached for
them until midnight.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Realize that this
wasn't until midnight
Sunday evening but
midnight *Saturday
evening*.
He didn’t preach for
12 hours or more, he
preached for 4!
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
This passage does
not show Shabbat
was changed to
Sunday, it merely
shows that the postSabbath observance
of Havdalah was
observed by the
disciples.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
There’s no slam dunk
here at all for the
Church.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
But what about the passage that says…
"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for
the Sabbath; so the Son of man is Lord even of
the Sabbath." [Mark 2:27-28; RSV].
That’s true, G-d made the Sabbath for me so I
could rest. Just as G-d gave me ALL the
Commandments for my benefit. That doesn’t
mean I can go and break them nor would I
want to because they were made for me!
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Why such a drive to
change G-d’s
Sabbath?
Sunday is a
counterfeit Sabbath
and who’s the author
of everything
counterfeit?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
We know that Satan
has always been
against G-d’s Laws,
he’s never been FOR
them.
So shouldn’t we be
very careful NOT to
please The
Adversary?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Some Pastors tell us
that the Sabbath is
no longer binding,
then why the push to
make Sunday a
Sabbath if it’s not
important to have
any Sabbath at all?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
•
•
If the Sabbath is done away with then why does it
say in Matthew 24:20
"But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,
neither on the Sabbath day“
This passage is talking about the last days no?
Then what’s so important about the Sabbath?
“The Sabbath is made for man not man for the
Sabbath??? So who cares what day we flee on???”
Obvious it is important in the last days.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
Isaiah 66 says…
22 As the new heavens and the new earth
which I will make Shall endure before me, says
the LORD, so shall your race and your name
endure.
23 From one new moon to another, and from
one sabbath to another, All mankind shall
come to worship before me, says the LORD.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Oh Sabbath during
the New Heaven and
New Earth? It
doesn’t sound too
done away with does
it?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
You can’t have it
both ways, either it’s
done away with or
it’s not and there is
zero Biblical evidence
that the Sabbath was
ever changed to any
other day other then
the 7th Day.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
“But the New
Testament talks
about the ‘Lord’s
Day’. That’s Sunday!”
Really now?
The Scripture only
mentions the Lord’s
Day one time in all of
Scripture…
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
•
•
And here it is…
Revelation 1:10
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and
heard behind me a great voice, as of a
trumpet,“
I don’t see anything there about that being the
First Day.
For all we know it could be talking about the
7th Day.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
•
Matter of fact, chances are it IS talking about
the 7th Day.
G-d says that the 7th Day is HIS Day. It never
says the First Day is His Day.
The 7th Day is the Day to keep…
"Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep
the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath
throughout their generations, for a perpetual
covenant." Exodus 31:16
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
Now, I don’t know
everything about
Judaism and I don’t
claim to. No Jew does. I
don’t know everything
about Christianity either
no Christian does, both
subjects are too vast.
But I try to pass on what
I do know.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
One thing I do know, is
that G-d told us to keep
Shabbat, so one has to
show me some really
concrete Scriptural
proof before I’d consider
not keeping it.
Why do we call the
Shabbat “The Queen”?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
As Jews we liken the
Shabbat to a Queen
and often even call it
“Queen Shabbat”.
When Shabbat is
coming it’s like
royalty coming to our
humble homes.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
We rush to get the
house ready for the
Queen and we put out
our best china and silver
and prepare our best
meal of the week
finishing the
preparations just before
sundown on Friday
night.
What else do we do?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
As the sun sets, we
light 2 candles.
These two candles
represent 2
commandments: to
remember (zakhor)
Shabbat, and to
observe (shamor)
Shabbat.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
When celebrating
Shabbat we will
sometimes recall
Creation and how
G-d rested on the 7th
day.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
If G-d's work can be
set aside for a day of
rest, how can we
believe that our own
work is too
important to set
aside temporarily?
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Another thing we
remember during
Shabbat is our
freedom from the
Pharaoh in Egypt.
“Well what does that
have to do with
Shabbat?”
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
•
In Deuteronomy 5:15, while Moses reiterates the Ten
Commandments, he says this…
14But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD
thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor
thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor
thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any
of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates;
that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest
as well as thou.
The very next verse says this…
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
15And remember that thou wast a servant in
the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God
brought thee out thence through a mighty
hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore
the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep
the sabbath day.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
What does the
Exodus have to do
with resting on the
seventh day? It's all
about freedom. In
ancient times, leisure
was confined to
certain classes;
slaves did not get
days off.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
•
Thus, by resting on
Shabbat, we are
reminded that we are
free.
But in a more general
sense, Shabbat frees us
from our weekday
concerns, from our
deadlines and
schedules and
commitments.
Messianic Judaism 101
Class 4
•
During the week, we
are slaves to our jobs,
to our need to provide
for ourselves; on
Shabbat, we are freed
from these concerns,
much as our ancestors
were freed from slavery
in Egypt.
Purim
•
•
Today is Purim which
also marks a day of
freedom from our
enemies and a day
we are free from
persecution.
It’s a day of
celebration.
Purim
• Purim ‫ּפּורים‬means
ִ
"lots", from the
word pur, it’s a
borrowed word
from the Persian
language.
Purim
•
The holiday
commemorates the
deliverance of our
people in the
ancient Persian
Empire from
destruction in the
wake of a plot by
Haman, recorded in
the Book of Esther
(Megillat Esther).
Purim
•
Purim is celebrated
annually according
to the Hebrew
calendar on the 14th
day of Adar the day
following the victory
of the Jews over our
enemies.
Purim
•
Purim is characterized
by public recitation of
the Scroll of Esther
(keriat ha-megillah)…
We’ll be doing a
summarized version….
It’s also a time of giving
gifts and giving charity
to the poor.
Purim
•
Other customs
include drinking
wine, wearing
masks and
costumes, and
public
celebration.
Purim
•
•
It’s also
characteristic to
make cookies called
Hamanstashin.
They’re made to
look like little
triangular hats.
It’s a happy time and
a time of feasting.
Purim
•
•
Now before I start
the story of Esther,
everyone needs to
write the name of
Haman on the
bottom of their
shoes.
Please do that now.
Purim
•
And every time I
mention the name
of Haman, stomp
your feet and
say/yell “May his
name be blotted out
forever!”.
Purim
•
•
You can also use your
groggers to make some
noise and blow your
whistles as well as boo
and hiss at the name of
Haman.
Ok here we go, I’ll now
tell the story of Esther.
Purim
•
Chapter 1
The Book of Esther opens with a description of
an enormous 180-day party thrown by King
Achashverosh in his 3rd year as king of the
Persian Empire, ruling over 127 provinces. As
the days of feasting draw to a close, he
summons his wife, Vashti, to show off her
beauty. But Vashti refuses to come and the
king, following his ministers' advice, has her
banished.
Purim
•
Chapter 2
As time passes, Achashverosh realizes the
consequences of his actions and misses his queen.
The deed, however, is done. Seeing that their ruler
regretted the action that they suggested, the
ministers propose that he find a new queen via an
elaborate beauty contest of all the kingdom's
beautiful maidens. From all over the 127 provinces,
beautiful women are brought to the palace for the
king to select his new queen.
Purim
•
In Shushan, the capital city, lives a beautiful
Jewess named Esther (also called Hadassah). She
is an orphan who was raised by her uncle,
Mordechai, one of the leaders of the Jewish
people in exile. When they come to take her to
the palace, Mordechai, insightfully instructs her
not to reveal that she is a Jewess or who her
family is. Needless to say, after a 12 month
process, Esther is deemed the fairest of them all.
Purim
•
"The king loved Esther more than all the
women, and she carried charm and favor
before him more than all the other virgins,
so he placed the royal crown on her head,
and made her queen in place of Vashti“
(Esther 2:17).
Purim
•
While Mordechai does not reveal his
relationship to the new queen, he frequents
the palace gates to hear news of Esther's well
being. One day he overhears two men plotting
to murder the king and he quickly sends word
to Esther, who reveals the plot to the king in
the name of Mordechai. The plotters are
caught and executed, and Mordechai 's name
and deed are written in the king's Book of
Chronicles.
Purim
•
Chapter 3
In the meantime, Achashverosh appoints
Haman the Agagite as Prime Minister and
issues a decree that all should bow to him.
Mordechai refuses to bow down before
Haman. Mordechai's refusal infuriates Haman.
Already driven by his family's historic hatred
of the Jewish people, Haman goes to King
Achashverosh (with 10,000 silver pieces) and
asks for permission to destroy the Jews.
Purim
•
He presents the issue to the king as a matter
of loyalty, saying "There is a certain people,
scattered and spread out among the peoples
in all the states of your kingdom, their laws
are different from other peoples and they do
not observe the king's laws, so it is not worth
it for the king to leave them alive" (Esther 3:8).
Purim
• The king agrees and issues an edict to all
127 provinces saying that on the 13th of
Adar, the Jews in all the provinces are to
be exterminated and their property kept
as plunder.
Purim
•
Chapter 4
Upon hearing this vile edict, Mordechai dons
sackcloth and ashes. He quickly sends word to
Esther that she must go to the king and stop
this horrible decree from becoming reality.
Esther, however, is afraid to approach the king.
It is known that anyone who approaches the
king without being summoned faces the
chance of death. But Mordechai sees the
bigger picture and tells Esther…
Purim
•
"Do not imagine that [you can] save yourself
in the king's palace from the fate of all the
Jews. For if you indeed keep silent at this time,
relief and salvation will come to the Jews from
another source, and you and your father's
household will perish.
Purim
•
And who knows that but for a time like this
you are in a royal position?!“ (Esther 4:13-14)
Summoning all of her courage, Esther agrees
to go to the king but she first asks Mordechai
to request all the Jews to fast for three days
and repent for their own sins while praying for
the decree against them to be reversed.
Purim
•
Chapter 5
With great trepidation and dressed in her
most beautiful robes, Esther approaches King
Achashverosh. As she walks towards his
throne she prays that G-d has taken into
account the three days of fasting and
repentance. Seeing the beautiful queen, the
king holds out his golden scepter, a sign that
she is welcome in his court, and offers to grant
her any request.
Purim
•
Modestly, Esther requests only that Achashverosh
and his Prime Minister Haman join her for a private
feast. Pleased at her minimal request, which shows
him that she was a wise choice as queen, the King
agrees. Haman is summoned and the three dine
together. At the end of the feast, the king once again
tells her to ask whatever she would of him and she
only requests that the king and Haman join her for a
second feast on the following day.
Purim
•
After the private feast, Haman sets out for his
home well pleased with the great favor shown
to him by the queen. On his way, however, he
passes Mordechai, who once again refuses to
bow, reigniting Haman's fury. By the time
Haman reaches his home, he is crazed with
anger at Mordechai's refusal to bow - after all,
he is Haman,
Purim
•
second to the king and so beloved even by the
queen! He tells his wife, Zeresh, and his
gathered friends "Even Queen Esther did not
bring anyone else with the king except me, to
the feast she prepared, and tomorrow as well,
I am invited to her feast with the king.
Purim
•
All this is worth nothing to me, every time I
see Mordechai the Jew sitting at the king's
gate!“ (Esther 5:12-13) . Zeresh, who equals
her husband in wickedness, suggests that
Haman immediately build a gallows on which
to hang Mordechai personally. He does, with
the assistance of his ten sons.
Purim
•
Chapter 6
That night, King Achashverosh is unable to
sleep. After tossing and turning, he calls for his
ministers to bring him the Book of Chronicles
and read it to him.
Purim
•
The section is read that recalls the great
service rendered to him by Mordechai for
uncovering the plot on the king's life and
Achashverosh realizes that he has never
rewarded Mordechai. Just as the king is
deciding how to best reward a man who has
saved his life, Haman enters.
Purim
• He has come, after building the gallows,
to ask the king for permission to hang
Mordechai. Before he can speak,
however, the king asks his opinion on
how the king can best honor a most loyal
subject.
Purim
•
Thinking that the king is referring to him,
Haman suggests that the king dress the
subject in the king's finest robes and have him
led around town on the king's steed. Pleased
with the suggestion, he orders Haman to dress
Mordechai in the finest royal robes and to lead
him around Shushan on his best stallion.
Purim
•
Chapter 7
After returning home feeling thoroughly
humiliated, Haman is summoned to the palace
to dine with the King and Queen. As the
banquet comes to a close, Esther tells the king
that someone seeks her death and the death
of her people. Outraged, the king demands to
know who this man is. Esther reveals her
identity as a Jew and identifies Haman as the
archenemy.
Purim
•
Overcome by anger, the king went out to "the
garden orchard, while Haman stood up to
plead for his life from Queen Esther...The king
then returned from the garden orchard to the
wine feast chamber, [just as] Haman was
falling on the couch on which Esther was lying.
Purim
•
The king said, ‘Does he also intend to assault
the queen in my presence here in the
palace?!'" (Esther 7:7-8) The king will not be
placated, and Haman is hanged from the very
gallows that he built for Mordechai.
Purim
•
Chapter 8
Achashverosh now sees the damage that his
late Prime Minister has caused and appoints
Mordechai as his new Prime Minister. The very
first edict that Mordechai and Esther issue
grants the Jews the right to defend themselves
against those who try to harm them.
Purim
•
Chapter 9
When the 13th of Adar arrives, the Jews successfully
defeat their enemies throughout the provinces,
although in Shushan the battle continues throughout
the day of the 14th of Adar. The ten sons of Haman
are killed and their bodies are hanged publicly.
•
When their enemies are vanquished, the Jews
celebrate their survival with great feasts!
Purim
•
Mordechai, as the spiritual leader of the
Jewish people, and Esther, declare that
henceforth the 14th of Adar shall be a day of
feasting in all of the outlying provinces, but
the 15th shall be a day of feasting in the city of
Shushan, for these were the days on which the
threat was abated.
Purim
•
Mordechai also codified the particular
practices of the holiday of Purim: the reading
of the Megillah, the festive meal, gifts of food
and charity to the poor.
Purim
•
Chapter 10
"King Achashverosh then imposed a tax on the
mainland and on the sea islands. And the
entire account of his power and might, and
the details of Mordechai's greatness which the
king promoted, are indeed recorded in the
Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Media and
Persia.
Purim
•
•
•
For Mordechai the Jew was King
Achashverosh's viceroy, the leader of the
Jews, and accepted by most of his brethren,
promoting his people's welfare and preaching
peace for all their descendants" (Esther 10).
END
Now, we have a Purim song by the
Maccabeats!
The End