The recipes included in this unit were chosen because they lend themselves to preparation over a period of time and can be frozen easily until such time as they are needed to assemble the packages just before Purim. The assortment was designed to provide a variety of flavors and textures that will make an impressive-looking, delicious, and easily transportable package that can stay at room temperature, if necessary, for a few days.
The Story of Purim and the Giving of Mishloach Manot
During ancient times in Persia, an evil minister named Haman schemed and connived his way into a position of enormous influence with the King. When King Ahasueras decreed that all must bow down to Haman, a Jew named Mordechai, refused. Haman used this opportunity to accuse the Jews of being disloyal and persuaded the king to set a date for the extermination of all the Jews in the country. The date was to be set by the casting of “lots” or Purim in Persian. Unknown to both Haman and King Ahasueras was the fact that the beloved Queen Esther was a Jew and a cousin to the condemned Mordechai. She prepared a feast for the king and, at the risk of her own life, pleaded with the king to spare her people’s lives. This made the king realize what a danger Haman had become and so the king had him hanged on the gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordechai. On the date that had been scheduled for the destruction of the Jews (the thirteenth of Adar), the king allowed them to take vengeance on the enemies who wished to destroy them. On the following day, there was a great celebration of the victory, but in the walled capital city of Shushan, the fighting continued for one more day and so the celebration was delayed. As a result, it is customary for Jews in walled cities to celebrate Purim on the fifteenth of the month of Adar, rather than the fourteenth as elsewhere. This celebration is called Shushan Purim, but in reality, the celebration is such a major event in Israel that most people celebrate both days.
The holiday is marked by a carnival and parade called Ad’lo’yada which comes from the Talmudic suggestion that one should drink enough wine so that he “doesn’t know the difference” between the names Mordechai and Haman during the reading of the Megillah, or scroll which tells the story of Queen Esther. Children and adults dress in masquerade. A special noise-maker called a “grogger” is used during the raucous telling of the story. Its purpose is to blot out the name of Haman each time the name is read during the narrative. A festive meal is eaten afterward called a Purim Se’udah during which merriment and joke-telling are the order of the day. It is also a time to distribute gifts of food called mishloach manot in Hebrew to friends, relatives, and the poor.
Triangular-shaped cookies called hamantashen are a traditional treat among the Ashkenazim, but how they came to be associated with Purim is obscure. One explanation is that they already existed in the form of mohn tashen, meaning poppy-seed pockets. The similarity of the name of these cookies may have caused them to be renamed Haman taschen as a remembrance of the bribes that lined the evil Haman’s pockets. In Israel, they are known as oznai Haman, or Haman’s ears.
As part of the remembrance, many of the restaurants in Israel are closed during Ta’anit Esther, a yearly fast day on the Jewish calendar that commemorates the fast that the Jewish community and Esther undertook before she risked her life to petition the king.
The Sending of Mishloach Manot
The ninth chapter of the Book of Esther, (verse 19) states: “Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the 14th day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a holiday, and of sending portions to one another mishloach manot.”
There are many traditions that descend from this one verse:
Haman accused the Jews of being “a scattered, and divided nation.” Thus, the Jewish people send gifts to each other in order to show that they are not divided, but rather are united. The mitzvah of performing acts that unite the (sometimes divisive) community can be achieved equally through the giving of celebratory gifts as well as with the sending of conciliatory words, many of which are suggested in the Torah itself.
Another reason for the mitzvah appears in the Terumat Ha-Deshen (sec. 111) of Rabbi Israel Isserlein (15th century, Vienna), who writes: “It appears that the reason for this mitzvah is so that everyone can fulfill the mitzvah of eating a proper, festive meal on Purim.” Since it is enjoined upon everyone to celebrate, both rich and poor, the expectation is that no one is embarrassed that they may not have the means to celebrate, as gifts should be sent to rich and poor alike, so all have the means to celebrate.
The minimal requirement of the tradition is that every adult Jewish person is required to send, on the day of Purim, at least two ready-to-eat food items to at least one friend. Ready-to-eat food (not items that need further preparation) are specifically used to assemble mishloach manot packages.
An addition to the obligation of sending mishloach manot on Purim is to give money to those who are less fortunate, and it is considered a bigger mitzvah to give money to those in need than to give more people mishloach manot (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 141:1-2).
A Note on Packaging Mishloach Manot
Purim is the Jewish festival that immediately follows Tu B’Shevat, the “New Year of the Trees” which enjoins upon us a respect for nature and the Earth. Years ago, my packages were assembled on disposable plastic plates enveloped with yards of clear plastic gift wrap, secured with clear tape, and tied in ribbons. In recent times, I have become more ecologically conscious, eschewing these wasteful, harmful products, and seeking out more ecologically-friendly ways to present my packages. If plastic is to be used, I try to send the packages in containers that can be repurposed in the home. There are disposable plates made from pressed, fallen palm leaves that are biodegradable. Even the beautiful cardboard boxes that are for sale online are biodegradable, as are natural baskets. I also like to use tins, which are useful in all kinds of situations and which can be recycled if necessary. My point, here, is: do be conscious of the packaging you are using to present your mishloach manot. Why add to the mountain of trash that is accumulating on our planet? There are many excellent suggestions online for ecological, creative packaging.
I hope you are able to prepare and enjoy these many delicacies and share them with others. They are a sweet legacy from my family to yours!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHECKERBOARD SHORTBREAD COOKIES
PEANUT BUTTER PINWHEEL COOKIES
MANGO TEA CAKES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
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