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And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews that were in the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, the day wherein the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month that was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor. (Esther 9:20-22) | |
Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion, for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him. (Ecclesiastes 3:22) | |
And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the Lord thy God hath given thee, and unto thy house, thou and the Levite and the stranger that is in the midst of thee. (Deuteronomy 26:11) | |
The verse, “I commend mirth” (Ecclesiastes 8:15), refers to the joy which accompanies righteousness, while the verse, “Mirth, what doth it accomplish?” deprecates the joy which is not connected with righteous deeds. This teaches that the Divine Presence never comes near to a man when he yields to despair, or to indolence, or to idle hilarity and levity. God’s presence comes with the joy of righteousness. (Shabbat 30b.4) | |
If life were a tragedy, then joy would be self-deception. If there were no hope for man to remould the world to his soul’s desire, then grief would be natural and despair justified. But Judaism is a religion of duty and of hope. It sets a task for man, and promises achievement. Judaism does not deny the existence of evil, of tyranny, hatred and calamity; but it insists that tyranny will be crushed, hatred may be conquered through patience and love, and that those who sow with tears will reap with joy. | |
One of the great days of the religious year is Purim, a feast of happiness, a day which recalls how hatred and intrigue were baffled, and justice was vindicated. The day is to be observed with songs of rejoicing in God’s abundant blessings and a rebirth of confidence in His unfailing help. Its purpose is to strengthen man that he may not fret because of evil-doers; that he may labor in patience and look forward to the joy of achievement. God’s Presence does not come to him who plods on in idle despair, but to the toiler who labors in hope and in joy. | |
Thou our Exceeding Joy, this feast of mirth admonishes us that righteousness must be the goal of our rejoicing even as it is the aim of our earnest moods. Grant us then, we beseech Thee, the merriment which worketh good, but keep us far from the merriment that worketh ill. May we turn from all that weakens body and mind, reject every excess and spurn such pleasures as, forgetting its due place, would usurp that primacy which duty alone may hold. Abundant be our laughter but may it be kindly, laughing with others where we can, laughing at others, never; not untimely laughter or the laughter of ridicule or disdain, but the laughter of concord and joyous comradeship. | |
Open Thou our eyes to the happiness lurking everywhere. May we not, seeking pleasures afar, miss the delights of the simple and common near at hand. May the unsought and unexpected joys abounding like wayside flowers along the path of our daily tasks find us ever receptive. Give growth to our capacity for joy. Even amid care and age, may it not forsake us utterly. | |
Above all, may we, of the House of Israel, derive light from the memories of this day, perceiving how, not only in Persia of old, but in every land and age, arrogance and pride beget misunderstanding and contention. How blessed the Purim mirth that can dispel Haman hatred, the kindly cheer that can bring fellowship and peace! May the wisdom and the faithfulness which were Mordecai’s, and the devotion and modesty which were Esther’s, and the deliverance which came to Israel in the olden story, enlarge into a world-wide deliverance, our partial sympathies growing into world-wide sympathies and Thy name, O God, become written upon every soul in letters of worldwide brotherhood and good will. Amen. |
“Purim—The Feast of Joy” is the twenty-sixth prayer found in ברכה ותהלה Blessing and Praise: A Book of Meditations and Prayers for Individual and Home Devotion (CCAR 1923), pp. 90-92. Unfortunately, we do not yet know of a resource providing clear attribution of authorship for any of the prayers in this volume.
Source(s)
“Purim—the Festival of Joy, a prayer for that mirth which dispels hatred (CCAR 1923)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication.
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