Taanit Esther
Mar. 1st, 2007 01:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidI'm lucky enough to be able to fast well, but I still get hungry (and thirsty, which is more insidious; I've already had to remind myself not to grab a waterbottle). And it's harder to focus on work.
This fast always seems different than the other minor ones. The others commemorate bad days (the walls breached, etc), while this one is a reenactment; it makes Purim closer. It's also an instance of fasting used to build, to grow in fortitude and determination, rather than to expiate or mourn. Plus, it's read in the megillah, so the reason for the fast has always been clear to me (the others I learned about much later in life, and are not described in the regular cycles of what is read at services).
This year it's on Thursday, rather than erev Purim, which makes it feel less twined together with Purim, but I realized this year that it's still connected: Esther et al fasted for three days, and today would be the first of those days, rather than the last. (I can't imagine fasting for three days myself.)
Somehow it never occurred to me before this year that Megillat Esther has to be read from a scroll, not a printed book (like the megillot read on other holidays), because it's not just part of the davening, but a mitzvah in and of itself. (Or is there some other reason?)
Still no clue about what I'll dress up as, or about the meal Sunday. I'm not concerned; they'll happen. Ideally for a meal there'd be one with lots of Purim Torah and general silliness, but if not, I'd rather eat with friends than random people.
All the shuls have a drive for matanot l'evyonim, so the monies given at shul are distributed Purim Day by Yad Chessed, so that's easy. I'm going to a late megillah reading, so I can stop at an ATM on the way if I need to.
Mishloach manot are started, sort of: I bought a box of clementines. Years ago, when I used to bring all the bags to shul, I decided I didn't want to give people yet more junk food, but something somewhat nutritious, so they didn't have to start the day with a sugar high. I tend towards bread with stuff to go with it, and sometimes a few other things as well (fruit, nuts, baby carrots, yogurt, etc). Over the years I've cut back on the zillions of packages (one year I was carrying more than 50 bags to shul!). I'd rather deliver them than carry them all in the morning, so I limit myself to people of known address who live in an accessible place I could leave things just for them (ie, no large buildings). This limits the number of packages I make, and lets me make things that are more individualized as well. The other benefit is that it got me off the reciprocity track. There are people who I end up reciprocating with, but it's not the same as "here's yours, where's mine?" when it's the mad frenzy of distribution at shul. It's not like I don't want to give to people, but to turn it into a social obligation as so freqently happens is not so good. The requirement is two kinds of food to one person, and anything more than that is social pleasantry. I have a finite amount of money to spend, and in the end, I'd rather give more money to the poor than give lots more people food they don't need. Are people truly likely to feel snubbed if someone doesn't give them mishloach manot?
I'm looking forwards to using my grogger. I've been using the same one for years, that I made at the Worcester JCC years ago (when I was single digits, I think, so really, a long time ago), and it's worn down in one direction; the sound is much less loud unless I twirl it the 'wrong' way. I only get to use it the one day a year. (Hm. What other ritual objects are used only one day/year? Not shofar, nor lulav and etrog, nor hannukiyah. Are there any?)
Phooey, I just realized I spaced on today's talk at the OSMH about the Harbor Islands. I wanted to hear about them, too. Dang. Yeah, lack of focus...
This fast always seems different than the other minor ones. The others commemorate bad days (the walls breached, etc), while this one is a reenactment; it makes Purim closer. It's also an instance of fasting used to build, to grow in fortitude and determination, rather than to expiate or mourn. Plus, it's read in the megillah, so the reason for the fast has always been clear to me (the others I learned about much later in life, and are not described in the regular cycles of what is read at services).
This year it's on Thursday, rather than erev Purim, which makes it feel less twined together with Purim, but I realized this year that it's still connected: Esther et al fasted for three days, and today would be the first of those days, rather than the last. (I can't imagine fasting for three days myself.)
Somehow it never occurred to me before this year that Megillat Esther has to be read from a scroll, not a printed book (like the megillot read on other holidays), because it's not just part of the davening, but a mitzvah in and of itself. (Or is there some other reason?)
Still no clue about what I'll dress up as, or about the meal Sunday. I'm not concerned; they'll happen. Ideally for a meal there'd be one with lots of Purim Torah and general silliness, but if not, I'd rather eat with friends than random people.
All the shuls have a drive for matanot l'evyonim, so the monies given at shul are distributed Purim Day by Yad Chessed, so that's easy. I'm going to a late megillah reading, so I can stop at an ATM on the way if I need to.
Mishloach manot are started, sort of: I bought a box of clementines. Years ago, when I used to bring all the bags to shul, I decided I didn't want to give people yet more junk food, but something somewhat nutritious, so they didn't have to start the day with a sugar high. I tend towards bread with stuff to go with it, and sometimes a few other things as well (fruit, nuts, baby carrots, yogurt, etc). Over the years I've cut back on the zillions of packages (one year I was carrying more than 50 bags to shul!). I'd rather deliver them than carry them all in the morning, so I limit myself to people of known address who live in an accessible place I could leave things just for them (ie, no large buildings). This limits the number of packages I make, and lets me make things that are more individualized as well. The other benefit is that it got me off the reciprocity track. There are people who I end up reciprocating with, but it's not the same as "here's yours, where's mine?" when it's the mad frenzy of distribution at shul. It's not like I don't want to give to people, but to turn it into a social obligation as so freqently happens is not so good. The requirement is two kinds of food to one person, and anything more than that is social pleasantry. I have a finite amount of money to spend, and in the end, I'd rather give more money to the poor than give lots more people food they don't need. Are people truly likely to feel snubbed if someone doesn't give them mishloach manot?
I'm looking forwards to using my grogger. I've been using the same one for years, that I made at the Worcester JCC years ago (when I was single digits, I think, so really, a long time ago), and it's worn down in one direction; the sound is much less loud unless I twirl it the 'wrong' way. I only get to use it the one day a year. (Hm. What other ritual objects are used only one day/year? Not shofar, nor lulav and etrog, nor hannukiyah. Are there any?)
Phooey, I just realized I spaced on today's talk at the OSMH about the Harbor Islands. I wanted to hear about them, too. Dang. Yeah, lack of focus...
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Seuda
Date: 2007-03-01 07:20 pm (UTC)When are you leaving for Israel? I may have a package for Jerusalem, if you don't mind. (I told
Re: Seuda
Date: 2007-03-01 07:28 pm (UTC)Thursday morning early. (How cheap is a cheap for digital cameras? I've been wondering whether I'll take photos this trip....) Um, not sure how we'd meet, since I don't expect to have a phone nor 'net access. (Will be staying in Beit Shmuel, if that makes a difference. Plus expecting to be shopping Machaneh Yehudah next erev Shabbat! Much with the yay!)
Re: Seuda
Date: 2007-03-01 07:41 pm (UTC)Re: Seuda
Date: 2007-03-01 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-02 03:09 am (UTC)A goat? :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-03-02 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-02 05:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-02 09:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 07:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 04:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-02 04:52 pm (UTC)You make good points about the relatability (sp?) of this fast and caused me to realize a lot about my own experience. I was very drawn to this fast as a young child, and this was indeed because of being taught the story for the holiday. We fast because Esther and all the Jews fasted, indeed a reenactment. The fast is part of the larger story and part of the larger holiday. I remember wanting to fast after the first year I learned the story in depth, but the school became nervous and made me break it at some point.
You also make a good point regarding the first rather than last of the three days.
Hmmm, you could dress up as Deval Patrick's $12,000 drapes.
I was wondering overnight, could hamentaschen themselves be considered two kinds of food? Don't people make two or more brachot on foods that are not overwhelmingly only of one category?
What a smart question to ask, regarding ritual items used only one day per year. Hmmm. Though the entire lulav is used throughout Sukkot, the willow branches are used in a separate and distinct manner only on Hoshanah Rabah. The candle, feather, and spoon for searching for chametz is used only one night, though these items are used throughout the year in others ways, candles often ritually so. In Israel, the seder plate is used yearly for only one Pesach seder. Elijah's cup too, I think. Candlesticks are used throughout the year, but we only light candles for Yom Kippur one day per year. Oh! You alluded to it yourself; besides groggers, the megillah scroll itself is used only on Purim.
The news this morning reports that Israelis have invented the flying car!
no subject
Date: 2007-03-02 10:01 pm (UTC)The school made you stop fasting? Huh. I'd've thought that was your parents' decision, not theirs.
If I could dress up as $12,000 drapes, I could also afford a lot of work around my apartment :-).
(And the first thing that made me think of, since I hadn't heard of these drapes before, was Carol Burnett's spoof of Gone With the Wind. Scarlett had to have the drapes made over into a dress, and Carol did the same thing... with the curtain rod still in them, running along her shoulders. It was hilarious.)
I think that hamantaschen are pretty clearly equivalent to cookies with jam, in which case the ikar is the cookie part and the tofel is the filling. There's also stuff about mezonot 'winning' over other ingredients' brachot (that I'm too hazy on now to say anything more about), especially when the volume of the mezonot is greater.
I hadn't been thinking about Israel; much easier to come up with things that are only used once when all the chagim are one day (minus R"H, of course).
Flying car?! Where? How do I get one?
no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 07:41 am (UTC)You'd think, yeah.
Silly, you don't need $12,000 to dress up as $12,000 drapes, unless you want to dress up in actual $12,000 drapes.
Yeah, $12,000 for drapes? That could pay rent for a year for some needy people. I believe that the office needed work, but I don't understand anyone who thinks $12,000 for drapes is reasonable, for even a wide, wide definition of reasonable.
Ha! That's EXACTLY what came to mind of as soon as I thought of the idea, that fabulous Carol Burnett costume, designed by, I believe, Bob Mackie, from the famous sketch.
Ah, you've studied this. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this with me. I'd be interested in learning more. What if someone wants the cookie with jam specifically for the jam? Is that different from using a cracker to eat some olive dip? And a hamantasch without a filling might still be a pastry, but it is no longer a hamantasch, so, especially on Purim, it could be that neither component is considered secondary, especially if the volumes are fairly equal.
Even with the single chagim days Israel, it's difficult to come up with candidates. Each example I've mentioned has a "though" as part of it. Even the original example has a "though," as we also use noisemakers at other times during the year. Also, it's neither necessary to have a grogger dedicated only for use on Purim nor to have an actual grogger to produce the noise on Purim. I think the closest to your grogger would be my Elijah's cup, which I made in nursery school.
Yes! In Israel. You can't, yet.
After I heard the report, I found a lot of news by searching keywords "israel" and "flying car" together. The company has a website at www.urbanaero.com, too.
One thing I like about Israeli inventions is that they are so often not invented simply to be cool (or to make money), but to serve an actual need in Israeli and/or Jewish life. These will serve well as rescue and emergency vehicles and also help with security.
Israel is awesome! I wish I had moved there back when I had had the chance.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 04:17 pm (UTC)In my life, $12,000 drapes aren't at all reasonable, but I can imagine historic homes with lots of windows that have to have period-appropriate stuff, for instance, where the bill would get that high. Not that I'd be living there, but it's not as immediately ridiculous as the $500 [some simple hand tool] that the legends have some federal gov't agency buying, when it's clear that the same thing would be bought for $15 or less if someone were paying attention to invoices.
That was such a great show. That skit was the one that stayed with me most. (Someday I should see some of them again.)
I took a class in birkot nehenin years ago at Nishmat, so I'm pretty rusty on a lot of it. If I'm remembering correctly, really, mezonot wins (unless there's motzi, of course). I think if you have some of the filling/spread as itself without the mezonot transporter, then say a separate bracha. (After that there's the question of fruit and which to eat first for a bracha. Some say if there's one of the fruits of Israel, that wins, while others say it's what you most want that wins, and I think there was at least one other opinion, too, so in practice it's ok whichever you want to make the bracha on (unless you want to be medakdek).)
We don't use noisemakers in religious activities the rest of the year, though we might use them in general.
Your Elijah's cup sounds special.
I suppose it's a good thing I can't yet get a flying car; I'd be tempted to park it on the roof, which would mean I'd have to make a better way to get down from my roof :-).
When I read Hadassah magazine, they have articles on medical research and such that's all based on making better lives, in ways that I don't hear about in the U.S. More holistic, somehow. It always impresses me.
Can you move to Israel now/soon? I know people who've gone right out of college, but I know others who've gone later than that...
no subject
Date: 2007-03-06 02:19 pm (UTC)It's cool that you got to study this. I appreciate your having supplied me with an answer to my hamantasch question.
Apparently, there is an Israeli confection, the Krembo, that is known for not having a clearly primary component.
You know, it was special. Thank you so much for writing that.
I totally agree about medical care and research in Israel.
I wish I could. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be doable, for a variety of complicated reasons. Even moving out-of-state does not seem doable. Then again, attempting to set up a home anywhere else feels like energy not well-directed. I feel like I'm stuck being miserable, wishing for the life I imagine I'd have now had I been living in Israel since I was eighteen.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-13 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-15 01:20 am (UTC)