Purim-- We’re Number One!

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“Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.”
-- Esther 9:5

Purim – the Jewish holiday that celebrates everything actually working out for the Jews… for a change.

Finally, a happy story!

... sort of.

A Jewish girl assimilates, marries a non-Jewish king, and the Jews murder thousands of people.

…hooray?

“But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey.”

-- Esther 9:16

Geez!


It’s kinda rough. Sure, Queen Esther reveals her true religion to her hubby King, and has the king hang Haman, the wicked advisor who planned to murder all the Jews!

… but they also hang Haman’s ten sons (9:10) and thousands of other people.

Kinda grisly.

And the day is repeatedly referred to as one of “joy and gladness, a feast and a good day” (8:17, 9:17, 9:19).

Winners write the history books, I suppose.
Every nation needs some heroes, needs to feel like their people weren’t always getting their butts kicked.

Not everyone is a Yankees fan, some of us need someone else to cheer for.

Esther or Derek Jeter, it’s about pride.


And for once, the Jews won out!
That’s what Purim is all about.

It’s about the Jews kicking some ass!


BEN
You know what movie I just saw again
the other day? “Munich.”

JONAH
Dude, “Munich” … rules.

BEN
That movie was Eric Bana kicking
f**kin’ ass! Dude, every movie with Jews, we’re the
ones getting killed. “Munich” flips it
on its ear. We’re cappin’ motherf**kers.

JONAH
Not only killing, but… takin’ names.

BEN
If any of us get laid tonight, it’s
because of Eric Bana in “Munich.”

-- Screenplay of “Knocked Up”, p.13, by Judd Apatow (a Jew, just so you know)

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