The Humor Of History Series

It was one of the greatest celebrations in the history of the

American people. The bells rang in Independence Hall in

Philadelphia. There was a hundred gun salute in City Hall Park of

New York. In Chicago there was a volunteer possession of people

seven miles long. In California they celebrated for two days. This

happened in May of 1869. It was when the railroad from Omaha

and the railroad from Sacramento met at Promontory Point, Utah.

The last spike of California gold was driven by Governor Leland

Standford. Two locomotives drew up close to each other, and the

news was sent by telegraph all over the country. People rejoiced

and celebrated because the United States was now, by means of the

railroad, really united. Carl VanDoren writes, "This was probably

the most important and most exciting non-military ceremony in the

whole history of the American people.

It thrilled a whole nation then, but today you would find it hard

to find an American who even knows it happened. Those few

historians who do know certainly do not throw a party to celebrate

it. Some great events in history do not live on to capture the minds

and hearts of all future generations. But, on the other hand, some

events live on perpetually, and even grow in their intensity with

time. Such is the case with the event called Purim. It means next to

nothing to us as Gentiles, but to the Jews it means a great deal. A

study of this Jewish holiday and feast will help us understand the

book of Esther, and the purpose for it being in the Bible.

One of the greatest paradoxes of history is that the Jews, who

have suffered so incredibly, have also been the source of incredible

laughter. Tevye, the Jewish father in Fiddler On The Roof, was a

funny man in a very unfunny and tragic situation. This has always

been the case with Jews who love the book of Esther, and keep the

feast of Purim. Purim, says Herman Wach, the Jewish author, is the

nearest thing in Judaism to a carnival. It is a time of riotous

rejoicing. In some places it has made a street festival just like the

Mardi Gras.

It is the one day in the year when disordered hilarity is permitted

in the synagogue. Reverence and restraint are virtues all year long,

but not on this day. They are cast to the wind, and what would be

outrageous any other time is permitted on this day. Children are

given noise makers of all kinds, and they take them into the

synagogue. All is silent as the first two chapters of the book of

Esther are read. Then the reader comes to chapter three where he

reads the name of Hamen the Agagite, and this triggers off a

hurricane of racket. Everyone stomps their feet, and the children

make a staggering contribution to the noise with their noise makers.

Eventually the dim dies down and the reader continues, but when he

comes to the name of Hamen again, all bedlam breaks loose. Since

Hamen is named often in the book of Esther, the amount of noise is

both frequent and enormous.

This celebration has been going on for well over two thousand

years among Jews all over the world. It is Christmas, Thanksgiving,

Easter, the Fourth of July, and Halloween all rolled into one great

two day celebration. Jewish schools have all sorts of plays, skits,

and music, to reenact the drama of Esther. Is the day of all kinds of

silliness, jokes, and laughter. Men and youth dress up like clowns

and play tricks, and tell jokes. Children wear masks and go from

house to house. Gifts are exchanged, and all are required to share

with the poor so that it is a fun day for all, no matter what their

economic condition.

Now you must certainly wonder why all of this hilarity, frivolity,

and laughter? What makes Purim so different from all other feasts

of Judaism? The answer is the profound Jewish conviction that the

drama of history is a comedy and not a tragedy. This is not to say

life is not full of tragic events, but rather, that when history is over,

God will have the last laugh, and there will be a happy ending for all

who are a part of the family of God. This is a basic Biblical

philosophy of life, and it explains how the Jews can be so optimistic

through all of their trials. It also explains why Christians have even

a greater hope because of the greater revelation we have of ultimate

victory in Christ.

Purim is a holiday which proclaims the humor of history. In a

very real sense the book of Esther is a joke book. It is based on the