Why not Israel?

What is the name of the Jewish People?  Throughout the Torah, we are called “Bnei Yisrael,” the children of Israel.  We always used to joke in school, what about the adults?  But we are called that because we are descended from our forefather Yisrael, which is Yaakov’s other, greater name.  We are also occasionally referred to as Bait Yaakov – the house of Yaacov, or Yeshurun.  

It is striking, therefore, that throughout the book of Esther, which we will read on Monday, Purim evening and again during the day on Tuesday, the Jews are referred to as Yehudim – Judeans.  (This is apparently where the word “Jew” comes from.)  

I think that the surface explanation of why the name Yehudim is used is the following:  The Jewish nation was divided into two parts, one kingdom, known as the Kingdom of Israel, in the north of Israel, and the Kingdom of Judea in the South, including Jerusalem.  

The Kingdom of Israel had been overrun and exiled several years before the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Kingdom of Judea, so the Jews in Persia at the time of the Purim story were from the Kingdom of Judea.  Nevertheless, the Kingdom of Judea was comprised of three tribes, Judah, Benjamin and Levi.  Mordechai himself was from the tribe of Benjamin, yet he is referred to as Mordechai HaYehudi, Mordechai of Judah.  This is the way it is throughout the Megillah -  no mention of “children of Israel.  There must be a massage here.

The name Yehudah after whom the Yehudim were named, was given to the original Yehudah, the son of Yaakov and Leah, by his mother.  She said that the name represented “Odde et Hashem” – I will acknowledge and thank Hashem.  The name Yehudim, therefore, means those who acknowledge Hashem.  

The Jews in Persia faced a grave danger.  Haman and Achashverosh had conspired to wipe them out and they had nowhere to run to.  Contrary to Hitler, may his name be erased, Haman was not out to kill every ethnic Jew.  He wanted to kill the “Yehudim,” those who adhered to the Jewish way of life and followed Hashem.  Any Jew who would agree to give up his or her Jewish faith would be spared.  This threat hung over the Jews for an entire year, because even after Haman was hanged, his anti-Semitic colleagues still had the permission to kill the Jews.  The only thing that had changed through Ester’s intervention was that the Jews had the right to defend themselves.

Not a single Jew gave up their Jewish faith.  On the contrary, Mordechai gathered 22,000 children and taught them Torah, an act that had been forbidden by the regime, and the Jews recommitted to observe the Torah.  It was this self-sacrifice that brought Hashem’s great miracle, and the tides were turned and the Jews were victorious.

So the focus of Purim, while we celebrate and eat and drink, is really about our connection to Hashem and our unshakeable commitment to Judaism and our heritage.  On Purim we remember our identity as “Yehudim.”  We are the people who acknowledge Hashem and stay with Judaism through thick and thin.

This aspect of Purim reminds us that the key observance of the day is to fulfill the four special Mitzvot of Purim.  1) To hear the Megillah once in the evening and again during the day.  2) To give “Mishloach Manot” – gifts of at least two types of food to at least one person.  (It is customary to give to at least three people and to include a drink.) 3) To give Tzedakah to at least two poor people.  4) To have a festive meal during the daytime on Purim.  We do all this while celebrating the great victory with friendship and food and lots of drink.

I invite you to join us for the several Purim events that we have for all ages.  Find out more here.  Happy Purim!