Why is the holiday called Purim?
Purim comes from the word “pur” which means “lots.” The book of Esther tells us that upon receiving permission to annihilate the Jewish people, Haman cast “lots” for the best day and month in which to execute his plan, and the lot fell on the 13th day of the month Adar. Knowing that Moses, the leader of the Jewish people, died in the month of Adar, Haman thought that it must be an unlucky month for the Jews, but he didn’t know that Moses’ date of birth was also in the month of Adar. It turned out to be a good month for Israel and the month of Haman’s downfall. Why is Yahveh’s Name not mentioned in the Megilah? The Rabbis explain that all other Jewish holidays celebrate miracles which clearly showed Yahveh’s involvement. The Purim miracle, however, seemed to be “hidden” – yet looking closely, we can clearly see Yahveh’s Hand throughout. In keeping with the hidden nature of this miracle, Yahveh’s Name is not to be found in the Megilah in a revealed way. Another possible reason Yahveh is
