Ester 9:22

22 nach den Tagen, darin die Juden zur Ruhe gekommen waren von ihren Feinden und nach dem Monat, darin ihre Schmerzen in Freude und ihr Leid in gute Tage verkehrt war; daß sie dieselben halten sollten als Tage des Wohllebens und der Freude und einer dem andern Geschenke schicken und den Armen mitteilen.

Ester 9:22 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 9:22

As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies,
&c.] Having slain all those that rose up against them, and assaulted them:

and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from
mourning unto a good day;
for in this month Adar, on the thirteenth day of it, they expected to have been all destroyed, which had occasioned great sorrow and mourning in them; but beyond their expectation, in the same month, and on the selfsame day of the month, they had deliverance and freedom from their enemies; which was matter of joy, and made this day a good day to them:

that they should make them days of feasting and joy;
keep both the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month as festivals, eating and drinking, and making all tokens of joy and gladness, though not in the Bacchanalian way in which they now observe them; for they say ^F14, a man is bound at the feast of Purim to exhilarate or inebriate himself until he does not know the difference between `cursed be Haman' and `blessed be Mordecai:'

and of sending portions one to another;
and these now consist of eatables and drinkables; and according to the Jewish canons ^F15, a man must send two gifts to his friend, at least; and they that multiply them are most commendable; and those are sent by men to men, and by women to women, and not on the contrary:

and gifts to the poor;
alms money, as the Targum, to purchase food and drink with, nor may they use it to any other purpose; though some say they may do what they will with it ^F16; and a man must not give less than two gifts to the poor; these are called the monies of Purim ^F17.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 7. 2. Lebush, par. 1. c. 695. sect. 2. Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 695. sect. 2.
F15 Lebush & Schulchan, ib. sect. 4.
F16 Ib. c. 694. sect. 1. 2.
F17 Ib. sect. 2. 3.

Ester 9:22 In-Context

20 Und Mardochai schrieb diese Geschichten auf und sandte Briefe an alle Juden, die in den Landen des Königs Ahasveros waren, nahen und fernen,

21 daß sie annähmen und hielten den vierzehnten und fünfzehnten Tag des Monats Adar jährlich, {~}

22 nach den Tagen, darin die Juden zur Ruhe gekommen waren von ihren Feinden und nach dem Monat, darin ihre Schmerzen in Freude und ihr Leid in gute Tage verkehrt war; daß sie dieselben halten sollten als Tage des Wohllebens und der Freude und einer dem andern Geschenke schicken und den Armen mitteilen.

23 Und die Juden nahmen's an, was sie angefangen hatten zu tun und was Mardochai an sie schrieb:

24 wie Haman, der Sohn Hammedathas, der Agagiter, aller Juden Feind, gedacht hatte, alle Juden umzubringen, und das Pur, das ist das Los, werfen lassen, sie zu erschrecken und umzubringen;