P U R I M A STORY FOR THE KIDDOS WRITTEN BY: GRANDMA WITH L O VE
A long time ago in a place called Persia, there was a very bad man named Hamen who wanted people to bow down and worship him.
The king of Persia listened to everything Hamen told him. He thought he was his good friend. And he thought he was the smartest and wisest guy that he knew who had great ideas. So the king told everyone to bow down to wicked Hamen.
But the Jews worshipped God. They knew what the commandments said. Oh no! One of the Jews was a man named Mordecai. Mordecai was a very very good man. He was a righteous man. He knew all of the commandments and he obeyed them. So he could not and would not bow down to wicked Hamen. Hamen was not God!
1st C-O-M-M-A-N-D-M-E-N-T THE FIRST COMMANDMENT SAYS, “THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.”
2nd C-O-M-M-A-N-D-M-E-N-T AND THE SECOND COMMANDMENT SAYS, “THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE ANY GRAVEN IMAGE.” IT ALSO SAYS, “THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN THYSELF TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM.”
So, you see, because Mordecai was a good and righteous man he could not bow down to wicked Hamen. If he did that he would break the first and the second commandment.
SAINT
When Hamen found out that Mordecai would not bow down to him he became so angry that he made a wicked plan to not only kill Mordecai but all of the Jews!
That was so wicked and unfair! He told the king that all of the Jews were bad people. He told him that they would prevent the king from having a peaceful kingdom. This was a lie! But the king didn’t even try to find out if it was true. He just believed what Hamen told him.
And he wrote letters to everyone in his kingdom saying that everyone could kill all of the Jews, men, women and children on thirteenth day of the Adar, which is the twelfth month. And then they could take all of their belongings too! So all of our people, many many years ago were afraid and crying for their lives.
Now before all of that bad stuff happened, the king had married Esther a beautiful and very very good young lady and had made her his queen. But Esther had a secret. She was a Jew! Mordecai had raised her as his daughter and had warned Esther not to tell people that she was a Jew.
At first Esther was afraid to go to the king because the Persians had some harsh laws. If anyone came to the king without him asking for them they would be put to death. Oh no! But Esther fasted and prayed for three days, and so did all the Jews. God gave her courage to go before the king.
She pleaded with him to save her and her people and she told him her secret, that she was also a Jew! When the king realized what Hamen was trying to get him to do, to kill innocent people, he became very angry. In fact he was furious. Oh, oh for Hamen. He was in big trouble! How dare he threaten Esther!
So instead of killing the Jews the king had Hamen put to death. And then he sent letters throughout his whole kingdom telling them that they better not try to hurt the Jews.
H
N E AM
And he also said the Jews could fight for their lives against anyone who would try to hurt them. And they did! So on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of Adar, when Hamen had planned to kill all of them, the Jews were able to defend themselves. They got the victory over their enemies.
Mordecai and Esther also wanted everyone to celebrate this time of victory with a feast and rejoicing every year. The word Purim means lot, and lot means God’s choice. Hamen chose a day to kill the Jews, but God chose the day to save them. This is the lot. And God has chosen you to be good and to keep his commandments just like Mordecai and Esther.
THE END