The 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, was the day of fasting for Purim. It was the day that Haman chose by a lottery (Purim means lots) to exterminate the Jews in order to satisfy his anger against Mordechai.
Esther Fast. The queen had actually asked the Jews to fast three days during the following month of Nisan, but the fast day is observed the day before the holiday of Purim. On the scheduled day of the planned massacre, events turned because of Esther's courageous intervention, resulting in Haman's death and the elevation of Mordechai. The favor of Ha Shem was an amazing miracle. Although Ha Shem's name is never mentioned in the book, his hand is very apparent and powerful.
The special fast is mentioned in the Scroll of Esther, The Megillat, which states, "And as they accepted upon themselves and upon their children, the matters of their fastings and their cry."
The Conversos of the Iberian Peninsula, also kept the Esther fast during the time of the Inquisition. These hidden Jews of Spain, kept their Judaism practices secret, on pain of torture and death. This fast was observed with particular solemnity and sometimes even on a different day, to not risk detection. Our Converso families identified with Queen Esther, the Jewess, in a very special way!
As the Scroll of Esther says, she "did not reveal her nation's identity or her birthplace".
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Dona Gracia Singing at The Dona Gracia Hotel, Tiberius, Israel
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Ha Shem's Promise:
WE hope to continue to travel to Israel this year, either in the late Spring or Fall. Our journey continues and we are so grateful for those who encourage us!
Ha Shem has promised to fulfill to gather, restore, and plant Jews in Israel. This is His promise, not ours.
"He will...assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah..." Isaiah 11:12
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth..."Jeremiah 31:8
"...For I will bring them back into the land which I gave to their fathers." Jeremiah 16:15
Obadiah 20,21 '''and the exiles from Yerushalayim, who are in Sefarad, shall possess the cities of the Negev...and the Kingdom shall be the LORD's.
We need more of this courage to speak out against injustice where we find it for our returning people. There is a call for righteousness that needs to be heard.
These are not easy days that we live in, but the Torah admonishes us...
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent and for Yerushalayim I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a blazing torch..." Isaiah 62:1
So may we rise with the faith of Ha Shem to stand in these perilous days for our beloved Israel.