The Elephant Hat

A Purim Parady

A Purim Parady

One of the costumes worn here for Purim is an elephant hat. Why an Elephant hat?

Of course, we know that the Syrian Greek enemy used elephants in their battles against us. So to commemorate the miracle of Chanukah we wear elephant hats.

Oops wrong holiday!

Yes, it is the wrong Holiday, but Chanukah and Purim are related. They are both rabbinical holidays. Kabbalists describe them as possessing the twin Divine attributes of Netzach-victory and Hod-submission or gratitude. And Maimonides discusses them in the same section of his Mishneh Torah.

Well it might have to do with Gematria. You see that the Hebrew word for elephant is Pil, which adds up to 120. And we also know that Moses, who lived to 120 took us out of Egypt and liberated us from slavery. Also elephants are like slaves when they are forced to appear in a circus and they are mistreated. So we dress up in elephant hats to remind us of the Exodus.

Oh no, I still focusing on the wrong holiday!

Not entirely wrong. The Talmud states that we always celebrate Purim a month before Passover because we want to connect these two holidays of salvation. They are inextricably bound together.

I know Elephants have tusks which resembles a shofar, which we use to usher in the new year on Rosh Hashanah.

One second. Rosh Hashanah is in the fall and now it’s almost spring. so I think I still have the wrong holiday. I’m so confused!

Yes, you are confused. Yet, the events that preceded the salvation of Purim were indeed intended by G-d as a wakeup call – a Shofar of sorts—to wake them from their spiritual reverie.

Now, I got it! The elephant’s ears are big and wide and they spread out just like the protective covering of the Sukkah. This is to remind us of how G-d provided us with protection when we were in the desert.

Again, the wrong Holiday? What am I going to do?

[There is also a connection to the Holiday of Sukkos, which ends with Simchas Torah in which we also celebrate in ways that transcend our understanding of Torah. The extreme joy of Simchas Torah is likely modeled after the joy of Purim.] Should I give up trying to figure out the connection between elephants and You never give up no matter how many times you get it wrong.

I think, I got it now.

The worst thing that can happen to you is for an elephant to sit on you. Well when we stood at Mount Sinai to get the Torah, G-d raised the mountain over their heads and said “if you don’t accept the Torah I will throw the mountain on you.” Elephants’ imposing presence remind us of how G-d raised the mountain over us on Shavuos.

For the last time, I am confused with other holidays.

[No, you’re not drunk yet. The Talmud connects Purim to Shavuos by saying that while they received the Torah on Shavuos through coercion, they truly and sincerely accepted the Torah of their own volition during the saga of Purim.] What Holiday is it?

It is Purim and there is a connection to an elephant.

Pil is related to the word peleh-wonders. Purim, although a Holiday in which the miracles were hidden, was nonetheless a wonder and is mentioned as such in our prayers.

Pil is 120, which is three times 40. The number 40 in Hebrew is represented by the letter Mem. When you have three letters Mem (40) it stands for the three Mitzvos of Purim that begin with a Mem = Megillah, mishloach monos (sending two food kinds as gifts to a friend) and matanos lo’evyonim (Gifts to two poor people) that begin with a Mem.

The tree Mems also can refer to the three individuals who saved and will save the Jewish people: Moshe, Mordechai and Moshiach.

The Mem, which is like a pool, represents the world in its ultimate state of perfection as the Rambam (whose name Moshe begins with a Mem and likewise his father’s name, Maimon, which has two Mems) in his very last paragraph says that the world will be “filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea.” These last three words in Hebrew kamayim layom mechasim, all end with a Mem.

And the message here is that while Purim (which ends with a Mem) kept us together because of crises, now what will unite us is the future; the world changing for good.

Let’s hasten the coming of Moshiach by being Jewish in an elephant way.

1. The children (and adults) use noisemakers (gragers) on Purim to:

(a) drown out the sound of the wicked Haman (b) drive their parents crazy (c) get their parents to buy them something for the Holiday (d) provide musical accompaniment to the reading of the Megillah.

2. Jewish Children wear masks on Purim because:

(a) they are envious of those who masquerade on Halloween (b) the Lone Ranger was born on Purim (maybe it was Tonto) (c) the miracle of Purim and G-d’s presence was “masked” within the cloak of nature (d) they plan to go skiing after reading the Megillah 3) Haman was hanged on the:

(a) 13th day of Adar (b) 14th day of Adar (c) 15th day of Adar (d) 16th day of Nissan 4) Esther knew when it was Shabbos in the palace by:

(a) consulting her Jewish Discovery Center Art Calendar (b) having seven servants, one for each day of the week (c) Mordechai sending her hand signals before the onset of the Shabbos (d) Divine inspiration 5) The Fast of Esther commemorates: (two correct answers)

(a) Esther’s fasting to avoid becoming queen. (b) the three days Esther asked everyone to fast before she would go to the king (c) the fasting of the Jews so that they would get permission to build the Temple in Jerusalem (d) the fasting of the Jewish people as they went to defend themselves against those who plotted to kill them 6) The Fast of Esther is observed on the:

(a) 11th day of Adar (b) 12th of Adar (c) 13th day of Adar (d) 16th day of Adar 7) When Purim occurs on a Sunday, the Fast of Esther is:

(a) canceled (b) observed on the next day (c) observed the Friday before (d) observed the Thursday before 8) On Purim we are required to hear the reading of the megillah:

(a) once (b) twice (c) three times (d) as often as possible

9. Shushan Purim is observed by Jews living in: (two correct answers)

(a) Shushan (b) any city in Israel that had a wall surrounding it in the days of Joshua (c)

any walled city in the world (d) places where they cannot get to the synagogue on Purim 10) Of which month does the Talmud state that when we enter into it “we are to increase our joy?”

(a) Tishrei (b) Kislev (c) Adar (d) Sivan

11. Haman was a descendant of the evil:

(a) Pharaoh (b) Amalek (c) Nebuchadnetzar (d) Sancherev

12. According to the Midrash, Haman was once Mordechai’s

(a) barber (b) tailor (c) carpenter (d) butler

13. On Purim we are required to drink:

(a) four cups of wine (b) 613 cups of wine (c) the number of cups equivalent to the word Mordechai (274) (d) to the point that we no longer know the difference between Cursed is Haman and Blessed is Mordechai 14) The obligation of Mishloach Manos (The exchanging of gifts during Purim) involves giving, at least:

(a) one edible to one friend (b) one edible each to two friends (c) two edibles to one friend (d) two edibles each to two friends 15) The obligation of Matanos L’Evyonim (giving gifts during Purim to the poor) involves giving, at least:

(a) one cent to one poor person (b) one cent each to two poor people (c) two cents to one poor person (d) two cents each to two poor people 16) The following section of the Megillah must be said in one breath:

(a) The description of Mordechai’s triumph over Haman (b) The description of Esther’s plea to the king (c) The description of the victory of the Jews (d) the names of the ten sons of Haman 17) Haman was hanged on a tree that was:

(a) 10 cubits high (b) 40 cubits high (c) 50 cubits high (d) 100 cubits high 18) The man who told King Achashveirosh that Haman prepared the gallows for Mordechai was:

(a) Charvonah (b) Hatach (c) Bigtan (d) Terresh (e) Michael Jordan

19. Haman’s daughter:

(a) was hanged together with her brothers (b) converted to Judaism (c) committed suicide (d) became Esther’s servant 20) The youngest of Haman’s ten son’s was:

(a) Parshandata (b) Alfred E. Newman (c) Hamanson (d) Vayizata

21. The Book of Esther is referred to as a Megillah (scroll) and also as a:

(a) paper (b) thesis (c) tractate (d) letter

22. On Purim we do not recite the traditional Hallel Psalms as we do on other holidays because: (two correct answers)

(a) The service would be too long (b) we’re too drunk to say it properly (c) the Megillah is in place of the recitation of Hallel (d) the miracle of Purim was incomplete because after the miracle they were still subjects of the Persian king.

23. The children play a special role on Purim because:

(a) Purim is not a serious holiday and it’s only for little children or for adults who act like children (b) When Mordechai heard of Haman’s plot, he gathered 22,000 Jewish children and taught them Torah (c) we need them to deliver the gifts to our friends on Purim (d) queen Esther was a child when she became Queen 24) King Achashveirosh and Queen Esther reigned over:

(a) 127 provinces (b) 50 States (c) 18 countries (d) 4 continents

25. According to the Zohar (the most important book of Kabbalah), the following holiday is compared to Purim:

(a) Tu Bishvat (b) President’s Day (c) Rosh Hashanah (d) Yom Kippur

26. The name Purim means:

(a) frivolity (b) drinking (c) victory (d) lots

From the book Light from the Future: Purim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.