The Two Days of Purim

Among Israel’s holidays and festivals, Purim is unique in the fact that it is celebrated on two separate days, depending upon the type of city. A city enclosed in walls at the time of Joshua celebrates Shushan Purim, a day after the celebration in the rest of the world.

It is surprising that the celebration of Purim is not uniform throughout the world, especially in light of the centrality of Jewish unity in the Purim saga (the Purim story began with Haman telling King Ahasuerus “there is a people scattered and dispersed [m’forad, which traditional commentaries understand to mean internally disunited].” [Esther 3:8] The turning point, and beginning of the Jews’ salvation, was when Esther instructed Mordechai [4:16]: “Go assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan.”). 

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon suggests that there is a very significant lesson: even in a situation of unity, there need not be uniformity. Unity does not require suppressing individuality; on the contrary, the fact that each individual is free to express his own personality is the factor which gives meaning to unity.

My father expressed the concept in a more forceful manner: not only is there no need for uniformity, but a united society must be built on unity, not on uniformity. Thus, the Almighty chose the rainbow as the sign of His covenant with Noah to teach that diversity is consistent with unity.

The Torah presents this approach as well in the prohibition of erecting a matzeiva (sacred pillar). [Deuteronomy 16:22] A matzeiva is a single stone, a monolith, in which there is no unity. Rather, the entire stone is identical. Once Israel entered its Land, the use of a matzeiva in God’s service was replaced by the use of the mizbeaḥ (altar). The mizbeaḥ is a symbol of the unity of the Tribes of Israel, so much so, that our Sages [Babylonian Talmud Gittin 90b] taught that when a Jewish couple is divorced, the mizbeaḥ weeps because part of the nation is disunited. The mizbeaḥ is composed of many stones, which, when united, serve as the means of achieving closeness to the Almighty (based upon Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch’s understanding of korbanot [sacrifices]), symbolizing the importance of maintaining one’s individuality within the framework of unity. The ideal of Judaism is not to have a single mindset, but to have each member bring his/her own thoughts and qualities to the service of God.

Indeed, Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe writes that one who has no individual personality, but feels entirely and exclusively part of the community, not only does not contribute to the community, but has nothing to contribute.

The Halacha expresses the aspects of both the individual and the community. On one hand, Jews living in walled cities celebrate Purim on a different day than those living in unwalled cities, yet each notes the day on which the other celebrates, as the Halacha teaches that the penitential prayers (taḥanun) are not said on either day of Purim. Further, Rama [Oraḥ Ḥayyim 695:2] writes: “all are obligated in some measure of celebration on both days (of Purim), the 14^th and the 15^th.”

The unique law of two days of Purim conveys the concept that true unity requires maintaining individuality within the framework of the community, and not suppression of the individual within the community.