Page 25 - HaMizrachi Purim Australia 5781
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immediately weakened. Perhaps these   palace, and instead ate only seeds and   make Haman-related foods for Purim.
       three corners are a reference to our   legumes. In commemoration, hamen-   Morrocan Jews also have a traditional
       Patriarchs. Archeological documen-    taschen are filled with poppy seeds.   Purim food – a bread called boyosa, also
       tarian Simcha Jacobovici claims that                                       known as “Haman’s eyes.” Two hard-
       the shape of the hamentaschen is sim-  Of course, we all know that Purim is all   boiled eggs in their shells are baked
       ilar to the shape of the die used in an   about revealing what is hidden beneath.   into the middle of the dough, giving
       ancient Babylonian game, suggesting   The sweet-filled hamentaschen may    the appearance of eyes. Bulgarians
                                             represent the sweetness hidden beneath
       they represent the die that Haman cast   the surface.                      traditionally ate a pasta dish on Purim
       to determine the date of extermination                                     called caveos di aman – “Haman’s hair.”
       of the Jews.                          Another traditional Ashkenazi Purim   Nanbrangi, poppy seed-coated cookies
                                             food is kreplach, meat-filled dumplings   eaten on Purim in many Persian com-
       What about the filling? Although choc-  often served in soup. Ashkenazim cus-
       olate, jam – and in Israel, date spread   tomarily ate kreplach on Purim and on   munities, are also known as “Haman’s
       – are some of the most popular fillings   erev Yom Kippur, showing the deep   fleas.” Syrians have their own version
       today, hamentaschen were originally   connection between the two holidays   of “Haman’s fleas,” called simsemiyeh,
       filled with poppy seeds. The Beit Yosef   (Yom Kippur is also known as  Yom   using sesame instead of poppy. Turkish
       wrote that “Some say one should eat   haKippurim, which can also be read   and Greek Jews had a custom of eating
       a food made out of seeds on Purim in   as “the day which is like Purim”). The   long, thin biscuits known as “Haman’s
       memory of the seeds that Daniel and   custom of eating kreplach on Purim is   fingers.” There may be evidence of other
       his friends ate in the house of the king   mentioned in the 1400s by the Leket   communities eating some of Haman’s
       of Babylon.”                          Yosher and later by the Bach, the Taz,   other body parts, but I think we
                                             and the Shelah.                      have enough baking to do for
       The Midrash explains that, just like                                       Purim!
       Daniel, Esther refrained from eating   But back to hamentaschen – Ashke-
       the non-kosher delicacies in the royal   nazi  Jews  are  not  the  only  ones  to   Bon Appetit! 







































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