This year I had a quiet Purim.  The last 3 or 4 years I have thrown seudas (Jewish parties celebrate a success and are centered around a meal).  This year I just invited a few close friends and sat around a fire in my backyard.

At first something felt wrong and I realized it was because I wasn’t in costume.  So, I put my costume on and as I sipped some whiskey I truly felt the spirit of Purim.  I found myself going from looking at the fire to looking at my backyard with the plum tree in bloom and the grass needing to be mowed and the bulbs coming up.  I heard the birds singing and russling in the hedge.  It was late afternoon and the sun and shade did their slow dance – a cat sat on the fence overseeing the fall of dusk.

I remembered that this is part of why I live where I do, and I could not remember the last time I really sat and enjoyed being in such a peaceful and beautiful environment.  And I know that I need to make this a priority in my life again.

This is what I got from Purim.

What did you get from Purim?  Leave a comment and let me know.

About the Author

Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.