‏פורים‎ or “Feast of Lots,” is celebrated on the 14th and the 15th of Adar (second Adar in a leap-year), in commemoration of the defeat of Haman’s wicked plans. Haman was chief minister to Ahasuerus, king of Persia, and planned to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire, but the Almighty frustrated his designs through the agency of Mordecai and his cousin Esther. The Feast is called Purim, that is, “lots,” because Haman had cast lots in order to discover the day most favourable to his plans. We celebrate Purim— (1.) By reading twice, once during the Evening Service and once during the Morning Service, the Book of Esther (‏מגלת אסתר‎), which contains the history of Haman’s plans and their frustration. The reading is preceded by the following blessing: ‏ברוך … אשר קדשנו … על מקרא מגלה‎ “Blessed art thou ... who hast sanctified us by thy commandments and hast commanded us to read the Megillah.” ‏ברוך … שעשה נסים לאבותינו בימים ההם בזמן הזה‎ “Blessed art thou ... who wroughtest miracles for our fathers in days of old at this season,” and ‏שהחינו‎. (2.) By giving presents to our friends (‏משלוח מנות‎) and gifts to the poor (‏מתנות לאביונים‎). (3.) By a festive meal (‏סעודת פורים‎). Comp. Esth. ix. During the Morning Service the account of the war with Amalek is read from Exod. xvii. 8–16. The 15th of Adar is called Shushan Purim, because the Jews in Shushan continued to fight against the enemy on the 14th of Adar, and kept Purim on the 15th. The 13th of Adar, being the day appointed for the slaughter of the Jews, is now kept as a fast-day, and is called ‏תענית אסתר‎ “the Fast of Esther.” THE FOUR FASTS. There are four days kept as fast-days in commemoration of events connected with the fall of Jerusalem. They are called in the Bible (Zech. viii. 19) “the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth.” These days are the anniversaries of the commencement of the siege of Jerusalem (10th of Tebeth), of the breach made in the wall (17th of Tammuz), of the destruction of the Temple (9th of Ab), and of the murder of Gedaliah (3rd of Tishri). The 9th of Ab is kept as a day of fasting and mourning for the destruction of the Temple. According to Tradition, both the first and the second Temple were destroyed on the same day. The Lesson from the Pentateuch read in the Morning and in the Afternoon Services on the fast-days is Exod. xxxii. 11–14 and xxxiv. 1–10. On the 9th of Ab this section is read in the afternoon only; the Morning Lesson being Deut. iv. 25–40 and Jer. viii. 13 to ix. 23; in the Afternoon Service on all fasts Isa. lv. 6 to lvi. 8 is read as haphtarah.