Hamantaschen

That’s them! You can find more about them on Wikipedia or About.Com. Recipes abound across the web, but to put one here would be too confining.  Wikipedia states:

"Hamantashen are made with many different fillings, including poppy seed (the oldest and most traditional variety), prunes, nut, date, apricot, apple, fruit preserves, cherry, chocolate, dulce de leche, halva, or even caramel or cheese. Their formation varies from hard pastry to soft doughy casings."

A friend made them for Purim this year, posted about them, and some people asked questions about them. It’s a traditionally Jewish treat, part of celebrating Purim, representing Haman.  You have to be familiar with Esther to know the story of Haman, and just a few verses won’t give you more than a glimpse. Read the book, all ten chapters, so you’ll know why Mordecai wrote the provinces:

And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, (Esther 9:20-21 KJV)

Once you know the story, understand who Haman is, you can enjoy eating a bite of history!!

“Why?” Many Christians ask that question, but I respond with “Why not?”

It should be obvious that Jesus celebrated Jewish history – He instituted the Lord’s Supper at Passover. His parents kept the law:

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (Luke 2:21-22 KJV)

That continued:

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. (Luke 2:41-42 KJV)

He fulfilled the law:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (Matthew 5:17 KJV)

And suggested we keep the root of it:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

Not as a requirement for His love or our salvation:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

For me, I find it educational to learn about Jewish traditions, celebrations and holy days.  Jesus grew up with these. Why not learn and enjoy them?