Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California — Satire and Purim go together like peanut-butter and jelly. Purim Torah stands as a unique and vibrant facet of Jewish literary tradition, showcasing the playful side of rabbinic intellect. This genre flourishes particularly during the jubilant Purim celebrations, with writers demonstrating their cleverness by crafting Talmudic-style arguments that whimsically blur the lines between the ludicrous and the profound.
Over a decade ago, I was amused by a particularly ingenious piece styled as a fragment of Talmud, complete with the customary Aramaic phrasing found in traditional Talmudic discourse. The text humorously stages a debate involving figures like President Obama and Al Gore, centered around the topic of global warming. Accompanying the text were commentaries mimicking those of Rashi and Tosfot, lending an air of authenticity to the playful composition. The section was titled Mesechect Obama Metzia, a humorous twist on the name of the Talmudic tractate Bava Metzia. I am sure this year’s Purim Torah will feature Biden and Trump; it should be interesting!
Well here is a Purim spiel I wrote for this year:
In the realm where politicos spin their grand spiel,
Comes a Purim like no other, with a twist in the reel.
Where Esther’s in the Knesset, a queen so astute,
And Mordechai’s a lobbyist, in a dapper suit.
Haman’s got a new plan, with bills and decrees,
But his polls are all dropping, like autumn’s leaves.
He wears his hat high, with pride and disdain,
While plotting in corridors, power to gain.
Esther throws a grand feast, with media in tow,
Inviting all parties, for a political show.
They dine on hummus and latkes, wine flows like a river,
While Haman’s grand plot, makes them all shiver.
Ahasuerus, the leader, quite baffled and dazed,
Navigates the coalition, utterly amazed.
His scepter is a gavel, his throne a hot seat,
In a government so shaky, with every tweet.
Mordechai, the wise, tweets out the truth,
Exposing Haman’s agenda, to the elders and youth.
The plot takes a turn, in a Purim twist,
As Haman’s own plans, lead to his downfall midst.
In the streets they parade, with costumes so bright,
Mocking the mighty, from left to right.
Megillahs are read, with cheer and with jest,
Poking fun at politics, in a humorous fest.
So here in this Purim, where satire reigns king,
We laugh at the spectacle, and the truths it brings.
For in the whirl of politics, it’s sometimes wise,
To view it all through Purim’s laughing eyes!”
Purim is a time of joy and celebration, often marked by humor and satire, and this piece playfully combines the themes of Purim with the absurdities of the political scene.
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Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista. He may be contacted via
