Day 13 - The Essence of Purim

Purim is my favorite holiday to celebrate in Israel. It's not because we get drunk (I never drank very much on Purim in Israel). What I love about it is seeing everyone running around on Purim giving everyone shaloch manos (gifts of food), one of the mitzvos of the day. It is an outer expression of the unity of the Jewish people and the love we have for each other. Unfortunately, (and for many reasons), that expression is lost for most of the year. But at least on Purim we can see our true colors. It's a beautiful thing to see.