Adar II 7

For Haman son of Hammerdatha tha Agagite, the foe of the Jews, had plotted to destroy the Jews, and had cast pur--that is, the lot--with intent to crush and exterminate them. But when [Esther] came before the king, he commanded: "With the promulgation of this decree, let the evil plot, which he devised against the Jews, recoil on his own head!" So they impaled him and his sons on the stake. For that reason these days were named Purim, after pur. Esther 9:24-26. The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic text, Third Section, The Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia, 1982.
Crayon on cardstock; edited on IrfanView.

Casting pur, rolling the dice, playing the lottery. That's how Haman selected his date to exteriminate the Jews. How did the Rwandan genocide date get selected? How does any horrible date get selected?

And, how do we cast out evil? Do we make war and then make merry? Dress in costumes? Spin graggers? Shake noisemakers? Stomp our feet? Hiss? Turn Haman into a joke? Turn his hat into a cookie? Edit his image until only his ghost is left on the page? Or, simply choose to not emulate evil?

The Talmud tells us: As the month of Adar enters, one should increase in joy (Taanis 29a). Here's a drash on that quote (halfway down that page). Is the response to evil so simple? So difficult? That's it? Will this erase evil from the earth?

Here's the mother of all graggers 11" x 7.75" x 2". It weighs more and it takes a lot more effort than most noisemakers. The noise can be frighteningly loud -- a fitting gragger for the last declaration of Haman's name in the Megillah. Actually, it's a gas alarm; that's what it says -- "FOR USE AS GAS ALARM ONLY." Hmmmm. Anyway, I'm sure the antique lovers are cringing right now because I painted it. The images? Paisley for Persia (part of Ahasuerus' realm) and fish for Adar.

This site says it's from World War I and they're selling it for $70 and theirs is much dirtier and than mine. Of course, mine probably has no value because I painted it. No problem -- I'm not planning to sell it!