What are the four mitzvot of Purim?

One, is to hear the Book of Esther read twice — night and morning. While listening to the Purim story, it is traditional to shake a grogger, gregger, noisemaker or in Hebrew, Ra'ashan at every mention of Haman's name, to drown it out. The noise also keeps people paying attention to the reading. In some Minhagim customs, the listeners are quiet at the mention of Haman's name and cheer at the mention of Mordechai and Esther — makes good sense. Another commandment is to give gifts of food (mishlochey manot) or as slurred with bad grammar in Yiddish, Shlachmonos, to friends and family. The third is to give charity (tzedakah) to the poor.

The last mitzvah is to eat a festive meal. It is customary to prepare and enjoy a festive meal on Purim day (Seudat Purim), complete with wine, challah, and dessert. The feast of Purim comes from feasting in the story of Purim itself. In fact, the story begins with a six-month-long party for the palace staff thrown by the king, followed by a weeklong party for the whole kingdom of Shushan.

Wine is a part of every Jewish celebration, but Purim is the only holiday in which drinking to excess is acceptable. Even on Pesach where we are required to drink four cups of wine, we are warned to be careful not to become intoxicated. In fact, the Talmud actually says “drink until you can't tell the difference between "Cursed is Haman; blessed is Mordechai." Why would this be included? It is thought that drinking lowers inhibitions and allows the joy hidden within to be revealed. This parallels God being hidden in the story and the miracles revealed when Esther reveals her Jewish identity to the king.

Later, the plans of the evil Haman are thwarted by Queen Esther at the second of two feasts she hosted for the king and Haman. To celebrate the victory of the Jewish people against the plans to destroy them, the end of the Book of Esther includes directions to eat a festive meal. The rabbis of the Talmud reiterate this as one of the four mitzvot (commandments) of Purim.

The traditional pastry of Purim is called “hamantaschen” in Yiddish, or “oznei Haman” (Haman's ears) in Hebrew.

Hamentashen are also of German origin. Originally they were called mohn-tashen, mohn meaning poppy seed and tashen meaning pockets. The people therefore related the cake to the book of Esther and changed the mohn to Haman [due to its similarity].

In time the interpretation arose that the three-cornered cakes are eaten because Haman wore a three-cornered hat when he became prime minister to Ahasuerus. The three corners were also interpreted as a symbolic sign of the three patriarchs whose merit aided the Jews against Haman.”

I have included a very good recipe for Mohn, because in my humble opinion, if it's not poppy seed it's not a Ha-mohn-tashen.

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