Purim offering box (matanot la-evyonim) from Central Europe

This box collected the donations to the poor prescribed on the day of Purim, fulfilling the mitsva of matanot la-evyonim, almsgiving to those in need, which is one of the central obligations of the festival. Together with the reading of the book of Esther, the sending of food to loved ones, and the festive meal, donations to the poor count among the four duties of Purim, ensuring that all may rejoice. In Central Europe, these boxes bore the inscription of the mitsva and were presented during the reading of the Megila to collect contributions from the assembly. An object of festive charity, it illustrates the articulation between rejoicing and solidarity in the ritual of Purim.