Megillat Esther Part 5: Shushan Purim & “Tomorrow”
Why did Esther request that Shushan Purim be unique and not for everyone? Why not make it a 2-day holiday? Why does she emphasize the “tomorrow”? For part 1 click here....
Megillat Esther Part 4: Gather All The Jews
Both steps in the process of the Jews’ defeating Haman involved them gathering together: they gathered as one to pray for salvation and to wage war. Why the emphasis on gathering?...
Megillat Esther Part 3: V’Nahafoch Hu
The whole theme of Purim is everything being turned upside down (v’nahafoch hu). It’s not that Haman wasn’t wrong in assessing Adar as a good month for his scheme. For part 1...
Megillat Esther Part 2: The First Chapter
What is the purpose of the whole first chapter of the Megillah? It doesn’t seem to be all that important to the Purim story? For part 1 click here. For part...
Megillat Esther Part 1: Introduction
The Gemara says that in the future, all the books in Tanach will be “batel” except the 5 books of the Torah and Esther. What is so significant about the megillah?...
A Psychological Profile of Haman
Even from our first encounter with Haman, we see that the only way he can be satisfied is by killing, not just overcoming, his competitor. A discussion of the difference between...
Shushan Purim Katan
The message of Shushan Purim is that we aim not just to survive, but also to move the world forward for tomorrow. This is the deeper message behind Esther’s request for a...
Understanding the Metaphysics of Haman’s Male Chauvinism
Chazal say: Were not for Haman & Achashverosh sending out the letter that each man should rule in his own home the Jews wouldn’t have survived.
Megillas Esther “Playbill”
Download PDF Summary Following the destruction of the First Temple, the Jews were exiled from Israel. This exile was prophesied to last 70 years, but both the Jewish people and the...
Purim Story of Rav Mann Vilna
Rav Soloveitchik discusses the nature of the day of Purim. Purim has no kedushat haYom unlike Shabbos or Yom Tov since it is a Rabbinic holiday. Delivered in Boston, 1968.
Discover More
- Asarah B'Tevet
- Birchat HaChama
- Chanukah
- Elul
- Fast of Esther
- Fast of Shiva Asar B'Tammuz
- Fast of Tisha B'Av
- Four Shabbatot
- Hoshanah Rabbah
- Lag BaOmer
- Months
- Passover
- Pesach Sheini
- Purim
- Rosh Hashanah
- Sefirat HaOmer
- Shabbat
- Shavuot
- Shemini Atzeret
- Shushan Purim
- Simchat Torah
- Sukkot
- The Three Weeks
- Tu B'Av
- Tu B'Shevat
- Tzom Gedaliah
- Yom HaAtzmaut
- Yom HaShoah
- Yom Hazikaron
- Yom Kippur
- Yom Yerushalayim
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