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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Tzav
The simple answer (actually, it’s not so simple!) is that there is so much happening beneath the surface of this story, that we absolutely must go back & hear it again. Like a book or movie with a special twist at the end, when you see or read it again, after you know the ending, you can appreciate it so much more. So it is with Megilat Esther.
Beneath the fairy-tale like facade is a serious sequence of events which impact upon the entire history of Am Yisrael. The backdrop is the re-building of the Bet HaMikdash after the Babylonian exile: Ordered by Cyrus, prohibited by Vashti (the granddaughter of Nebuchadnezer) & then renewed by Darius II, son of Esther & Achashverosh.
And there is a lot to consider about the lead actress in this elaborate Purim play:
We have 2 fast-days named for a person: Tzom Gedalya & Ta’anit Esther. Now, I understand the Gedalya tragedy; his brutal assassination, at the hands of a fellow Jew, nonetheless, brought about a final, bitter end to the Jewish community in Israel after the Temple’s destruction. But Esther?! Why should her name be associated with such a "down" day? While the fast she called for did precede her appeal to the king, it seems inappropriate, almost cruel that our heroine princess should forever be linked with such a sad event.
But the deeper truth is that Esther, for all of her beauty & stunning triumph over Haman, is a truly tragic figure. Orphaned at a young age, married to her much older uncle (with whom she had no children), she is coerced into an immodest beauty contest & then forced to live with a crude, Jew-hating tyrant. She understands that her situation is completely hopeless, & she desperately wants to end it. That is why, says the Gemara, she invites Haman to her party along with the king. Her plan was to "make eyes" at Haman, in the hope that Achashverosh, in a fit of jealous rage, will kill them both. This, she reasoned, would solve all her problems at once.
The trait of m’sirat nefesh, self-sacrifice, characterizes all our greatest heroines. Think Rivka, think Rachel, think Chana, think Rut. These women do what they have to do at great cost to themselves & their personal freedom & luxury. They win their eternal greatness at a high price.
Let us therefore, especially on Purim, pay homage to all those – our mothers, our wives, our soldiers come to mind - who give selflessly of themselves for our survival.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Shoftim TESHUVA IN COURT OF LAW?
Parshat Shoftim-Chodesh Elul
Why does parshat Shoftim always come out during Elul? This innovative and central explanation is an eye-opener regarding many aspects of Judaism.
The Month of Elul TESHUVA IS THE ANSWER
The month of Elul serves as a vital time for self-reflection and personal accountability to prepare for true repentance.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
P'ninat Mishpat Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Chemdat Yamim The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
