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Beit Midrash
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cancelled, but Purim will remain in effect & never be abolished!
And yet, the fact that Purim is a holiday at all is quite puzzling. After all, the Sages ruled that once we left Egypt for our own land, no events outside the Land of Israel - no matter how dramatic - could qualify as a permanent, national holiday on the Jewish calendar. And we know that Mordechai & Esther pleaded for years with the Sanhedrin before Purim was accepted as a full-fledged Chag. And - did you know? - there have been dozens, maybe hundreds of other "Purims" through-out our history – when Jews were saved from disaster – that
did not make the cut and have ben all but forgotten.
So what is it about this Purim that qualifies it eternally?!
The classic answer to this question is that two years after Achashverosh dies, his & Esther’s son Darius II takes the throne &
reinstates Cyrus’ permission for the Bet HaMikdash to be rebuilt (see Artscroll Megila introduction, page xxiv, for the complete chronology). This connects the events in Persia to the Holy Land, thus granting it sufficient justification for the entire Saga to be canonized within the books of Tanach.
But I have another idea. Have you ever considered just how outrageous & frightening a picture this story paints about life in Persia? No matter that the local Jews are "honored" citizens, as indicated by their being invited to the king’s lavish banquet; no matter that Mordechai is a trusted advisor in the palace. When the opportunity presents itself, the Jews are to be massacred! Hunted down & murdered, every last one of them, "from infant to elderly." And – had the Hand of G-d not intervened, via his many messengers – the Jews would have indeed
been massacred, in yet another tragic Holocaust.
Perhaps the Rabbis decided to include Purim & the Megila in our calendar year as an emblematic "cautionary tale" to Jews throughout history. To impress upon us how very precarious, how violently dangerous life in the Exile can be. Even in a place like Shushan, where Jews felt wanted and secure, fortunes can change in an instant.
As I have written before, when the murderous decree is discovered by the Jewish community, the Megila says, "V’Ha-Ir Shushan NEVOCHA;" the Jewish inhabitants of Shushan were but hapless, helpless "nebuchs." But when we are finally able to unite & fight for our lives – certainly a rarity in the Diaspora – "V’Ha-Ir Shushan TZAHALA V’Sameach." A Tzahal (IDF) in our own land, blessed by the Almighty, is the surest way to prevent another Haman from threatening our people.
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)
Rabbis in Midrash
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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)
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)
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)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
