The Essence of the Holidays|Photography: Shutterstock/tomertu

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Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
The Counterpoint of Leadership
One of the most important Jewish contributions to our understanding of leadership is its early insistence of “the separation of powers”. Neither authority nor power was to be located in a single individual or office. Instead, leadership was divided between different kinds of roles.
Tetzave
Rabbi Ari Shvat
Irony & Hashem's "Sense of Humor" as Basics in Purim and Jewish Thought!
The Maharal, Rav Kook and others teach of the central theme on Purim of "Overturning"= V'Nahafoch Hu", but the question is: why is this so important? The class suggests 8 reasons why this concept is what convinced Yitro to convert to Judaism, and why this "boomerang" shows not only the irony and humor of God's history, but is so basic to understanding Judaism, justice, philosophy and more.
The Essence of Purim
44 min
Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Hooray for Haman!
Sometimes, alas, our enemies get it right. Haman hit the proverbial nail on the head when he described the Jews (Esther 3:8) as a "disjointed, disunified, dispersed" People.
Purim in Our Time
Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Purim Is Here - What Do I Do?
The Laws of Purim
Adar 13 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Myths, the Megila and Moshiach
As in many aspects of Jewish life, myths abound concerning the Purim story. One of those myths portray Achashverosh as a harmless, bumbling old fool, pulled to and fro by his wives and advisors. Yet Gemara Megila makes it abundantly clear that Achashverosh hated the Jews no less - perhaps even more! - than did Haman.
The Essence of Purim

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The Essence of the Holidays

Shvat 8 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
When Was Our Calendar Eternally Fixed?
In our Sedra, Nisan – in deference to it being the month of our liberation from Egypt and our start as a nation - is declared by Hashem to be the first month in the Hebrew year.
The Essence of the Holidays Astronomy and Halachic Times
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff
What is the Bracha Magen Avos and should we recite it on Yom Kippur?
Where is the bracha of Magen Avos first mentioned? What is the bracha Mei’ein Sheva? On what occasions do we omit reciting the bracha Mei’ein Sheva?
The Essence of the Holidays Yom Kippur Prayers