Questions tagged [purim]
The holiday of Purim celebrates G-d's saving of the Jewish people from the genocidal plot of Haman, the Persian king's prime minister.
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Mishloach Manot - Does the emissary have to be Jewish?
I have a very good friend that lives far away from me and I'd very much like to send Mishloach Manot to him.
Is there any rule/halacha/minhag that states that the emissary/third-party (shaliach) of ...
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Can you attend Purim dressed like Hitler?
My question concerns an halakic issue about dressing up during Purim.
Would someone allowed to dress up like Hitler during Purim, provided that this infamous man was the modern version of Haman?
I ...
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Connection between Tehillim 22 and Purim?
A few years ago, I started hearing around Purim-time the song "Keli, keli, lamah azavtani" - ק-לי ק-לי, למה עזבתני, which comes from Tehillim 22:2:
אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק ...
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How did the Sages know that Jerusalem had a wall in the times of Joshua?
The criterion for whether a city celebrates Purim on 14 Adar or Shushan Purim on 15 Adar is whether it was walled in the times of Joshua (about 3300 years ago). (Well, Shushan itself is an exception, ...
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Walled cities for Purim other than Jerusalem
The holiday of Purim is unique in that some locations celebrate it on different days. The rule is: if the city was walled at the time of Joshua's conquest of the Land of Israel then they celebrate on ...
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Did Aleppo Jews observe Purim on the 14th (regular) or 15th (Shushan Purim)?
Did the Jews of Aleppo, Syria observe Purim on the 14th or 15th of Adar? Was it believed to be old enough for the latter?
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Must the Purim feast take place in a location where it's Purim?
Somebody who is obligated to keep Shushan-Purim (on 15th Adar); must they eat the Seudat Purim in a location where Shushan Purim is being celebrated?
In other words, on Shushan Purim, can a ...
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Why does Shushan Purim exist? Why don't we follow the principle of "rov"?
(follow up question to scimonster's question)
Shushan Purim was enacted because Jews in walled cities stopped fighting on the 15th and thus that's when they celebrated, opposed to the rest of Klal ...
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Why do we need a separate celebration for Shushan Purim in walled cities?
Purim is celebrated on Adar 14 because that was the day the Jews rested after prevailing against their enemies. In walled cities, Shushan Purim is celebrated on the 15th because that was when the ...
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What is the logic of the Shushan Purim davening and brachot? [duplicate]
Why is it that on Shushan Purim, when we do not say tachanun, we do not add the Purim paragraph to the amida or to the birchat hamazon? Why do the two not go together?
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Must you celebrate Shushan Purim if you've already celebrated normal Purim? [duplicate]
If you are in one part of Israel, and celebrate Purim on the normal 14th of Adar, but then end up being in Jerusalem in time to celebrate Shushan Purim, are you obligated to celebrate Shushan Purim ...
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During Purim Meshulash, why does the Seudah take place on Sunday?
When Shushan Purim falls on Shabbat, residents of Jerusalem spread the observances of Purim over three days: Megillah reading & meshloach manot on Friday, Al HaNissim and Purim Torah reading on ...
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Two days, one day, and zero days of Purim?
It is possible to celebrate two days of Purim as follows: Celebrate Purim on the 14th of Adar, as it typical, and then travel to a "walled city" where Purim is celebrated on the 15th of Adar, and ...
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Halachically skipping Purim
There have long been 'legends' of various liberal figures in Judaism, including Yeshayahu Leibovitz (brother of Nechama Leibovitz) that would 'skip' Purim. On the 14th of Adar they would be sure to be ...
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How and why celebrate Purim according to Rabi shimon bar Yochai?
In the famous give and take discussing the miracle of Purim found in Maseches Megilah 12a, quoted below with Sefaria's translation, Rabi Shimon bar Yochai tells his studets that the danger the Jews ...
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Shehechyanu levatala on Purim
Before the morning reading of Megillat Esther, the reader says 3 brachot including Shehechyanu (according to Ashkenazic practice). This applies, to some degree, and in some way to that morning's ...
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How do Rabbis deal with meshaloch manos in terms of kedushin? [duplicate]
Since the definition of sivlonos is a man giving a gift of value to a non married woman, the mishloach manos looks like this (S.A. O.C. 695,4 in Haga). So, how do Rabbis deal with this issue in terms ...
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Why is the chag not Goralot?
The Megillah says the chag is named after the Persian "Pur" (Esther 9:26 - language identified in Targum Sheini to 3:7). Why is it not named "Goralot," in Hebrew, like the other chagim?
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Which passages in Megillat Esther are read with a different trope? [duplicate]
It's common practice to chant certain passages of Megillat Esther with a different trope. For example, 8:6 is read to the trope of Eichah, as are several other passages; in addition, certain passages ...
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Why mention possessions in Al Hanisim
The Al Hanisim for Purim mentions Haman's plot to kill every single Jew. However the list of victims ends with a seemingly unnecessary point that not only will they be killed, but their possessions ...
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The Orchos Tzaddikim in Shaar HaSimcha: What does Purim have to do with remembering the Exodus?
The Orchos Tzaddikim in the end of Shaar HaSimcha writes:
(Source from Sefaria.org)
גם צריך לשמוח בשבתות וימים טובים ופורים, כי כולם לזכר יציאת מצרים ולזכר הנסים שהפליא עם בחיריו
It is also necessary ...
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Purim fighting in Adar - why wait for 8 months?
According to the Purim timeline:
the 13th of Adar (of the next year) was set as the target day for wiping the Jews.
Mordechai became the vice in Nissan and the new decrees to fight Amolekites ware ...
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Why did Amalekites fear the Jews at Purim fights?
In the last question, I asked "who-did-the-jews-fight-on-purim-if-nobody-could-oppose-them".
On the second thought, the Amalekites are known with their natural hatred for the Jews, as they ...
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What Beit Ester survived?
Mordechai warns Ester that if she does not partake in saving the Jews:
כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒
רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר
וְאַ֥תְּ ...
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Kiddush Levana the night of Purim
It is the night of Purim and for some reason the majority of the Shul has not yet said Kiddush Levana. Should Kiddush Levana be said prior to Megila due to "Tadur" it being more frequent? (source)
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Is there something special about being born on purim?
Since in Judaism we have a lot of things made by HaShem that have a certain influence on our lives (like the day of the week in which we were born, the month, the hour of the day that we were born on ...
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Parameters of neis nigleh and neis nistar?
What are the Halachic parameters and definition of a neis nistar versus a neis nigleh?
For example: I heard recently from a Rav that one reason brought not to say hallel on Yom Ha’atzma’ut is that ...
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Purim in Adar and not Av?
We all presume that Haman was well literate and familiar with our Tanachic sources. It is widely known that since the sin of the Spies (Meraglim) 9th of Av was chosen for all kinds of misfortunes for ...
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Matan (Oral) Torah on Purim details
Following this question's comments, I wondered:
In what form did the Jews "receive/accept" the Oral Torah on Purim, was there some kind of a ceremony, or nation-wide event, maybe some other one-...
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Sources for celebrating Purim during the Second Temple
(Maybe I'm wrong), in the listing of the Dead Sea scrolls fragments Megillat Ester is missing. That seems strange taking into the account that the Megillah says that memory will never fade away.
The ...
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Is Purim mentioned in later writings by Ezrah and his B"D?
I'm trying to understand how the earlier generations saw Purim. Ezrah and his B"D wrote a series of books, such as Ezrah, Divrei Hayamim and more.
Is the Purim story or Meggilat Ester mentioned in ...
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Can Mishloach Manot count as Matanot Laevyonim and vice versa?
If I donate ready to eat food to a soup kitchen, or, even more directly, if I see 2 homeless men on the street on Purim and hand them each a sandwich and a drink, can that fulfill my obligation to ...
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Why do we read the Megillah by night and by day?
Why do we read the Megillah by night and then again by day? Wouldn't it be enough to read it once!
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When is the "main" mitzvah of hearing the Megillah?
If someone has a choice of hearing the Megilla read either at night or during the day, (e.g. the person is disabled and can't make it to a shul, and no one can come to read both times) but not both, ...
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Why Mishnah doesn't mention Halochos of Mishloach Manot, Matanot laEvionim and the Seudah?
Following my previous question on the origin of Purim Halochos, I wondered why the Mishnah doesn't mention Halochos of Mishloach Manot, Matanot laEvionim, and the Seudah and only mentions a lot of ...
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Why didn't Haman just kill Mordechai?
Why didn't Haman just kill Mordechai?
Assuming he was a high official, didn't he have the authority to kill someone that disrespected him?
In other words, since Mordechai violated the King's decree ...
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Why was Achashverosh so angry about Haman's plot?
In Megilas Esther 7:4, Esther tells Achashveros that someone is planning on wiping out her people:
כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְעַמִּי, לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרוֹג וּלְאַבֵּד; וְאִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת ...
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How did Achashveirosh not know that Esther was Jewish?
In the Megila, Esther is taken from the house of Mordechai - who was clearly known as a Jew, and then Mordechai is constantly expressing interest in Esther: (2:11)
ובכל יום ויום מרדכי מתהלך לפני ...
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Do the 3 Mitzvos of entering Israel apply to the Second Temple?
וכן היה רבי יהודה אומר ג' מצות נצטוו ישראל בכניסתן לארץ:
להעמיד להם מלך ולהכרית זרעו של עמלק ולבנות להם בית הבחירה (Sanhedrin 20b)
Rabbi Yehuda says: Three mitzvot were commanded to the Jewish ...
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Understanding lack of Hallel on Purim and most of Pessah
Hallel, six psalms (113-118) that thank and praise God, is recited on Pessah, Shavuot, Sukkot, Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh.
-But not on Purim, because the miracle did not happen in the Land of Israel, ...
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How do people in Yerushalayim manage with Purim on Friday? [closed]
In Diaspora, the only time Purim is on Friday is when 1st Pesach is on Sunday. That's a rare occurrence. I vaguely recall what I did with managing Se'udat Purim on Friday and squeezing it in between ...
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Why do some congregations only make noise at certain occasions of Haman?
Attended a Purim Seudah tonight at a Sephardic shul where most of the attendees are Israeli. They only made noise during three (maybe four?) times Haman's name was mentioned. I am aware of the ...
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Mordechay's decree: "kill women and children, AND/OR plunder their possessions"?
I'm a bit confused here, so maybe the title is not worded well.
Achashverosh let Mordechay write the letters to his own wording:
"ואתם כתבו על־היהודים כטוב בעיניכם בשם המלך"
And you may ...
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Why things in the Torah are "caused" by dreams but on Purim by insomnia?
Frankly this question was asked by my Chevrutah today.
We see that many things in the Torah are caused or moved by sleeping and dreaming - Yaakov dreaming of the Ladder, Yossef having fights with his ...
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Did Ester reveal to Achashverosh she was married to Mordechai?
ומרדכי בא לפני המלך כי־הגידה אסתר מה הוא־לה
That very day ... Mordecai presented himself to the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her. (Ester 8.1)
Rashi does not elaborate much:
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Is there a problem with wearing clothing inside-out for Purim?
In general, one should not wear clothing inside-out, as per Shulchan Aruch, OC 2:3:
ידקדק בחלוקו ללובשו כדרכו שלא יהפוך הפנימי לחוץ
One should be particular with his cloak to wear it properly, ...
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She'asa Nissim Lavoseinu | שעשה נסים לאבותינו - what did they say back then?
What was the second blessing mentioned by the Jews right after the miracle of Purim took place? If the second blessing on reading the Megillah mentions:
"בימים ההם בזמן הזה"
"... in those days at ...
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Are women required to keep the Fast of Esther?
I had learned that women are only required to fast on Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av.* But sometimes, women are obligated in mitzvos that they wouldn't ordinarily be expected (such as the time-bound ...
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If Mordechai knew he would endanger the whole nation would he bow to Haman?
If I understand the plot correctly, the story of Haman's hatred to Mordechai and the whole Jewish people started with Mordechai disobeying the king's laws.
First, did Mordechai (as a prophet) know he ...
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Are you Yotzei Mikrah Megillah if you're spacing out?
The Mishnah in Megillah (2:2) says that one who reads the megillah while semi-asleep ('מתנמנם') is yotzei. The gemara comments (18b):
מתנמנם יצא וכו': היכי דמי מתנמנם אמר רב אשי נים ולא נים תיר ולא ...
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