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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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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The date of Amalek fighting Moses and Israel in the wilderness [duplicate]
וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם׃
Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. (Ex 17:8)
When exactly was it, what day was chosen to fight the Israelites and why that ...
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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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Why should Ester come from the front instead from the back of Achashverosh?
I know little about kings manners. In the Megillah Mordechay commands Ester to come to the king to beg for her people. Ester replies that the only way of doing that would be through coming from the ...
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Where was the Sanhedrin in the Purim story?
I'm trying to understand the "chain of command" in the story of Megillat Ester, and I see Ester as a prophetess, Mordechai as a prophet and a sage but what's missing is the 70 elders - the Sanhedrin.
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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 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 came to ...
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The origin of Purim Halachot
We hold that the written Torah was given together with the oral law. However, Meggilat Ester was written by the Sages.
Purim is full of Halochos, as the Meggila says "קיימו וקבלו", but it does not ...
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What miracle(s) occurred on Purim?
This is a simple and a bit naive question. I understand that a miracle everywhere is a super natural force unexplainable by current state of science.
The Purim story looks all natural, nothing truly ...
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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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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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Why not keep Pesach to be saved on Purim?
וַיַּעֲבֹר מָרְדֳּכָי וַיַּעַשׂ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוְּתָה עָלָיו אֶסְתֵּר׃
So Mordecai passed and did just as Esther had commanded him. (Ester 4.17)
Targum says (first):
וּנְסֵס וּכְנֵס ...
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Was Ester a known prophetess to command on public transgression?
If I understand right the plot of Ester of what we do know:
Ester does not know what Haman plans and Mordechai tells her that.
Mordechai holds a high halachic position (don't know exactly what though)...
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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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Who did the Jews fight on Purim if nobody could oppose them?
נִקְהֲלוּ הַיְּהוּדִים בְּעָרֵיהֶם בְּכָל־מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֳחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ לִשְׁלֹחַ יָד בִּמְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתָם וְאִישׁ לֹא־עָמַד לִפְנֵיהֶם כִּי־נָפַל פַּחְדָּם עַל־כָּל־הָעַמִּים׃ (Ester 9.5
...
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Meaning of Purim
What is the origin/meaning of the word Purim? I always assumed it meant the multiple lots of Haman, but I just heard a shiur saying the word Purim comes from "pirurin" - little things - of the ...
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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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Purim fights: were women and children actually killed?
As we see in my previous question, the Jews were allowed/commanded to kill all the enemies incl. women and children.
The Megillah does not specify if this part was fulfilled:
וַיַּהַרְגוּ ...
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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 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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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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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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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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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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Haman Hanged on Branch of Eitz HaDaas?
Rav Eytan Feiner mentioned in a shiur that the tree used to hang Haman was the Eitz HaDaas, based on a Midrash. Where is this Midrash located? (I found Esther Rabba 9:2 which discusses it, but can't ...
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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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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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How the 72 hours straight fast was possibly allowed?
We know that the danger of fasting two consecutive days is the reason Yom Kippur (and all other fasts) is not celebrated two days outside Israel.
And still Ester commanded on the 3-day fast (Ester 4,...
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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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Megilat Ester linguistics - why inline translations?
M"E is full with "inline" translations or clarifications from Hebrew to Parsi and vice verse, for example:
פור הוא הגורל
הֲדַסָּה הִיא אֶסְתֵּר
בחודש השנים עשר הוא חודש אדר
This is pretty unusual I ...
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What exactly do we celebrate on Purim - the 14th of Adar?
In the Purim timeline, we can see a series of beneficial events:
the King couldn't sleep and remembered Mordechai (the turn of the story)
Hanging of Haman with his sons and Appointing of Mordechai ...
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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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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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Purim in Adar: Haman's choice or a toss?
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן ... הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל לִפְנֵי הָמָן
מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר׃ (Ester 3.6)
In the first month ... pur—which means “the ...
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Why was Ta'anis Esther established? The story has a happy ending!
I understand why we fast the other public fast days (Tisha B'av, 17 Tammuz, Tzom Gedaliah). All of these fasts commemorate events which we are still affected by (primarily lack of a Beis Hamikdash).
...
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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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Are there any specific minhagim to celebrate Purim as a family?
וְהַיָּמִ֣ים הָאֵ֠לֶּה נִזְכָּרִ֨ים וְנַֽעֲשִׂ֝ים בְּכָל־דּ֣וֹר וָד֗וֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה֙ וּמִשְׁפָּחָ֔ה מְדִינָ֥ה וּמְדִינָ֭ה וְעִיר וָעִיר וִימֵ֞י הַפּוּרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה לֹ֤א יַֽעַבְרוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ ...
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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 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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Mishloach Manot - why the word Mishloach is used specifically
It appears that the Halacha does not emphasize the importance of actually "sending" the Manos, they can be handed or eaten in place.
Moreover, the word לשלח is used in the Torah as "to expel", e.g. ...
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Mishloach Manot - why the word Manot is used specifically
What is so special about this word "Manot / Manah" that it is used for the Mitzvah of sending food to one's fellow?
What are the Halachic applications that "Manot" is used and not, say, food (besides ...
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Mishloach Manot food to decor ratio
In the last years more and more money and effort are put on the decor of the M"M relatively to the actual food.
I was wondering if any sources mention a sort of the "final ratio" of food to decor, ...
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Why is “hanging people” such a central theme in the Megillah?
(inspired by this tweet)
There's so much hanging being spoken about in Megillas Esther.
Any idea as to why this is such a common theme in the Megillah?
2:23
"וַיִּתָּל֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־עֵ֑ץ"
5:...
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Rabbi expenses for Mishloach Manos to his congregants
Can a Rabbi of a Shul claim back expenses for the outlay of food for mishloach Manos to give to his congregants?
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Mishloach Manos or Shalach Manos?
What is the proper grammar of giving/receiving mishloach manos/shalach manos? I've heard people use both terms as in, "I'm preparing mishloach manos for tomorrow" and "I hope to bring the shalach ...
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How old was Achashverosh in the Megillah?
I'm on a bit of a quest to contextualize the story of Purim by getting a better sense of the ages of the main characters. So far, with Mi Yodeya's help, I've explored the age of Esther, and I have ...
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How old was Haman in the Megillah?
I'm on a bit of a quest to contextualize the story of Purim by getting a better sense of the ages of the main characters. So far, with Mi Yodeya's help, I've explored the age of Esther, and I have ...
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2answers
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How old was Mordechai in the Megillah?
I have been trying to calculate Mordechai's age, and according to my estimates he must have been around 100, if not older, when the Purim saga begins.
Are there any textual sources which provide the ...
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What country is Tarsia / טרסי?
In Bavli Megilla 13b, we are told that Bigtan and Teresh were two טרסיים, translated by R. Steinsaltz as Tarsians. We are told that they spoke in the Tarsian language.
In what modern country or ...
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According to the The Yalkut Yosef, should one Mishloach Manot be large to serve as a meal?
Chazon Ovadyah (pp 129-31) learns from Megillah 7b that one should send enough food that could serve as a meal.
What is the opinion of The Yalkut Yosef - Is it obligatory to send food large enough to ...
