6
votes
Accepted
Gemara Megillah logic
See the Rashba there who writes
הא דבעא רבא מקרא מגילה ומת מצוה איזה מהן עדיף
והדר פשטה דמת מצוה עדיף משום דגדול כבוד הבריות שדוחה לא תעשה שבתורה. תמיה לי מקרא מגילה נמי הא דחי עבודה ותלמוד תורה. ויש ...
- 7,781
5
votes
Accepted
Baruch hu ubaruch shemo - why omitted sometimes?
The cases you've raised are cases where someone is saying the beracha with someone else in mind, i.e. saying it on their behalf so they don't say it themselves. In fact, it is as if they are actually ...
- 5,381
5
votes
Accepted
Where King Achashverosh got the priestly vestments
Refer to Rashi on the Gemara there in Megilla 12
בגדי כהונה - שהיו בידו שם בגדי כהן גדול שהביאן מירושלים
The priestly vestments: Since he had in his hand there, the vestments of the high priest that ...
- 27.3k
4
votes
Is it true that the book of Numbers has the exact same number of Hebrew letters as the book of Esther?
This is incorrect by far, as anyone who read both can attest (observant Jews read the book of Esther at least twice every year on the Purim holiday and the book of Numbers at least once a year during ...
- 45.6k
3
votes
Accepted
Mekayem mitzvah "zecher amalek" by hearing megillah?
The Maharam Schick Mitzvah 605 says that the mitzvah is to specifically read from a Sefer Torah in public with a minyan. He brings others who say reading the pesukim alone may work as well, but none ...
- 10.3k
3
votes
Vashti was never Killed
The midrash suggesting that she was executed has never convinced me for these reasons :
It is not written anywhere in the text that she was executed. The royal edict only stated that : « Vashti ...
- 69
2
votes
Can small towns, who happen to be able to, choose to read on the 14th?
The Gemara in Megilla 4B concludes that the option to read the Megilla earlier is meant to make things easier for them, if they do choose, but not to require them to read it earlier;
תָּא שְׁמַע, ...
- 10.3k
2
votes
Looking for more information about this "Megillah"
While I didn't find information regarding the megillah specifically, it seems that it was customary for the yeshiva to solicit contributions through various 'gifts' given (or sold?) around the chagim. ...
- 24.3k
2
votes
Gemara Megillah logic
I like N.T.'s answer. Another thought: although the famous formulation is that human dignity overrides even a negative Torah prohibition, the gemara in Berachot 19a explains that the only torah ...
- 1,489
2
votes
What/Where is Tarshish
It appears in several places:
In Tehillim 48:8 it writes:
בְּר֥וּחַ קָדִ֑ים תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר אֳנִיּ֥וֹת תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ
As the Tarshish fleet was wrecked in an easterly gale.
Rashi over there notes:
אניות ...
- 27.3k
2
votes
Was it Mordechai or Kish that was exiled?
"who had been exiled" is referring to Mordechai not Kish. Kish is another name for Gera (see Targum). Shimi ben Gera was in King David's time (See 2 Samuel 16:5).
- 194
2
votes
Did Queen Vashti have a child?
The only such reference I know is Tafsir Megillat Ester ("Interpretation of the Book of Esther") by Shahin, a Persian Jewish poet of the 14th century, who talks about love between Shiruyeh, ...
- 19.9k
2
votes
Haman and God sleeping
Great question. The answer to your question is yes.
This is discussed in Esther Rabbah 7:12, as well as here.
I am sure there are other places, but this is a good starting point for you to delve into ...
- 781
1
vote
Did Mordechai wear the bigdei kehuna?
According to Rav Aharon Friedman Rosh HaYeshiva of Keren B'Yavneh, as quoted here
בשעה שביקש הקב"ה להודיע לישראל על נצחונם הגדול העתיד לבוא, נתן בליבו של המן לבקש לעצמו לבוש מלכות אשר לבש בו ...
- 42.7k
1
vote
Was it Mordechai or Kish that was exiled?
On the verse, in the Sefer Dvar Yeshua, a commentary on Megillah by Netanel Chaim Pappa, he says that were it not for the fact that the Talmud clearly says that it is referring to Mordechai (making ...
- 43.7k
1
vote
Did King Achashverosh wear the Kohen Gadol clothing?
It says similarly in the Ein Yaakov on the Gemara;
בהראותו את עשר כבוד מלכותו ואת יקר וגומר אמר רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא מלמד שלבש בגדי כהונה ונתעטף ועמד כתיב הכא את יקר תפארת גדולתו וכתיב התם (שמות כח ב) ...
- 27.3k
1
vote
What/Where is Tarshish
It is mentioned as the destination Yonah HaNavi was trying to flee to, right at the beginning of Sefer Yonah-Perek 1 passuk 3,
"וַיָּ֤קׇם יוֹנָה֙ לִבְרֹ֣חַ תַּרְשִׁ֔ישָׁה מִלִּפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה ...
- 4,934
1
vote
Mekayem mitzvah "zecher amalek" by hearing megillah?
Seemingly here
https://www.sefaria.org/Peninei_Halakhah%2C_Zemanim.14.6.6?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en
there is an opinion (although only one) that reading the megillah does qualify for the ...
- 781
1
vote
Gemara Megillah logic
We find in Gemara Berachos 19b that the sages removed their mitzvos in order to protect human dignity and the Gemara there explains that the meaning of גדול כבוד הבריות שדוחה ל"ת שבתורה is ...
- 343
1
vote
Moshe Rabbeinu and Queen Esther's hesitation
Maybe that sometimes, you should not hesitate too much ? See Gittin 56a:
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן עִנְוְותָנוּתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי זְכַרְיָה בֶּן אַבְקוּלָס הֶחְרִיבָה אֶת בֵּיתֵנוּ וְשָׂרְפָה אֶת הֵיכָלֵנוּ ...
- 1,136
1
vote
What really happened to the ten sons of Haman?
According to the Gemara Megillah 15b those were different sons. Rav says there were 30 sons: 10 died in battle, 10 were hanged, and 10 became impoverished. The Rabbis say 70 became impoverished. And ...
- 1,489
1
vote
Purim - Ha-ba le-horgekha, hashkem le-horgo
A few thoughts, if not a complete answer. First, who exactly were the Jews supposed to kill? The first edict said the Jews should be killed, but not who should kill them. Esther 3:13. And based on ...
- 1,489
1
vote
Banging by Zeresh in the Megillah
Another reason is because in the end when she saw him after the parade, minus their daughter with waste on head she told him to back off and leave the Jews and Mordechai alone because he lost this ...
- 420
1
vote
What happened to Haman's money?
Professor Thamar E. Gindin writes in The Book of Esther Unmasked that much of the language in Esther is (intentionally or not) influenced by/mimicking Old Persian. She writes that הכסף נתון לך from 3:...
- 9,757
1
vote
Music at Seduas Achashverosh
The Targum Simcha notes that it's brought in the sefer Pirsumei Nissa page 79 on the bottom, that the author gives his own explanation. That since it was the minhag yisroel not to listen to music ...
- 781
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