Khomeini went the way of Haman, Israel continues to pound its enemies as recorded in the Megillah - and we thank G-d for our deliverance.
One more day of fighting, Esther begged Ahasueros. One more day of humility, she hoped. One more day of unity, she dreamed. Let us join her prayer and act upon it this year.
Purim and Yom Kippur, also called Yom Kippurim, are opposing mirror images of each other. Each provides the missing half that the other lacks and this year they merge as we celebrate in the midst of a war of survival.
“When there is a great war in the world, the power of Mashiach awakens."
My friends and brethren, the call of Queen Esther is relevant and applicable to this very moment. Let’s unite and be active in three areas to help this war succeed.
Stop arguing, just take a look at me!
The fourteenth of Adar was not random. It was repayment. G-d always pays His debts.
Although the events of Purim took place outside the Land of Israel, Purim is deeply connected to it.
A Deeper Dive into the Connection between the Ancient Serpent and the Evil of Amaleik
These special clothes indicate that the kohanim suffer from a fundamental dissonance.
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, after you left Egypt… you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; do not forget."
What is the Torah's attitude toward clothing? Is there anything wrong with trying to look one’s best and constantly keeping up with the latest style?
The Jewish people are a portable sanctuary. We are still here. Still learning. Still singing. Still blessing. Still arguing with love. Still raising Jewish children who will carry the flame forward. That is not sociology. That is not luck. That is Hashem holding us up.
The salvation of Purim began quietly - not with a miracle, not with a battle, but with Shabbat.
Haman and Amalek represent the force that brings death and destruction into the world. Mordechai - connected to the Ketoret- represents the force that stops death and destruction.
A barrier is not social segregation but a spiritual foundation that guarantees the camp's sanctity and preserves its identity.
There are moments in Jewish history when compassion becomes cruelty.
Megillat Esther never once mentions G-d; Parashat Tetsave does not mention Moses; Amalek seemed to have disappeared from history. But G-d gives us the discernment to perceive them all.
Hashem has no need for illumination, the mitzvah is solely for the honor and needs of Israel - and it also contains symbolism for daily life.
Every Jew should read Parashat Zachor and remember what Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik said about Amalek today.
There are many similarities between the return to Zion at the time of Ezra and today’s return to Zion.
![When the majority of Jews [dwell] in their Land...](https://2.a7.org/files/pictures/203x125/1055955.jpg?autocrop=1 "צילום: אייסטוק")
From the time of Moses until now, “Zayin Adar" affirms Judaism’s unwavering reverence for the sanctity of the human body, created in the image of G-d.
When there is room in the synagogue for all the worshippers, and there is no significant principled reason to establish an additional synagogue, it is forbidden to divide the community
A terrorist is not an ordinary pursuer intending to kill a specific individual, but someone who seeks to kill any Jew who happens to cross his path. How does halakha deal with that?
Joy acts like a proactive medicine for the mind. Happiness and worry simply cannot live in the same heart at the exact same moment.
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
Halakha points in one direction. That said, the even bigger issue from a Torah perspective may be the missed opportunity for a traditional Jewish marriage and family.
The most powerful image is one that stands for our facing one another.
Our Sages teach us that as the month of Adar advances simcha (joy) increases.
What is the significance of this unique animal, the Tachash? How are they like the Erev Rav?
Start the Party: Learning from an uncouth dictator How to celebrate Life.
Adar is suited for confronting the enemies of the Jews because of the joy of Israel during this month.
Through their deeds, which are pleasing before Him, the righteous themselves become the concrete sanctuary of Hashem.
The construction of the Mikdash/Mishkan/Tent of Meeting transformed us from a collection of families to a united nation, united in in our worship of G-d.
How the current Daf Yomi connects with the parasha we read in Shul.
The golden menorah teaches that all wisdom is directed toward the light of the Torah.
We did not simply remember the Temple. We organized our civilization around its absence.
What is the meaning of the idea that G-d “dwells among us?" And why is the Mishkan built of donated materials, instead of G-d commanding the Jews to bring them?
What purpose did the Table serve and what need was there in the Sanctuary and in the Temple, that required a Table?
The ultimate goal of Jewish life isn't to be well-integrated or liked by our neighbors. It is for Judaism to be the centering fact of your life.
Our synagogues, like the Temple, must be a Beit Midrash, a Beit Tefilah and a Beit Kenesset.
The obliteration of Amalek and building the Beit Mikdash are two commandments Bnei Yisrael must keep upon entering Eretz Yisrael.
The permission not to make Aliyah applies only to the greatest Rabbis of the generation. How is that?
By seating the elders at the front of the synagogue, the entire congregation bestows honor upon the Torah and its Sages. Although we find various communities that practiced not seating the rabbis in the “east," it is proper to return to the original custom-in order to honor the Torah and increase its influence.
‘If you accept the ordinances, there will be peace amongst you, and you will then merit to acquire the Torah.’
A daughter's memorial tribute to her mother z"l, written as the saga of going through one's parents' home after their passing.
Tens of thousands of IDF reservist soldiers are experiencing feelings not unlike those of the Israelites leaving Sinai. How does the Torah deal with this?
Young religious Zionist Torah scholars connect the Torah Reading with the Land of Israel.
“The progress of human knowledge, and all of the results of human inventions - is all the work of God."
The Iranians are suffering from obsessive, compulsive hatred of the Jews and of Israel and do not hide their intention of using any and every means to eradicate the lives of 8 million Jews in Israel. Is it wise to wait and see?!
What is the difference between a G-d Who listens and a G-d Who partners?
When my reptilian brain goes wild, I need to help it see its owner.
Parshat Shekalim itself revolves around the half-shekel - a modest, equal contribution required of every individual, rich and poor alike, toward the communal service.
Shabbat Shekalim is the first of five special Shabbatot, over seven weeks.
This Shabbat, in addition to reading the parsha of Mishpatim, we will read the haftarah for Shekalim.
We cannot undo what has been lost. We cannot remove the pain from the bereaved. But we are commanded not to add to it.
Shabbat is not merely another commandment; it is an eternal sign of the covenant between God and Israel.
The ancient moral Torah laws on relations with young women form a stark contrast to the actions of progressive liberal Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Herbert Wexner.
To treat G-d’s creatures with justice and compassion is to affirm, through our daily conduct, that the world and humanity are the handiwork of Hashem.
