Michael el Chayil

Every holiday has it unique obligations and a corresponding "personality" that reflect a deeper truth being exercised and brought the forefront of our attention. Pesach has matzah and the seder. Sukkos has, well, the sukkah. Chanuka has the menorah and dreidel. Purim has the megillah, s'uda, and getting so drunk that you can't tell the difference between blessed is Mordechai and cursed is Haman. Rosh HaShannah has shofar and ... what did you say? You want to go back to "getting so drunk..."? Sure. Of course I didn't need that dramatic opening. We all know that the requirement to get drunk on Purim stands out as an extraordinarily strange obligation. Before addressing the drinking issue itself, though, we need to clarify what Chazal want us to achieve. First let's try it at face value: you are taking a walk in your neighborhood and see Hitler -- may his memory and legacy be erased forever -- on one side of the street and are overwhelmed by revulsion a...

At the conclusion of every Shabbos, during the havdala ceremony, we quote a statement from Megilas Esther (8:14): לַיְּהוּדִ֕ים הָֽיְתָ֥ה אוֹרָ֖ה וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וְשָׂשׂ֖ן וִיקָֽר /The Jews had light and joy, gladness and honor! Chazal reveal to us what Esther and Mordechai meant to convey: אוֹרָ֖ה/light means Torah שִׂמְחָ֑ה /joy means Yom Tov שָׂשׂ֖ן/gladness means circumcision יקָֽר /honor mean t'fillin I heard a beautiful shiur by R' Noach Light of the East Boca Kehilla in Boca Raton (via TorahAnytime , natch). The S'fas Emes asks two questions on this verse and it's explanation. First: If that's what they meant, then why didn't they just say that? After all, Mordechai was a member of the Men of the Great Assembly and therefore technically he was Chazal. That's the first question of the S'fas Emes and it is certainly a strong question. None the less, I am guessing the interested reader already some thoughts about a reasonable explanation or two. The sec...