Whence Such a Transformation? It was one of our lowest points in history, the nadir of the Jewish people. Forty days earlier, they heard the voice of G-d; they vowed to become His people. Now they were dancing around...
What are the guidelines for mishloach manot? Both men and women are required to fulfill the mitzvah of mishloach manot. One must send two different portions of food or drink to at least one other...
For some reason, people think that drinking is acceptable at certain times, such as on Simchas Torah, at a Shalom Zochor, at a wedding, and on Purim. Many people become intoxicated by drinking wine or whiskey on Purim. Is there...
Is a mourner, within a year for a parent or thirty days for another close relative, allowed to lead synagogue prayers on Purim? A man who is in mourning is expected to lead weekday prayers in the synagogue. Of course,...
It is well-known that Hashem is never mentioned explicitly in Megilat Ester. The omission of His Name is by design, as the story told in the Megilah appears to unfold randomly, with the events occurring coincidentally, as though...
The last pasuk in the Megillah reads “For Mordechai, the Yehudi, was viceroy to King Achashveirosh; he was a great man among the Jews, and found favor with the multitude of his brothers (ratzui l’rov echav); he sought the...
My veteran readers will remember that sometimes I imagine a simulated, fictional interview with the Yeitzer Hara to give us an inner look into the machinations of the one whose mission it is to cause us to sin....
One year, Reb Yeiva of Ostra’a wanted to be happy on Purim, but it was hard for him as he was struggling financially. A happy person arrived, they celebrated Purim together, and Reb Yeiva became joyful. Reb Yeiva said that this person...
Introduction The Shulchan Aruch (OC 282:3) rules according to the opinion that a katan – a child who is under the age of bar mitzvah – is permitted to receive an aliyah and to read from the Torah....
What can the light of the menorah teach us about avoiding “burnout”? Parshas Tetzaveh opens with the mitzvah to light the menorah in the Mikdash, which must be done “tamid” (Shemos 27:20), a word typically translated as “constantly.”...