Post date: Feb 26, 2021 4:10:29 AM
“L’migadol v’ad katan”
Great and small alike
(1:5)
The Rokeach points out that there’s a hint in the Megillah that Achashveirosh wanted the entire Sanhedrin to join him at his final 7-day party.
The word “L’migadol” refers to the Sanhedrin which was also known as the Sanhedrin Hagadol.
Additionally, the Gematriah (numerical value) of the first two letters of the word “L’migadol” (Lamded and Mem) total 70 which is the number of members of the Sanhedrin. This indicated that Achashveirosh wanted all 70 members of the Sanhedrin to attend his party.
[Inside Purim, p. 270]
Posted 2/26/21
“V’hilbishu es ha’ish…v’hirkivihu al hasus…v’kar’u l’fanav”
And they should dress the man…and they should lead him on the horse…and they should call out before him
(6:10)
Achashveirosh asked Haman to describe how he should honor someone. In answering the question, Haman answered (in the plural) that they should dress the man in the king’s clothes, and they should lead him through the streets, and they should call out... Haman figured that Achashveirosh wanted to honor him. So, to make the most out of the situation, he suggested that a group of people should perform these tasks in an effort to maximize as much as possible the honor that he expected to be given.
[The Malbim Esther, p. 127]
Posted 2/26/21
“V’ho’achashdarpinim”
And the administrators
(9:3)
In the Rambam’s Hilchos Sefer Torah, he explains how to deal with a situation when writing a Sefer, and the last word on the line requires more space than is available on that line. He says that if the word is ten letters or longer…
What’s the longest word in all of Tanach? The Maharil Diskin points out that that would be the word “V’ho’achashdarpinim” from our Pasuk, measuring in at eleven letters.
[Zvi Fleisher @ ShemaYisrael.com]
Posted 2/26/21
“U’mishloach manos ish l’rei’ei’hu”
And for sending delicacies to one another
(9:19)
According to the Chasam Sofer, the Mitzvah of Mishloach Manos is meant to show that Haman was wrong about our lack of unity.
If that’s the case, why is it preferable to have your Mishloach Manos delivered via a messenger? Wouldn’t the personal delivery of the Mishloach Manos do a better job of demonstrating our connectedness?
R. Eliezer Ginzburg explains as follows: Chazal say that through certain actions, Mordechai was able to rectify certain criticisms of how Yaakov Avinu dealt with Eisav.
1) Mordechai’s crying out loud in the streets of Shushan counteracted Eisav’s loud cry when he learned that Yitzchak had given the bracha to Yaakov.
2) Mordechai’s refusing to bow to Haman rectified Yaakov’s prostrations to Eisav when they met after leaving Lavan’s house.
3) Our sending Mishloach Manos (enacted by Mordechai) rectifies Yaakov sending gifts to Eisav using a series of messengers. Just as Yaakov’s gifts were delivered by messengers, we also (ideally) employ messengers when sending out Mishloach Manos.
(Ed: Obviously, having criticisms of Yaakov Avinu takes a lot. I’m not sure where these criticisms are sourced. That wasn’t contained in the sefer that I gleaned this idea from.)
[The King’s Treasures, p. 139]
Posted 2/26/21
(The following is a shameless copy/paste from an email I got from the OU’s “Halacha Yomis” newsletter. I found it very interesting specifically for this year, and I hope you enjoy it as well.)
Purim Meshulash is celebrated this year in Yerushalayim. What is Purim Meshulash?
The Megillah relates that the Jews fought their enemies on the 13th day of Adar. They rested and celebrated on the following day, the 14th of Adar, and that is the day that Purim is generally observed. In the capital city of Shushan there were more enemies of the Jews. The battle lasted two days and they celebrated on the 15th of Adar. Shushan was a walled city and the Rabbis instituted that Shushan and other walled cities such as Yerushalayim would celebrate Purim on the 15th. This is known as Shushan Purim. (See Aruch Hashulchan 668:2-4)
The Jewish calendar is set in a manner that the 14th of Adar will never fall on Shabbos, while the 15th of Adar occasionally falls on Shabbos. Some of the mitzvos of Purim cannot be fulfilled on Shabbos, and they are observed instead on Friday and Sunday. In such instances, Purim in Yerushalayim spans three days, and that is why it is called Purim Meshulash (the three day Purim).
Here is the breakdown of mitzvos for each day of Purim Meshulash:
Friday: Chazal did not want the Megilah to be read on Shabbos out of concern that one might forget it is Shabbos and carry the Megillah in an area where there is no eiruv. Rather, they instituted that the Jews of Yerushalayim read the Megillh on Friday, in conformity with everyone else around the world. Chazal associated the mitzvah of Matanos L’evyonim (giving gifts to the poor) with the reading of the Megillah, so even in Yerushalayim, matanos l’evyonim is given on Friday, even though it is not yet Purim. Rav Ovadya Yosef zt”l (Yechave Daas 1:90) points out that if one has a minhag not to do melacha on Purim (and treat it like Chol Ham’oed), melacha may be performed on Friday (in Yerushalayim), since it is not actually Purim.
Shabbos: The Kerias HaTorah of Purim is read on Shabbos, as well as a special Haftorah for Purim. Al Hanissim is inserted in davening and bentching. It is proper to add a special dish to the Shabbos meal in honor of Purim. Since Megillah is not read on Shabbos, it is proper to discuss the halachos of Purim to remind oneself that it is Purim day (Mishnah Berurah 688:16).
Sunday: The Purim seuda takes place on Sunday and Mishloach Manos are distributed then as well. We follow the poskim who rule that Al Hanissim is not said in davening or bentching. However, since there is a minority opinion that it should be said, Rav Ovadya Yosef recommends that it be added at the end of bentching in the section of Harachaman. (Harachaman yaaseh imanu nisim v’niflaos k’mo she’asa la’avoseinu ba’yamim ha’heim ba’zman ha’zeh. Bi’yemei Mordechai…)
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