“One secret of the success of the Jewish people is “Love your fellow[Jew] as yourself.” Whenever Jews sitting together swallow a sip of hard liquor, immediately “when wine enters, secrets emerge,” so the love between them is strengthened. This is the secret of the drinking on Purim. Haman accused us of being “a separated, […]
“On Purim even adult often dress up. For example a Litvak may wear a Shtreimel if the purim spirit grabs him. The Halacha clearly states (OC 91) that you must daven like you would appear before important people. Rav Vosner was asked (Shevet HaLevi 10:18:1) if it is permitted to daven Mincha or Maariv wearing […]
“An seemingly inebriated Jewish settler dressed as a soldier dances with others during an annual parade marking the Jewish holiday of Purim as they walk through a Palestinian area in the divided West Bank town of Hebron, Tuesday, March 10, 2009. The festival of Purim commemorates the rescue of Jews from genocide in ancient Persia. […]
“As Jews around the world are celebrating Purim, one Egyptian cleric has used the holiday to launch an attack against Starbucks, claiming that the woman in the logo of the international chain is Queen Esther, and her presence warrants a boycott of the company throughout the Arab world… “We want Starbucks to be shut down […]
“Are you ready to get on the Purim party bus?” Rabbi Saadya Notik screamed Tuesday to a group of women, many in costume, standing on a sidewalk at Mount Holyoke College. The women rushed to the charter bus, a virtual nightclub on wheels, where neon lights pulsed, smoke billowed from underneath the seats and music […]
Gedolei Yisrael, primarily among the Sephardim, will on Thursday release a kol korei urging the tzibur not to ‘waste’ money on the sweets and exorbitant mishloach manos that have become customary over recent years. Signing their name to the kol korei are Chacham Ovadia Yosef Shlita, Rav Shimon Badani Shlita, Rav Shalom Cohen Shlita, Rav […]
There is a chiyuv to give Ma’aser from your income. If you receive an expensive Mishloach Manos do you need to give Ma’aser from it? This was the question asked to Rav Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 6:389). He answered that he saw in a Sefer Uvacharta BaChaim that Rav Chaim Kreiswirth said in hesped for […]
“I am bewildered”, says Rav Moshe Shternbuch, “that people are not midakdek to be mikayen the mitzva [of mishloach manos] that is a mitzva from the nevi’im.” Rabbeinu Chananel (Megila 7a) tells a story of Rebbi Yehuda Nesia who sent mishloach manos to Rav Hoshaya. He sent a thigh of veal and a bottle of […]
