Illusions 5774 by Ramaz School

‫הארות‬

Illuminations

November 5, 2013 Volume VII

Dedicated in celebration of the 50th birthday of

Volume 7

Howard Nathan Shams

Purim 5774, 2014

Matanot Le’evyonim

A Nation United

Layla Malamut ’14

Yona Kornsgold ’15

The holiday of Purim is known for its drinking, feasting and merriment. However, one thing that is often overlooked is the role that “Matanot Le’evyonim” and tzedakah play in this celebration. On the 14th day of Adar, the Jews first celebrated their victory, though no mention is made in the Megillah about giving gifts to the poor (Esther 9:18). Later, however, Mordechai instructs the Jewish people to celebrate each anniversary of this day with a party and a charity. The Torah and its commentators teach us that joy is never complete unless it is shared with the needy. The Torah (Devarim 16:14) tells us to celebrate the holidays with our “children and families, servants, strangers, orphans and widows.” This indicates that the holiday joy must be spread to those who have less. The Rambam comments on this implication that all acts of celebration, even drinking and eating, are not truly joyful until one aids the stranger and orphan. A person who closes his doors and courtyard, who eats

Haman justified his plot to destroy the Jews to Achashverosh by arguing that “there is one nation, scattered and dispersed among the nations throughout the provinces of your kingdom, whose laws are unlike those of any other nation and who do not obey the laws of the King,” and that “it is not in the King's interest to tolerate them.” (Esther 3:8) Isaiah Horowitz, also known as the Shelah, examines the words “scattered and dispersed.” He interprets this to mean that the Jewish people were not united, and that Haman wanted to demonstrate their vulnerability. The Shelah points out that the Jews responded to Haman’s threat with unity: "Go and gather all the Jews who are in Shushan and fast for my sake; do not eat and do not drink for three days, night and day.” (Esther 4:16) The key to defeating Haman was to unite as a Jewish people. This idea of joining together as one people is not limited to the Megillah. Look at the mitzvot of Purim. They too demonstrate the value of coming together as one

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Illusions The Jews of Persia: Paradigm or Polemic? Flora Lipsky ’15 Jewish history is filled with complicated situations. The Jews are famous for their long and choppy history. Since the 6th century, the Jewish people have been in a diaspora. There are few canonical writings that cover, to any extent, the lives of Jews in exile, but the most famous is quite clearly the story of Esther, or Hadassah. The holiday of Purim celebrates the bravery of a female heroine, the nature of Jewish perseverance and the idea that Jews, even in the diaspora, can overcome their enemies. There is one other idea not commonly expressed with regard to Megillat Esther. This book teaches Jews how to behave with regard to governments of the lands in which they reside, and how to comport themselves as Jews. The Megillah describes Esther as a Jewess and traces the lineage of her confidante and relative, Mordechai, to the time of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian exile. Esther is introduced first and foremost as a Jewess and a product of the diaspora. She lives under her cousin’s protection in the city of a Persian king. She later becomes the heroine of our story, but for now she is nothing but an orphan in a foreign city. Her name is Hadassah, but she calls herself Esther, meaning ‘hidden’ in Hebrew, and goes to the palace of the King, Ahasuerus, pursuant to his decree. Our first glimpse into the life of a Jew in Persia does not seem to hide the word Jew or the idea of being a Jew. Mordechai is

immediately introduced and traced back to Binyamin, the son of Yaakov. However, it takes only three sentences for Esther to hide her own faith. At first (Chapt. 2 verse 7) Hadassah is introduced as a Jew and by verse 10 Esther is already hiding her faith from the king. At this point, the Megillah does not even say explicitly that she hides her Judaism; rather, it generalizes by saying that she had not made known her “people.” What changed? The story of Esther is often viewed as a tale of female empowerment and pride in the Jewish existence. After all, the tale does feature a Jewish winner of a Persian king’s beauty pageant who goes on to save the Jewish people. She does all of this despite breaking some of the king’s cardinal rules. The story of Queen Esther is more than just a story of intelligence and beauty; it is also a polemic for future generations. He may be the king of Persia, but it is still a sin for Esther, a Jewess, to marry a non-Jew. Esther almost dies saving the Jews from a decree of the king. The king does not actually ever repeal his commandment to wipe out the Jews. He only gives the Jews the right to fight back against the armies of the king. The story of Esther is not the simple success of good against bad as it may seem. The Megillah is a warning. It tells the tale of what should never happen to Jews in exile. It is certainly not the depiction of an ideal world with one conniving villain, Haman, guiding unaware fools. In fact, Haman 2

‫הזיות‬ is just one person who was out to get the Jews. In this story alone, the Jews are abandoned and persecuted by the king’s right hand, forced to submit to a king’s power without a fight, and Esther is unable to reveal her religion to the powers at court for fear of disapproval. Esther’s bravery is not in her actions to save the Jewish people, but in her actions toward setting up a more reasonable status quo in galut. The ultimate salvation for the Jewish people of Persia occurred only after Esther had the courage to stand up for her Jewish identity. Throughout the story, the reader learns that it is neither acceptable to hide his Judaism nor permissible to a s s i m i l at e i nt o t h e culture of the land. The story teaches that Jews will always be different and that pretending otherwise is unnecessary and in some cases deadly. Esther may be the new Queen of Persia and the beloved of a king, but she is nevertheless, first and foremost a cousin of Mordechai the Jew. This is how Esther is introduced and this is how she remains throughout history. Esther teaches future generations that it will not always be enough to stand up for your people at the last moment; the Jews must establish a tradition of respect in the diaspora. Allowing assimilation will not make the Jewish people any more respected. If anything, it can do the exact opposite.

The last piece of evidence to corroborate this argument is a familiar concept. The name of God never appears in the story of Esther. This absence is usually explained with the somewhat generic explanation: God, like Esther, was hidden, but he is always there to watch over the Jewish people. Although this response is common and endearing, God’s absence can be explained another way. Perhaps it is a reflection about the condition of the Jewish identity of this time period, an identity with no place for a deity. It is possible that the lack of reference to God should be attributed to the poor behavior of the Jews. God is not there to defend the Jews Jill Adler ’15 because the Jewish people have descended into t h e ambiguity of assimilation. This is a warning: do not let assimilation become the destiny of the Jewish people, lest God truly disappear from the Jewish story. In conclusion, the Book of Esther tells the Jewish people that the only thing that prevented our destruction at the hand of a Persian government was the willingness and bravery of one woman who finally found the courage to dissimilate. In this sense, it was only by separating from her people that Hadassah was able to save her people.

Illusions The Roles of Esther and Mordechai Oren Oppenheim ’16 The Purim story features some of the greatest heroes and most dastardly villains ever known in Jewish history. Standing out among the crowd are Esther and Mordechai, whose heroic actions save the Jewish people. Yet something is troubling about how they act and how they are presented. Esther, for instance, is billed as a stunning heroine. But how much does she really do independently in the story? She’s forced to become Achashverosh’s queen, doesn’t tell him about her Jewish identity, and only confronts Achashverosh after Mordechai tells her to do so twice. While she does orchestrate the plot that manages to bring down Haman, for a while she seems to be taking a rather passive role, and the events of the story seem to be happening to her. Even the fast she arranges to pray for her safety seems a bit passive. Why is this heroine so passive? Meanwhile, Mordechai is certainly portrayed in a positive light. He’s shown to be a hero who saves both the king from the plot of Bigtan and Teresh, as well as the Jewish people from the plot of Haman. In fact, it sometimes seems as if he’s playing more of an active role in the story than Esther does. He’s the one who spurs her into action, the one who gives her the advice and tools to succeed, and he’s the one praised at the very end of the Megillah. Why isn’t he given more of a starring role? Why is the Megillah called

“Megillat Esther,” and why does it relegate Mordechai to a supporting role? Esther’s apparent passivity actually showcases a key idea of the whole story of Purim. When Esther talks to Mordechai, warning him about the rule that no one can go see the king without being called (unless the king extends his scepter), Mordechai responds that the Jews will be saved no matter what Esther does, and that she will die, even if she thinks she’s safe in Achashverosh’s palace. This response seems out of place— Esther was only thinking that they should find a better time to talk to Achashverosh or a better method to save the Jews, not that she shouldn’t be the one to go save them. Why does Mordechai respond like this? Both Esther and Mordechai approached the task ahead of them differently. Esther initially thought they would both take a truly active role, in which they were the ones who would save the Jews—and thus, they had to do it properly, at the right time. But Mordechai saw and taught that the whole predicament of the Jews was sent from God to get them to repent. And thus he saw that if the Jews repented, the forces against them would fall— they would have nothing to worry about. How that would be accomplished wouldn’t matter, but it would occur regardless. Mordechai saw that there was merit in acting passively because in reality, every 4

‫הזיות‬ Mordechai, Aharon, and all of the other supporting players in Tanakh teach us about the importance of the supporting role. Yes, there always is a star, a person like Esther or Moshe who holds the leading role. There has to be a character around which the story centers. But the characters who help on the sidelines still play significant, integral roles. They’re still necessary to the “plot” of history; without them, the present would be very different. Mankind itself, so to speak, is a supporting role. The Talmud Yerushalmi says that man was made to be a partner in creation— not the lead, but man is needed to perfect the world, nevertheless. And it’s worth noting that there is an Oscar given out at the Academy Awards for best supporting actor and actress. This lesson can guide us in our own lives. We always want to be the lead, to aim to be like Eli Manning or Jennifer Lawrence. We want to be the best, to be the most accomplished. But often we are placed in smaller roles. We have to remember that no matter what our role is, we still contribute to the goal of perfecting the world, and we still all have a purpose. In conclusion, the roles of Esther and Mordechai send powerful messages. God is always acting behind the scenes—whether we perceive Him or not, He’s always acting through us, as passive as we may seem. We’re all God’s partners in developing the world.

event that happens is God’s doing. God works behind the scenes, acting through nature and humans. Thus, Mordechai told Esther that if she wanted to do something, she could do it herself—but that it wouldn’t be her doing the real saving. She would simply be passively allowing God to work through her. Thus she could even go to Achashverosh without being summoned, which could be catastrophic to her, because God would bring about the salvation even through that. While His name isn’t mentioned in the Megillah, He still is the One who causes every event inside it. And this explains the seeming passivity of Esther—to show that in reality, God acted through her. Mordechai conveyed this lesson to her through his confidence that the Jews would be saved. (He didn’t even want to come talk to Esther in the first place, refusing the royal clothes she sent him—he knew that repentance was all that the Jews needed.) Esther ultimately understood this lesson very well, as she began her efforts with a call for prayer from the Jewish people. Mordechai’s supporting role sends a powerful message. Although he gives Esther a lot of advice, saves the king and is honored in the end of the story, he gets relegated to the sidelines in terms of his “screen time” and the Megillah’s title. He is similar to Aharon in this respect, another character in Tanakh who takes on a supporting role despite his actions. Aharon is the one who sets off the early plagues, takes on the difficult tasks of the Kohen Gadol, and is well known as the kind peacemaker of the nation. Why isn’t he given a starring role?

Sources: Based on divrei Torah by Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld (http://www.aish.com/h/pur/t/dt/Purims-Non-Heroes.html) and Rabbi Benjamin Blech (http://www.aish.com/h/pur/t/dt/ Best-Supporting-Actor.html)

Illusions Yom Kippur: A Day Like Purim? Tzvi Merczynski-Hait ’15 Notwithstanding the synthesis of the two holidays, there is still an interesting difficulty in the above allusion to the pairing. Considering Yom Kippur as “like” Purim suggests that Purim is the model for Yom Kippur! How can we say that Purim is “better” than the holiest day of the year? How can we say that Purim, when we unleash our physical selves, is a model for the entirely spiritual Yom Kippur? To answer, I will suggest that because Purim is portrayed as the model for Yom Kippur, there must be some aspect of the physical that we can raise to a higher level through our Purim experience. Even though Purim is a day that is “completely for us,” the idealization of Purim shows that we cannot simply use it as an excuse to indulge in everything physical without limits, but instead must also take a valuable lesson from it. The distinction between “for God” and “for us” can also be viewed as a distinction between The World to Come and This World. On Yom Kippur we focus on the concerns of the World to Come while on Purim we focus on This World. I heard a story from Rabbi Dovid Cohen about a famous rosh yeshiva who was collecting money for the yeshiva with a student. He came to the house of a wealthy man who did not know the rosh yeshiva was a famous rosh yeshiva. The house was lavish and he had everything. As he was in his swimming pool, he had the rosh yeshiva come out back and greeted him there. The student

The Vilna Gaon points out that the name of Yom Kippur can be read as “YomKePurim”, a day like Purim. While this seemingly cute play on words may not necessarily be significant, the connections are greater than they seem. Yom Kippur, at first glance, seems completely different from Purim in every way. However, upon closer inspection we can understand that there is indeed a deep connection between the two holidays. Chazal teach that a normal Yom Tov is half for God and half for us. We spend part of the day davening and dealing with spiritual matters, and we spend another part of the day eating meat and drinking wine, indulging in our physical pleasures. Thus, on a normal Yom Tov the spiritual and physical aspects synthesize perfectly. However, on Yom Kippur we refrain from our physical pleasures and instead focus the entire day on our spiritual side, dedicating it completely to God. On Purim, the opposite is true and the focus of the day is on our physical pleasures of food and drinking, dedicating it completely to us. Specifically, the mitzvot for Purim mostly revolve around food: Mishloach Manot, Seudah (the meal) and Matanot L’evyonim (giving poor people money for food). Hence, because they are polar opposites of each other, the two seemingly contradictory holidays actually complement each other, creating an overall balance of half for us and half for God. 6

‫הזיות‬ was appalled at the seeming lack of respect for the rosh yeshiva, and said to him, “This man— he has This World, but we, studying Torah back home, have Olam Haba.” The rosh yeshiva countered, “No, we have the enjoyment of This World, studying in yeshiva, but if this man writes us a check, then maybe, just maybe, he will get a little of the World to Come.” We can each decide on our own who really had the best of This World, but what the rosh yeshiva said is actually quite profound. The student had thought that physical pleasures were all of what Olam Hazeh is about, and the rosh yeshiva's message is that, in fact, Torah study and the spiritual side of life can, and must, be brought into our understanding of this world, and not just the next one. Purim is ostensibly mainly

about the physical, but perhaps the underlying message is that we need to take the physical pleasures we have and find a way to imbue them with spirituality and Torah on a daily basis. Perhaps Purim is meant to teach us to find the higher level of spirituality in everything physical that we do. Yom Kippur is when we eliminate everything physical from our lives, and are able to focus on the spiritual with minimal effort, but Purim, if celebrated properly, is when we express our physicality, but at the same time show that we know how to bring God even into our physical lives. Purim stands on a higher level because it represents the ideal of Judaism, and what makes Judaism hard, living our daily lives in this World with a constant appreciation for God and always bringing Him into our mundane lives, or rather, raising our mundane lives up to the level of God.

Tradition Dov Pianko, Faculty “Leave it to Israel: if they are not prophets, they are the children of prophets!” ~ Pesachim 66a In connection to Jewish tradition, the Gemara refers to the Jewish people as prophets. Tevye put it best when he said: “Because of our traditions, we have kept our balance for many, many years…. You may ask, how did this tradition start? I'll tell you. I don't know. But it's a tradition. And because of our traditions, every one of us knows who he is, and what God expects him to do…. Without

our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as... as a fiddler on the roof!” When it comes to Purim, we have many traditions. One of our traditions is dressing up in costumes, and while Tevye might not know the significance of every tradition, over the years many of our great rabbis have offered reasons for the importance of keeping this minhag. Rabbi Avraham Hershovitz (Otzer Kol Minhagei Yeshurin 50:3) says that the most basic reason behind this custom is the hidden 7

Illusions nature of Purim. Many miracles occurred in the Megillah and yet no mention of God’s name is made. The name of the heroine of the story, Esther, actually means “hidden.” The Talmud (Chulin 139a) says that Esther’s name is alluded to in the Torah in the verse: “And I will surely hide My face” (Devarim 31:18). When we dress up, it symbolizes that as we live we want to remember that even if we do not see God’s hand in every event, it is there, even if it might seem hidden. Rabbi Avraham Schwartz (Sefer Kol Aryeh cited in Nit'ay Gavriel 74:6:9) gives a more practical reason. It is in order to allow the poor to collect money on Purim without being embarrassed. Since everyone is in costume, the poor do not have to stand out when asking for money; everyone looks equal and we give without judgment. We should try to internalize this message all year long, and

not judge people based on what they wear or look down on people who are less fortunate. A last reason I would suggest is based on the Midrash (Midrash Rabbah Emor 30:3, Yalkut Tehillim 102). It says that the Jewish people repented on Purim out of love for God, thereby completely changing themselves into new people. We dress up to remind ourselves of the change that we did then, so we can again come closer to God on Purim through costume, festivity, and love. The Ari z”l (based on the Tikunei Zohar 57b) points out that Purim can be greater than Yom Kippur because Yom Kippur is only KePurim (like Purim). Purim is a day for joy and feasting, but it is through those actions specifically, through joy and happiness, which are the ideal way to come close to God.

A Higher Calling Olivia Mittman ’15 In tragic times, we can sometimes feel that God has abandoned us. Following the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, the Jewish people felt like orphans: exiled, and suffering at the hands of other nations. In Eicha, we lamented as “orphans without a father” (5:3). In times of crisis we turn to God in prayer. In Megillat Esther, the Jews partake in a feast with King Achashverosh in an attempt to assimilate with the Persians. They wished to distance themselves from God as they were in exile, and believed that assimilation could save them. Haman then

made his infamous decree to destroy the Jewish people. Mordechai immediately went into mourning and fully committed himself to prayer. He would only communicate with Esther through messengers, so as not to stray from his focus. He understood that in times of crisis we must draw ourselves closer to God through prayer. In Megilla 11a, Rav Masna explains that God accepts our prayers in moments of despair. He wants to hear our cries in order to aid us in our plight. Prayer is our way of 8

‫הזיות‬ been the Father of orphans and all of his people, in times of turmoil and pride.

communicating our distress with God and allowing him to ease our suffering. Salvation for the Jews came through Esther, who was an orphan. We can see that God is truly with His people, even when we cannot feel His presence. God has always

Sources: http://www.torah.org/learning/dvartorah/5758/ purim.html

Illuminations

Mordechai and Yosef: Standing Up for Their Roots David Major ’15 assimilation confronted them, they held strong to their identity and to their faith. There is another reason why Mordechai was so committed in standing up to Haman. Rashi says that Yosef did not have an affair with Eshet Potifar because he saw the image of his father. Yosef was a very assimilated Jew, but he would not abandon his identity as a Jew. The same holds true for Mordechai. Mordechai was a descendant of King Shaul. While Shaul was king, he did not kill Agag (the king of Amalek), even though God commanded him to. Mordechai viewed this as a blot on his family’s honor, and this is why he would not bow down to Haman, a descendant of Agag. Haman represented the failure of Shaul, and so Mordechai attempted to rectify Shaul’s mistake by not bowing. Mordechai, though steeped in Persian culture and society, always maintained his identity and continually focused on his religious aspirations.

One of the classic stories of Purim is that of Mordechai not bowing down to Haman. Mordechai is viewed very positively for standing up for his values. Why this such an admirable action? At first glance, it almost seems foolish. Many Jews bowed down to Haman, but Mordechai risked his life and the lives of all the Jews just to make one point. The answer to this question can be found by comparing this story to the story of Yosef and Eshet Potifar. Mordechai and Yosef were very similar. Both were highly successful and assimilated Jews, and both stood up for their values. Just as Haman tried to get Mordechai to forsake his values, Eshet Potifar tried to have an affair with Yosef. However, Yosef refused. As the Torah says (Bereishit 39:10): “and she told him each day, he did not listen to her” Megillat Esther (3:4) uses a similar phrase to describe Mordechai refusing to bow down to Haman. This comparison helps explain why Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman. Both knew that their identity was critical, and when the temptation for

Source: based on Rabbi David Silber

Illusions Women’s Megillah Reading Erica Newman-Corré ’15 Women are obligated in the mitzva of Megillah. Moreover, a mishna says “all are qualified to read,” which the Talmud explains includes women (Arachin 2b). However, a tosephta contradicts this mishna. The tosephta says that women, slaves and children are exempt and cannot fulfill the obligation for others. This tosephta can be explained in a variety of ways. There are alternative versions of the tosephta that do not say women are not obligated, rather that women are obligated but cannot fulfill other obligations. Some Rishonim, including Rashi, still allow women to read, because the mishna takes precedence over the tosephta. Other Rishonim claim women can read but should not, because it creates an appearance that no men know how to read. Still, other Rishonim hold that women cannot read due to a lower level of obligation. They say that women are obligated to hear the Megillah read but aren’t obligated to read it, and therefore cannot fulfill the obligation of a man who is halachically required to read the Megillah. This approach reconciles the tosephta with the mishna by explaining that the tospheta’s assertion that women are exempt refers to the “reading,” even though they are obligated in the “hearing.” It also explains that the Talmud, which allows women to read, refers to

women who are only reading for other women (Tosfot in Megilah 4a). Turning to the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 689:2), Rav Yosef Karo says that that women can read for men, however he also quotes an opinion that says that this is not allowed. The Rama adds that if a women is reading for herself, she should make the bracha of “to hear the Megillah” rather than “to read the Megillah,” highlighting that the nature of her obligation is to hear and not to read. While the Shulchan Aruch takes for granted that women can read for other women, the Mishna Brurah quotes the Magen Avraham who quotes a midrash that women should not even read for other women. Many communities follow this practice and women’s Megillah readings are uncommon, though it is perhaps a good option, considering it is often difficult to hear the Megillah from the women’s section. Some communities allow women’s Megillah readings and sometimes only at night. While women’s reading has a clear basis in halacha, it is still a divisive issue to be handled carefully. Sources: Lockshin, Channa. "Zila Milta and Women’s Megillah Reading." The JOFA Journal (2003): 6,9. Weiss, Rabbi Avraham. "Women and the Reading of the Megillah." Torah u-Madda Journal (1998): 259-317.

‫הזיות‬ Through Thick and Thin Rachel Aboodi ’15

equally essential, if not more, to continue to pray after a problem has been solved. It is not enough to only pray in desperate times; one should use prayer as a tool to create a constant close relationship with God. Mord echai’s heroism exemplifies Rambam’s view that daily prayer is a biblical obligation and not merely required during a time of crisis. One of the many messages we should take from Megillat Esther is that we should not only crawl back to God and beg for His help when we are struggling and have no where else to turn. We must try our hardest to maintain a strong connection with Him everyday and one easy way to do this is through tefillah. In tefillah, we have the opportunity to have a conversation with God, which solidifies our relationship with Him. Perhaps Purim is on a weekday (and is not a chag) because its story is supposed to be a model for our everyday behavior, and not just for our behavior on chagim. Source: http://www.torah.org/learning/dvartorah/5758/ purim.html

Jill Adler ’15

In the story of Purim, the Jewish people’s existence was threatened and its survival seemed unlikely. While we often associate Purim with our salvation from the threats of Haman, there is also a uniquely spiritual story to tell. The real purpose for the threats that confronted us was to evoke a yearning to reestablish a close relationship with God. Many Jews had the desire to assimilate at this time, so God provided them with a challenge that He hoped would draw them back to Him. The Megillah (4:1) says, “Mordechai knew all that occurred” which, on a deeper level can be interpreted to say that he knew the true purpose of why God decided to allow Haman to call for the death of the Jews. Therefore, Mordechai’s reaction was to immediately mourn and to pray and turn to God. He did not seek a political or military solution for what he recognized to be a religious challenge. Most dramatically, Mordechai did not even stop praying in order to have a face-to-face conversation with Esther during this crucial time for their nation, sending a messenger to her instead. Ultimately, when the Jews were all saved, it says (6:13) that Mordechai got off his horse and returned to his place at the entrance of the palace. Rashi adds that he returned to his sackcloth and returned to his place to pray. This teaches us that it is not only important to pray in a tough time but it is

Illusions Gifts to the Poor Alexander Leibowitz ’15 One of the essential mitzvot of Purim is Matanot Levoinim, the commandment to give charity to the poor. The mitzvah is one of four that must be fulfilled on Purim: Megillah, Seudah, Mishloah Manot, and Matanot L’evyonim. While this Mitzvah tends to be under-appreciated, giving charity is of equal importance to the other three mitzvot. The Rambam emphasizes the importance of this mitzvah in the Mishnah Torah, “One should rather spend more money on gifts to the poor than on his Purim banquet and presents to friends. No joy is greater and more glorious than the joy of gladdening the hearts of the poor, the orphans, the widows and the strangers. He who gladdens the hearts of these unhappy people imitates God, as it is written: I am… to revive the spirit of the humble, and to put heart into the crushed (Isaiah 57:15)” (Mishneh Torah, Book III, Set Feasts, Megillah and Hanukkah, 2:17) (Kaganoff). On Purim, after the reading of the Megillah according to the Rama (695:5), one is required to give two gifts to the less fortunate. Minimally, according to the Mishnah Berura (694:2), the gifts have to be valued at a Perutah, which is the equivalent of a penny (Halachipedia). The gifts can be food, money or clothing, however they must be given so

the person can use them on Purim. One can give through an organization if he is unable to give charity directly. However, the organization must distribute the charity on Purim itself. It is important to note that giving charity on Purim doesn’t liberate him from the obligation of giving to the poor during the rest of the year. Furthermore, he is required to do this mitzvah independently, meaning that one’s family cannot fulfill the obligation. Each person is obligated to give something on their own. According to the Tur (694) even the poor are obligated in giving charity on Purim (Kaganoff). Hopefully, this year we will all strive to fulfill this important obligation, and thereby elevate our entire celebrations of Purim.

Sources: Kaganoff, Rabbi. "Laws of Purim– Matanos La’evyonim." | RabbiKaganoff.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. "Matanot LeEvyonim." - Halachipedia. N.p., n.d. Web 09 Feb. 2014

‫הזיות‬ Continued from page 1

God. This is the reason we are commanded “to perform tzedakah with joy and a good feeling” (Sefer Hachinuch). And because tzedakah is a validation of one’s faith, it must be done with simchah and enthusiasm. Consequently, when we celebrate holidays such as Purim, we celebrate God. Giving tzedakah is an essential part of the holiday because it reaffirms our faith. One characteristic of Purim that particularly stands out to me is that it includes every Jew. When Haman went to Achashverosh decreeing that the Jews should be obliterated, he did not specify or make distinctions between people based on any criteria. Therefore, when Mordechai saved the Jews, this included both the rich and the poor. As a result, one of the key aspects of Purim is not only celebrating this miracle, but also including tzedakah to less privileged as a key part of the celebration. Thus, when we perform tzedakah, we not only gratify others, but also gratify ourselves by reaffirming our faith, a value that is central to any celebration.

Zahava Presser ’12

and drinks with his wife and children without feeding the poor, does not experience the t r u e h a p p i n e s s o f a m i t z v a h , r at h e r “happiness of the belly” - a purely superficial satisfaction. The Talmud (Megillah 4b) discusses the role of tzedakah in regard to Megillah reading. It states that “we all agree that the Megillah is not to be read on Sabbath.” R. Joseph explains that this is because “the poor are anxiously awaiting the reading of the Megillah.” In other words, we don’t read Megillah on Shabbat because the poor wait afterwards to collect money, and we cannot give money on Shabbat. This emphasizes the fundamental value of tzedakah to the Purim celebration, so much so that there is a prohibition of reading the Megillah on Shabbat because gratifying the poor is so crucial. The idea that faith and tzedakah are bound tightly together is not only characteristic of Purim, but is also true for other holidays like Sukkot. The Zohar (vol III 104a) suggests that when we enter the sukkah, and encounter a plentiful table with food and drink, we invite in the Ushpezin, celestial guests in the form of our ancestors, and the second Ushpezin, which is defined as the impoverished. Including the less fortunate is crucial to this celebration, too. Tzedakah is fundamental to our celebrations because it represents our faith. A mishna in Pirkei Avot expresses, “Give Him from what is His, for you and yours are His.” All that a Jew possesses belongs to God, and to realize this is to strengthen one’s core faith in

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Purim) show us that we need to unite as one nation again. Currently, in Israel and across the globe, there is conflict among the different sects of Judaism about which citizens of Israel should have to enlist in the Israeli army, and about who is considered a Jew. There is also fighting related to Israel’s s t a n c e o n t h e We s t B a n k a n d t h e Palestinians. But at this moment, while we argue with each other, there are other people trying to destroy us. There are protesters who boycott Israeli-made products, and barrages of missiles that are hitting parts of Israel. There are countries, like Iran, who have threatened to obliterate us. Just as our lack of unity left us vulnerable to the the threats of Haman, we are now endangered by our i nt e r n a l c o n f l i c t . May we unite once again as a people in the face of hatred, just like Esther and the Jews in the time of Haman. If we do that, we will achieve the necessary strength to overcome all of our challenges.

nation and one community. Although the Mitzvah of reading the Megillah can be done without a minyan, it is preferable not only to read it with one, but also to hold the reading in a synagogue. This mitzvah of reading the Megillah with a community can be clearly seen as uniting the Jewish people not once but twice, as the mitzvah requires reading it both at night and during the day. The mitzvah of Mishloach Manot requires giving a gift containing at least two different types of food to at least one person. The mitzvah of Matanot Le’evyonim requires one to give tzedakah to at least two poor people on Purim. These two mitzvot of giving, whether food or money, also connect the Jewish people, poor or rich. Lastly, the mitzvah of a Seudah requires a Purim meal, most commonly fulfilled with friends or family. All of these Mitzvot of Purim serve to link us as one people. Haman’s belief that he could annihilate the Jewish people because of our lack of unity, and his ultimate defeat due to our coming together (combined with the Mitzvot of

Jill Adler ’15 14

Source: http://www.chabad.org/ holidays/in-depth/ default_cdo/aid/39643/ jewish/Megillah-WithCommentary.htm

‫הזיות‬ What Does it Mean to be a Hero? Jonah Klapholz ’15 Almost every story inscribed within the Tanakh has a hero, a righteous individual that God chooses as a leader for the sake of the betterment or the salvation of the Jewish people. The Purim story is no exception. Indeed, its protagonists, Mordechai and Esther, have been accepted as heroes of the Jewish faith because of their success in rescuing fellow Jews from imminent destruction. Most heroes within the Tanakh are heroes for this reason. Moshe is the classic example. However, there is a striking difference between the Pesach story and the Purim story that many scholars have observed. The disparity emerges regarding the presence of God within each story. God plays a clear and dominant role in the Pesach story though his performance of stunning miracles to free the Jews. Moshe becomes the hero of the Pesach story because he is chosen specifically as God’s instrument by God himself and therefore carries out all of God’s planned miracles that were necessar y in the salvation and redemption of the Jews. Moshe was the only Jewish leader to ever talk to God directly, “panim el panim.” He was humble and righteous; a true tzadik, and a hero of the Ta n a k h t h a t a l l J e w s l o o k u p t o . However, in the Purim story, God seems to play an incredibly minimal role. Unlike Moshe, Mordechai never talks directly to God. God never commands Mordechai or

guides him in terms of the salvation of the Jews from the animosity of Haman. It seems that Mordechai and Esther are all on their own and need to rely on their own decisions rather than God’s miracles in order to save the Jews. Indeed, Mordechai and Moshe are very different heroes; while Moshe relied on God for direction and guidance, Mordechai had to rely on his own intuition and reason. Therefore, it seems that Moshe and Mordechai, for the fact that they are two very different kinds of heroes, cannot be equated to one another, aside from the fact that they both saved the Jews from destruction. However, a midrash (Esther Rabbah 6:2) states that “Mordechai in his generation was equivalent to Moshe in his generation.” This is a strange comparison. How can the Midrash say that Moshe and Mordechai are equal, if they are so different? While the goals of Moshe and Mordechai to save the Jewish people and faith were comparable, the ways in which each achieved that goal are very dissimilar. What is the Midrash c onveying by equating both individuals? In fact, Moshe and Mordechai are very alike. This similarity emerges in the Midrash’s next statement. It mentions that Moshe saved the Jews by protecting them from the wrath and anger of God. This is very true. The two instances that immediately come to mind are the chet ha’miraglim (the sin of the 15

Illusions what it means to be a hero within Judaism. Who does the Tanakh consider to be a hero? It is a person who shows the strength of character to rise up against adversity, against the odds, with the selfless determination to save and protect other people. This is exactly what both Moshe and Mordechai did. Heroism in Judaism emerges from selflessness, not necessarily piety, although Moshe and Mordechai were both very pious. It was Moshe’s selflessness that enabled him to argue against God and win. In fact, by arguing against God, Moshe was being anti-religious; his selflessness prevailed over his piety. The Purim story and the Pesach story therefore teach very similar lessons in terms of what it means to be a Jewish hero. The Jewish heroes are the people that care more about others than themselves despite whatever odds are against them.

spies) and chet ha’egel (the sin of the golden calf). On both occasions God wanted to wipe the Jews completely off the face of the Earth, and on both occasions Moshe argued with God for the sake of protecting the Jews, and won. This is where Moshe emerges as a hero similar to Mordechai. Moshe, just like Mordechai, was able to save the Jewish people by his own arguments and his own intuition. Moshe was even able to argue against the most powerful force in the universe, God, and get away with it, thereby saving the Jewish people without God’s help. Indeed, Moshe was just just like Mordechai in that put his life on the line by arguing against forces more powerful than himself, for the sake of saving the people that he loved. With regard to those two instances in which Moshe argued against God, he became strikingly similar to Mordechai. The similarity between Mordechai and Moshe as Jewish heroes gives insight into

Editors: Anna Cappell ’14, Jessica Gruenstein ’14 Faculty Editor: Rabbi Kenny Schiowitz

Dedicated in celebration of the 50th birthday of Howard Nathan Shams ‫צבי בן נסים‬ from his Minyan Minyan friends

The Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Upper School of Ramaz 60 East 78th St. New York, NY 10075 Phone: 212-774-8070