Menachem Mendel

I saw the following advertisement on a website. I wasn’t sure if this was anti-humra medicine, or anti-hametz (hamira) medicine. Although it is a long way until Purim, I wonder what some side effects might be.

Posted on March 16th, 2010 under Jewish Law, Passover, Purim. Comments: 2

Dr. Thamar E. Gindin has posted Hebrew summaries of a series of lectures that she gave on the historicity of the Scroll of Esther. The summaries can be found here. Also see this post (Hebrew) on the burial places of Esther and Mordechai by Orli Rahimian.

Posted on February 25th, 2010 under Ancient History, Ancient Judaism, Purim. Comments: None

Since the coverage of the visit to Dubai by certain foreigners is sometimes bordering on the comical, and the apparent quick exit to Iran by some of the above mentioned foreign nationals, a little Purim levity is called for. On a serious note, I’ll be glad to have the Mossad borrow my name to kill [...]

Posted on February 24th, 2010 under Israel, Popular Culture, Purim. Comments: 1

This Shabbat is Parashat Zachor, the maftir that grammarians and Torah readers love to ponder upon. For a discussion of the issues related to this Torah reading and the mistaken custom of some synagogues, see here and here. In today’s installment of his program, באופן מילולי, (“Literally Speaking”) Dr. Avshalom Koor discussed a few things-Parashat [...]

Posted on February 23rd, 2010 under Hebrew, Purim, Synagogue. Comments: None

There has been lots of discussion about Rav Ovadiah’s statement regarding women reading Megillat Esther for men. See my previous post here, this post at Hirhurim, and this post at My Obiter Dicta. I just had a chance to look over the relevant sections in Hazon Ovadiah on Purim (Thanks go out to my friend [...]

Posted on March 3rd, 2009 under Jewish Law, Purim. Comments: 1

Rav Ovadiah Yosef drops another one of his bombshells and this time it isn’t some ridiculous comment about Arabs or secular Jews, but rather that women can read Megillat Esther for men. Read about it here, here, and here. (hat tip) It will be interesting to see how different communities within orthodoxy react. See some [...]

Posted on March 1st, 2009 under Jewish Law, Purim. Comments: 8

My father reminded me that there is another very good illustrated book, J.T. Waldman’s Megillat Esther. See here for some sample illustrations.

Posted on January 30th, 2009 under Purim. Comments: None

I have come across a synoptic edition of Midrash Esther Rabbah by Prof. Joseph Tabory and Dr. Arnon Atzmon.

Posted on January 13th, 2009 under Manuscripts, Midrash, Purim. Comments: None

I am reading Saul Friedländer’s Nazi Germany and the Jews: Volume I, The Years of Persecution (also see this post), and in his discussion of the infamous anti-Semetic newspaper Der Stürmer, I happen to come across this timely mention of Purim (emphasis added). In its August 1935 issue (no. 35), Streicher’s paper took up a [...]

Posted on March 20th, 2008 under Purim. Comments: 1