B"H
Thursday, Adar2 7, 5782 / March 10, 2022
Purim will be celebrated in one week – Wednesday night, March 16 & Thursday, March 17. The Megilah is read Wednesday night and again on Thursday. There are five mitzvot associated with Purim, One of them is the reading of the Megilah – called, Megilat Esther – Scroll of Esther.
Q. Why is the Megilah spread out in a few layers during the reading, rather than rolled like a Torah?"
A. Queen Esther and Mordechai refer to the Megilah as "Igeret," the "letter". Thus, we fold the Megilah to look like a "letter."
Q. Why do we make noise when Haman's name is mentioned in the Megilah?
A. Haman descended from Amalek, who was the first nation to wage war against the Jewish people as they left Egypt. The Torah tells us that we must "erase the remembrance of Amalek". For this reason, when Haman’s name is mentioned, we "erase" his name by making noise thus blocking out his name.
There was an ancient custom where Haman's name was written upon two sticks. Every time Haman was mentioned, people would bang the sticks together until his name was erased!
Today, the 7th of Adar II, is the birthday and yartzeit (day of passing) of Moshe Rabeinu (Moses) - the great leader of the Jewish people. Moshe was born in Egypt on the 7th of Adar in the Hebrew year, 2368 and passed away on the 7th of Adar 120 years later in the year 2488.
Moshe led the Jewish people out of Egypt, split The Sea for them, brought them to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah and led the people of Israel through their forty-year journey in the wilderness of Sinai.
No other Jewish leader attained the greatness of Moshe; as the Torah says, "Never again has there arisen in Israel a prophet in Israel like Moshe, whom the L-rd knew face to face."
Yet, at the same time, the Torah tells us, "Moshe was the most humble person from all the people upon the face of the earth!"
Greatness and humility go hand in hand. Just as Moshe's greatness was more than anyone else's, his humility was also at a level not attained by anyone else.
Moshe passed away in the Sinai desert at the age of 120 and was buried there with the people whom he led out of Egypt. Moshe’s brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, were also buried there.
Moshe's leadership didn't end at the time of his passing. Part of his spirit is within every Jew in every generation. May his memory be a blessing for all of Israel. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY