Tag: Purim

How should people contend with emotionally charged texts such as the ending of Megillat Esther? Tzvi Sinensky details methodological principles for engaging in textual dialogue, and applies these principles in an exploration of the nuances of the ending of Megillat Esther.

Tamar Weissman and Batnadiv HaKarmi explore R. Yonatan's introduction to Megillat Esther, per Masekhet Megillah in the Talmud, and its relationship to biblical history.

Yaakov Jaffe examines the different opinions about when mishloah manot should be given in Jerusalem when Shushan Purim is on Shabbat.

The biblical figure of Esther is often interpreted by traditional and modern commentators as a heroine of active leadership. Naama Sadan offers a novel perspective, according to which Esther confronts national crisis in female-coded ways, triumphing and saving her people through internally-focused activism.

Poet Yehoshua November notices a defining characteristic of contemporary poetry—fixation on the ordinary. In light of Hasidic theology, November argues that appreciation for the holiness of the ordinary underlies Megillat Esther and the celebration of Purim.

Why have stories of Jewish masquerade captured audiences since ancient times? In her latest, Malka Z. Simkovich explores the hidden meaning behind dressing up, from the Second Temple to '90s cinema.

David Zvi Kalman reviews Koren Publishers’ new graphic novel version of Megillat Esther.

In a moving personal essay, Joshua Stadlan explores a famous Purim midrash with the commentary of Rav Soloveitchik to reflect on his life, religious journey, and relationship with God.

Responding to yesterday’s article by Moshe Kurtz, Lehrhaus editor Tzvi Sinensky presents an alternative read of the Mitzvah of lo yilbash.

Moshe Kurtz examines the Torah’s prohibition on cross-dressing as a lens to view the shifting contemporary gender norms.