Purim
During the period of time between the destruction of the First Temple and the building of the Second Temple, the Jews came very close to being anihilated because of the evil scheming of Haman with the King of Persia, Achashverosh.
Because of the clandestine intervention of Hashem, using Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai as His messengers, the Jews were spared, and instead the nation of Israel was able to avenge themselves against their enemies. In order to commemorate these miraculous turn of events, we celebrate Purim on the 14th of Adar (and in walled cities such as Jerusalem, on the 15th of Adar) with feasts, sending gifts of food to our friends and the needy, and with the reading of the Megilla, the story of Purim.
The Fast of Esther is held on the day before Purim. We fast the whole day in order to commemorate the fast that Esther fasted before she went before the King Achashverosh to plead for mercy for the Jews. On this day we remember the dire situation that the Jews were faced with in those days and many times throughout history.
The Purim Story
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Megillas Esther – An Introduction
By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part I – Achashverosh By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part II – Vashti By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part III – Vashti’s Demise By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part IV – The Search for a New Queen By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part IX – Haman’s Downfall By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part V – A New Queen, A Foiled Assassination, & Haman’s Wrath By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part VI – The Decree to Kill the Jews By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part VII – The Plans of Esther and Haman By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part VIII – Mordechai is Rewarded By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part X – The Jews are Saved By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Megillas Esther Part XI – A Celebration for Generations By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
General Purim Divrei Torah
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Putting the Pieces Together Properly
By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- A Month of Happiness By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- A Purim Lesson??? By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Amalek – Blinded by Nature By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Around the Year With Purim By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Delving into the Megila By Rabbi Yehudah Steinberg
- Eat, Drink and Be Merry: A Spiritual Celebration By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Esther – True Leadership By Rabbi Yehudah Steinberg
- Esther’s Lesson in Nature By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Knowing Why and When To Say When By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Lifting Our Cup of Salvation By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Mishloach Manos – The Gift of Unity By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Of Prayer and Sleep By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Preparation for Happiness By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Purim Prudence By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- Purim: Basic Concepts And Laws By Chaim Coffman
- Purim’s Coming! Yay! Let’s All Be Humble! By Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
- Sobering Stories for Purim By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- The Hamantash – Food for Thought By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- The Importance of Being, the Importance of Having…a Rav By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- The Secret of Mordechai’s Success By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- What is Purim? Some Background for the Curious By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
- What Money Can Not Buy By Rabbi Yehudah Steinberg
- Why to Eat, Drink and Be Merry By Rabbi Yehudah Prero
Other Classes on Purim by Torah.org's Parsha Authors
- A Holiday in Hiding
- A Lesson From Queen Esther
- Fighting Iron With Irony: A Contemporary Purim Thought
- Grogger: The Purim Noisemaker
- Meat Your Maker Perceptions (5777)
- Purim — The Joy of Life The Shmuz on the Parsha (5778)
- Purim’s Dark Hour
- The Last Laugh
- The Magnificence in the Mundane
- The Upside-Down Power of Purim
- Zachor – Remembering | Purim – Saving Klal Yisrael Haaros (5780)
- Right On The Money Perceptions (5777)
- “I Have Already Written of You Thrice:” Megilat Esther and the Eternal War with Amalek Mikra
- Adar and Moshe Meor Einayim (5783)
- Feeling Inspired Hamaayan (5761)
- Going Up? Perceptions (5761)
- The Heart of Gold – Perceiving Amalek Rabbi Wein (5761)
- Allowing US To Leave The Light On For HIM Rav Frand (5773)
- Amalekian Void Perceptions (5780)
- Cloth Bells Teach Humility in Kodesh; A Purim Lesson from Charvona Rav Frand (5781)
- Commanding Emotions Perceptions (5769)
- Divine Distinction Rabbi's Notebook (5764)
- Egotism and Amalek Perceptions (5783)
- Our Story is History Dvar Torah (5773)
- Parshas Zochor: Seize the Moment The Shmuz on the Parsha (5777)
- Pure Wisdom Hamaayan (5777)
- Purim Issues Weekly Halacha (5780)
- Remember What? Perceptions (5764)
- Remembering Amalek Lifeline (5762)
- Searching for Haman Olas Shabbos (5761)
- Tetzaveh and Purim Perceptions (5781)
- The Amalek Within Us Hamaayan (5764)
- The Missing Pillar Hamaayan (5783)
- The Wanderer Hamaayan (5769)
- Unsettled Law: Drinking on Purim Mei Marom (5779)
- What to Remember Perceptions (5778)
- You Can Do It! Rabbi's Notebook (5766)
- Mis’mach Ge’ulah l’G’ulah Mikra (5779)
- True Control Perceptions (5778)
- Taste the One-Ness Dvar Torah (5784)
- The Game is Over Dvar Torah (5768)
- The Job of the Jews Dvar Torah (5782)
- Behind the Mask Parsha Insights (5782)
- Behind the Scenes Hamaayan (5779)
- Class 45ﾠ- Vayikra – Zachor Jerusalem Views (5760)
- Just a Coincidence? Dvar Torah (5757)
- Zachor And Purim Weekly Halacha (5779)
- In Command of Redemption Perceptions (5765)
- Light and Joy Hamaayan (5765)
- Sacrifice by Learning Torah Lifeline (5760)
- The Four Parashiot: Mis’mach Ge’ulah l’G’ulah Mikra
- A Cheerful Heart Dvar Torah (5779)
- A Jew and Proud of It! Olas Shabbos (5759)
- A Major Player Dvar Torah (5765)
- A Place Called Purim Dvar Torah (5778)
- Absolutely Dvar Torah (5777)
- An AWE AYN SOF Dvar Torah (5784)
- An Original Purim Poem: Turnabout! Dvar Torah (5771)
- Await the Dawn Dvar Torah (5767)
- Behind the Purim Mask Legacy (5782)
- Beyond Words Dvar Torah (5778)
- Celebrate With Your Whole Self Lifeline (5758)
- Class 43ﾠ- Shekalim Jerusalem Views (5760)
- Class 46ﾠ- The Four Parshios Jerusalem Views (5760)
- Class 63 – Chodesh Adar Jerusalem Views (5762)
- Class 64 – Parshas Zachor Jerusalem Views (5762)
- Complete Dedication Dvar Torah (5756)
- Did Esther Succeed Dvar Torah (5769)
- Do We Need a Queen Esther? Lifeline (5779)
- Dressing Up: The Prohibition Of Lo Yilbash Weekly Halacha (5770)
- Dressing Up: The Prohibition Of Lo Yilbash Weekly Halacha (5772)
- Esther Did Not Reveal Her People or Her Kindred Mikra
- Fear of What? Dvar Torah (5766)
- Greatest Accolade Given To Mordechai Rav Frand (5777)
- Haman’s Offer of Silver Shekels Rav Frand (5760)
- HaMelech – The King Dvar Torah (5783)
- Hear Conditioning Drasha (5781)
- Heavenly Whisperings Legacy (5781)
- Hey! You Never Know! Dvar Torah (5772)
- Hidden to the Yidden Dvar Torah (5781)
- Hiding in Plain Sight Dvar Torah (5782)
- His Worst Nightmare Realized Dvar Torah (5768)
- His Worst Nightmare Realized Dvar Torah (5768)
- In Defense of Haman Dvar Torah (5760)
- It’s All in the Delivery Lifeline (5779)
- Joy That Lasts Hamaayan (5768)
- Living Witnesses to His Story Dvar Torah (5783)
- Lots More To The Story Rabbi Zweig on the Parsha (5781)
- Master of the Obvious Dvar Torah (5774)
- Megillah – Don’t Look Back Olas Shabbos (5764)
- Megillat Esther: She’Asah Nissim La’Avoteinu Mikra
- Mishloach Manos: The Basic Mitzvah Weekly Halacha (5782)
- Mordechai Would Neither Kneel Nor Bow Mikra
- Of Mice Traps and Men Dvar Torah (5766)
- Our Greatest Source of Joy Dvar Torah (5781)
- Our Whole Selves Lifeline (5764)
- Parashas Zochor: Doomsday Amalek The Living Law (5768)
- Perspectives on Trouble Dvar Torah (5758)
- Purim – Don’t Lose Hope Rabbi Wein (5773)
- Purim Always (5779)
- Purim and Megilas Esther Haaros (5779)
- Purim: A Celebration for Uncertain Times Lifeline (5782)
- Sanctifying Through The Physical Rav Frand (5759)
- The Ballad of Mayer Dvar Torah (5770)
- The Elements of Purim Lifeline (5758)
- The Mitzvah Of Mishloach Manos Weekly Halacha (5771)
- The Reality of the Day Dvar Torah (5774)
- The Shir — Hallel at Purim and Pesach Haaros (5782)
- Triple Purim? Rabbi Wein (5768)
- Troubles Aren’t Just a Good Reason to Pray Dvar Torah (5758)
- We are All in This Crock Pot Together Dvar Torah (5780)
- We Don’t Know! Dvar Torah (5764)
- What Ukrainian Victims Can Teach Us About Happiness Lifeline (5782)
- When Things Look Bleak Dvar Torah (5768)
- Who Knows?! Dvar Torah (5772)
- The Days of Purim Rambam
- Parshas Purim Gal Einai (5766)
- Purim Sfas Emes (5765)
- Light From Within Concealment Nesivos Shalom (5768)
- Better Than Yom Kippur Nesivos Shalom (5768)
- The Four Parshios: Four That Are One Nesivos Shalom (5768)
- Parshas Zachor Sfas Emes (5764)