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Megillah 15a: When Jews Fasted on Pesach

Why Didn't Mordechai Divorce Esther?

1 hr 18 min

Class Summary:

This class was streamed live from Rabbi Jacobson's house in Monsey, NY, on Wednesday, Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei, 22 Adar, 5780, March 18, 2020

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  • S

    Sara -4 years ago

    So this is what I understood or did not understand from this lesson.

    There are at least two interpretations of why Esther became agitated when she heard about Mordechai and his crying out. She experienced nidda (monthly cycle for a woman or impurity) or she had to go to the bathroom ( a physical reaction to her agitation). The nidda as you explained was tumah, impure, a disalignment of some sort (don't really understand what is meant by that - maybe you can elaborate especially as it realtes to a disaligment - isn't the monthly cycle a totally normal and necessary part of what a woman goes through?? You related tumah to a spiritual happening, but it's also physical ??). You also said that this impurity was equated to Haman's anti semitism - a complete disconnection to any reality or the need to go to the bathroom was equated to total disgust. 

    So the question you raised what happened to Esther as related to Haman - a tumah or a disgusting reaction. There was never a mention of which one it actually was, which feeling did Esther have?. So I'm thinking maybe it was both, a spiritual and physical reaction. Can't both occur simultaneously? 

    You also mentioned a connection to why the Jews were for lack of a better word, were being "punished" having to do with idol worship and Esther thinking that was the reason for everything that was happening. And also that the Jews were enjoying the meal, but if as you said in previous shiurs, the meal was kosher for them, what is the problem of their enjoying the meal? It was kosher, no? If the food was kosher why would Esther's having to go to the bathroom even be an issue. They were eating kosher food. Unless the "punishment had nothing to do with the eating, but rather because of the idol worship. 

    There are so many layers to this story, the interpretations and the commentaries. Very complicated and hard to understand and get a handle on, at least for me. If I got any thing incorrect (e.g. above comments and questions) I wouldn't be surprised. Many qusetions, that lead to more questions. Anything you can add to this and also answer my questions above (e.g. the nidda, being a spiritual impurity ?? ) would be appreciated.  Maybe you can even elaborate in subsequent (tomorow's) shiur for clarification purposes?

    Also your description of Esther's deep need to understand what was going on with the Jewish people, the 10 commandments and their popssible abandonment of the Torah (And GD?) and the apparent need for them to be gotten rid of by the people in power - some sort of decree that the Jewish people cannot live in this world because they are not connected to the luchos was fascinating. Makes me wonder if that applies to today as well.  Have we lost the luchos again?

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    Esther did what she did and got the yidden to fast, etc

    Knowing Hashem would save them. [I always have the question that it is He who sent the problem,  the threat, the illness, etc., in the first place,  we daven to Him who created the  problem! Like the nurse who endangers the patient just to be the heroine! Can we say, "don't give me your honey don't give me  your sting?]. 

    Today with the virus, we can take a  cue from Esther and daven learning and do chesed--with social distance-- also knowing Hashem will save us. And also listen to  the gedolim whi have closed schools and shuls. 

    We transgress a Shabbos in extreme situations in order to  keep many more. Perhaps the yidden fasted on pesach then in order to keep many more. Including whatever this years years pesach will look like! 

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Gemarah Megillah #33

Rabbi YY Jacobson

  • March 18, 2020
  • |
  • 22 Adar 5780
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  • 393 views

Dedicated by Dr. Michael and Liz Muschel, in loving memory of her mother, Shirley Levy, Sarah Pessel bas R. Aryeh Leib, for the first yartzeit, 22 Adar. One of the early founders of Monsey, she devoted herself together with her husband to building the community, yeshivos and shuls, while raising her family. She is survived by 4 children, 16 grandchildren, 50 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.

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