Parshas Zachor
Is the second of the four parshiyos.
It corresponds with the second of the four questions of leil seder.
And the second of the four sons too.
Understanding these connections destroys Amalek.
Good Luck!
Avodas Purim 5784
Wear leather Shabbos shoes to megilla, and stomp Haman with your right foot.
Learn (between Megilla readings) Tehillim 22, Mishna & Gemara Megilla, Tikunei Zohar Tikun 22.
Ideal mishloach manos-two identical portions of sweet meat, each in it’s own container.
Matanos l’evyonim-total sum should exceed all other Purim expenses combined.
Wear a mask.
Extend your arms upwards (like Moshe Rabenu) during shemoneh esreh, particularly during Mincha.
Middle finger on mezuza, and say alternatively הצילה מחרב נפשי and הצילני נא מיד.
Israeli wine from Meron or Yerushalayim vineyards.
Clap your nigleh and dance your nistar.
Shofar
Intoxicated with love, Naaseh v’Nishma out loud with your crowd.
Sing אדיר הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב במהרה בימינו בקרוב אל בנה בנה ביתך בקרוב
Reject all forms of avoda zara (arrogance, promiscuity, financial anxiety, loshon hara, anger, etc).
Parshas haMan.
Extended tefillin time, including mincha.
Connect with Ashkenazim and Sefardim.
Sing Bar Yochai.
Drink after the morning Megila, take a nap, wake up (ideally to a shofar blast), keep drinking all day.
Megilas Esther
Begins and ends with the letter vav.
Rashi on Esther too.
Vav on both ends.
Vav is the letter of emes, everlasting reality.
Megilas Esther and Purim will never fade away.
Haman certainly does.
Except for the vav in the nun of his name.
The height of Purim avoda is to isolate that vav, and expand it to eternity.
Purim Curriculum
The story begins with a sleepy Klal Yisroel.
Then we wake up.
Mordechai is mishneh l’melech.
Mishneh is a sleepy word.
Nigleh.
Haman takes him on.
Esther represents nistar.
The silent one.
Haman stands no chance.
On Purim, we antagonize Haman with nigleh.
But the victor is nistar.
Mezuza Case
Why use one?
Especially indoors…
Why does the Baal Shem Tov object to iron cases?
What do Chazal call the case?
Your Purim lies in the answers to these questions!
Purim Is Named After Yom Kippur
Moshe Rabenu is MC of Yom Kippur.
Of Purim too.
The kohen gadol requires seven days to prepare for YK.
Moshe Rabenu is born today, and has seven days to prep for Purim.
Focus on MR today as part of your Purim prep.
Purim And Mezuza
Deeply connected!
They both usher you into your domain.
Mezuza to your physical house.
Excessive Purim wine yields a daas transplant.
That’s the ticket to your new and improved personal mishkan.
Mezuza awareness will enhance the potency of your Purim wine.
Purim And Chanuka
Represent Netzach and Hod.
The two legs of Yaakov Avinu.
Yaakov limped away from his struggle with Esav.
He limped on his left leg only.
That’s Hod, associated with Chanuka.
The Jews suffered a decline with Hellenization.
The right leg representing Netzach and Purim, wasn’t limping.
The Haman experience was just a Purim Shpiel.
Check out Megila 12a for details.
Preparing For Purim?
Start today!
Purim is a time to talk, pirsumei nisa.
Not waste words.
Build your Purim repertoire now, drink generously, spill the beans.
It comes out enlightened.
Adar Is For Tefillin
In a leap year, Adar Rishon is shel yad, Adar Sheni is shel rosh.
Time to brush up on your shel rosh game.
Examine the shins before putting it on.
Tuck the straps thru your belt.
Touch it as you enter shemoneh esreh.
Keep it under your talis.
Don’t be mafsik before putting it on.
A Guten Chodesh!