PurimBurst 1998 / 5758 Sarah Yehudit Schneider In the same way that a prophet reads the secrets that lie in the cracks and crevices of the souls of Israel [both their failings and their glories] so [1]המן (haman) does the same.[2] This statement is true whether one translates המן as the heavenly bread (מן) that fell in the desert and nourished our transition from Egypt to the Holy Land;[3] or as Haman, the archenemy of Israel whose foiled plan for Jewish genocide is enshrined

PurimBurst 1999 / 5659 Sarah Yehudit Schneider Many of the peoples of the land became Jewish, for the fear of the Jews was upon them…the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it was turned to the contrary, and the Jews had rule over those who hated them.[1]. Tsadok HaKohen:[2] When one nation receives a teaching from another nation that they incorporate for their benefit, this assures the latter’s victory over them should conflict later arise. This mechan

PurimBurst 2000 / 5760Sarah Yehudit Schneider And it was in the days of Achashverosh… when the king sought to display the richness of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty, that he hosted a seven day long wine party… The drinks were poured into gold vessels and no two goblets were alike and the royal wine was in great abundance as only a king can provide. The drinking was according to law, without compulsion, for thus the king decreed upon all the su

PurimBurst 2001 / 5761Sarah Yehudit Schneider Inspired by R. Tsadok HaKohen (רסיסי לילה לב, נב) And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she won his grace and favor more than any of the other maidens; so that he set the royal crown (כתר מלכות) upon her head and made her queen…(Esther 2:17). As the world nears its end of days, Israel (like Esther) prepares to inherit it’s own crown, its culminating glory, its messianic kingdom. And then, with quiet grace, i

PurimBurst, 2002 / 5762Sarah Yehudit Schneider Inspired by R. Tsadok HaKohen, Pri Tsadik, Adar [ו]; R. R. M. Luria, Ora v’Simcha, (p. 97-99) Letters were sent…to all the kings provinces…to destroy, slay, and exterminate all Jews on the 13th of Adar [11 months from then]…Mordekhai immediately bid Esther to approach the king, to plead for her people…[Esther proposed an alternative strategy, preferring to wait for the king to invite her at his own initiative] “All royal attenda

PurimBurst 2003 / תשס”גSarah Yehudit Schneider Then the King conferred with His sages (חכמים), experts in reading the times, for such was the King’s practice, to consult with the masters of law and judgment…Memuchan declared before the King…let it be written…and never revoked…that Vashti never again appear before King Ahashverosh and let the King transfer her queen-ship to another who is better than she” (Esther 1:13-19). Everyone knows that whenever the word, King, appears i