The Weekly Shtikle - Purim

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a fascinating piece which is perfect for Purim. The discussion revolves around a very difficult Tosafos (Megillah 16a) which states that the 10,000 kikar of silver that Haman gave to Achashveirosh exactly equalled the amount of silver given by B'nei Yisroel in the midbar. You can find it here:  http://www.dafyomi.co.il/parsha/purimpublic5771.htm. This article serves a dual purpose for Purim. Say it over during the seudah and if you can get through the whole thing, you probably have not had enough to drink!

 

I would also like to leave you with a question that bothered me while I was recently learning maseches Megillah. Perhaps you can discuss it over Purim and maybe come up with an answer. The gemara (12a) recounts that the students of R' Shimon bar Yochai asked: Why was it that the Jews of that generation (in the megillah) deserved to be destroyed. The final answer is that they were deserving of destruction since they bowed down to an idol. Rashi there indicates that this refers to the time of Nevuchadnezzar. There are two difficulties with this, both of which stem fro the simple historical fact that Nevuchadnezzar's reign was many decades before the story of Purim. (Nevuchadnezzar reigned approximately 26 years after the churban - Megillah 11b.) If they deserved to be destroyed, why did it take so long for this punishment to (almost) be meted out? Furthermore, this generation was not the one that sinned in the days of Nevuchadnezzar. Why does the gemara list this as the reason why the Jews of that generation deserved to be destroyed?

Have a good Shabbos and a Purim Samei'ach!

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Zachar Amaleik? What was he Smoking?

Dikdukian: Fighting the Good Fight

Dikdukian: Something Else that was Hidden in the Megillah

Dikdukian: Balaila Hu by R' Binyamin Marwick

Dikdukian: Megillas Esther, general

Dikdukian: Megillas Esther Advisory - Floor or coal?

AstroTorah: War of the Planets by R' Ari Storch

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