Megillah 18 - How to write a Megillah?

To write a new Megillah, one must copy it, word for word, from an existing scroll. In general, this is true for all scriptures. Incidentally, if one were to write a new Megillah on Purim, copying it out of the existing scroll and pronouncing every word, he has fulfilled his obligation of listening to the Megillah reading on Purim.

But, what about the following story: Rabbi Meir went for an urgent matter, to intercalate the year, to Assya. There was no Megillah there, so he wrote it from memory and read it. Rabbi Meir was a different kind of human being. The complete Torah was always in front of his inner eye, so it is as if he wrote it by copying from a scroll. And yet, the Sages forbade writing from memory!? - in case of pressing need, it is allowed.

But what about tefillin and mezuzah that can be written from memory? This seems to contradict the rule? - Tefillin and mezuzah are known by heart by many. The scribe can write them, provided that he is certain.

Art: Jewish scribe. Jozef Israëls

Megillah 13 - What's in a name?

The names influence their bearer. Esther had another name, Hadassah (myrtle), because she was righteous. Righteous are compared to myrtle. "Esther" means "to hide" because she did not tell anybody of her Jewish origins, as Mordechai had instructed her.

Esther was a complete orphan. Her father died before her birth, and her mother died while giving birth. Mordechai, her uncle, raised her as his daughter. The word "bat" - "daughter" hints at "bait" - "house." When Esther grew up, Mordechai took her as his wife, usually referred to as house. 

Esther knew the rule that idleness acts negatively on the person's psyche. She was industrious on weekdays and did not work on Shabbat. Esther had seven maids. Since the maids would come for only one day a week, they did not notice that her behavior on Shabbat was different from weekdays and did not figure out that she was Jewish.

"And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won more grace than all the other virgins." This tells us that the king experienced the taste of a virgin in Esther. He could also experience the taste of a non-virgin, at will.

Two servants of Achashverosh - Bigtan and Teresh - complained between themselves. "Since the day that woman came, we never had a good night's sleep."  They had to bring drinks to the king all night long. They decided to poison the king. They spoke a rare language of Tarshish between themselves. However, they did not know that Mordechai knew that language. In fact, as a member of the Sanhedrin, he had to be fluent in seventy languages. Mordechai reported the plot to Esther. In this way, he saved the king.

Art: Mistress and Maid  by Johannes Vermeer

Megillah 11 - Computational mistake

The Megillah starts with a description of a great feast thrown by King Ahashverosh. What exactly was celebrated? - that God has abandoned the Jews and will no longer redeem them.

As predicted by Jeremiah, Jews would be redeemed from Babylon and returned to Israel after seventy years. Now, Ahashverosh made this claim: "My predecessor, Belshazzar, made the calculation but made a mistake; however, I will not make a mistake." The Talmud describes Belshazzar's calculation, how he celebrated, and how he got punished.

Ahashverosh sought to correct the previous mistake, and based on the analysis of the writing, he started counting seventy years from a different historical event. However, he celebrated in the same manner by using the Jerusalem Temple's vessels at the banquet. This started the chain of events that the Megillah describes, including the killing of Ahashverosh's wife, Vashti, who was the daughter of Belshazzar.

But Ahashveroshes's calculations seemed correct!? - He should have started from the year of the destruction of the Temple. 

Art: Frans Francken Belshazzar Feast

Megillah 10 - Can one build a private altar and bring sacrifices?

During some periods of Jewish history, one was allowed to build his personal altar and bring sacrifices on it. At other times, personal altars were forbidden.

During the forty years of travel in the wilderness, the Tabernacle had its Altar, and the sacrifices could be brought only on it and not on personal ones. Then, during the fourteen years of conquering Israel, the Tabernacle was in Gilgal. It was temporary, and although sacrifices continued there, personal altars were also allowed. This situation changed a few times until the Temple was built in Jerusalem. After that, personal altars became forbidden for all times. 

In the Temple, they have placed the Ark that was initially constructed under the direction of Moses. That Ark had no physical dimensions. If one measured from one side of the Ark to the wall of the Holy of Holies, he got ten amot. If he measured from the other side of the Ark to the opposite wall, he also got ten amot. And yet, the distance between the opposing walls of the Holy of Holies was only twenty amot total. That proves that the Ark itself miraculously took no space.

Art: The Israelites Gathering Manna in the Wilderness by Jacob Willemsz. de Wet

Taanit 31 - How to celebrate Tu B'Av

The day of Tu B'Av was celebrated as follows: the maidens of Jerusalem would go in the orchards to dance and find their future husbands.

Every girl wore a dress that she would borrow from someone else. The daughter of the King - from the daughter of the High Priest. She, in turn, borrowed from the daughter of the vice-priest. All others borrowed from each other - not to embarrass ones who did not have a beautiful dress.

Lovely girls said that "A wife is only for beauty." Those of great lineage claimed that "the wife is only for children." The good-charactered said: "A good woman, who can find her? Give her the fruits of her hands and let her deeds praise her." Each group proved their point of view with phrases from the Scriptures.

Those who lacked exceptional merit would point out that it all depends on marrying with altruistic intentions. They also added that jewelry and attractive clothing will compensate for the lack of natural beauty.

Art: A girl in a picture frame by Rembrandt

Taanit 30 - The good things of Tu B'Av

Just a few days after Tisha B'Av (ninth of the month) comes the joyous Tu B'Av (fifteen of the month.) Five good things happened on that day.

The Jews who were dying in the desert for forty years stopped dying on this day.

The prohibition to give wives to the Binyamin tribe - which resulted from the incident at Givah - was annulled on that day, and Jews were reunited.

The prohibition to go to Jerusalem, established by Yaravam ben Nevat, was removed.

The slain people of Bethar, who were killed on Tisha B'Av, were allowed to be buried. This happened on Tu B'Av, three years later. The other miracle was that the bodies did not decompose.

Art:  A Jewish Wedding by Joseph Israëls

Taanit 29 - What happened on Tisha B'Av

The five events that happened on the ninth of Av are these.

On this day, the spies came back from touring Israel. They brought a negative report, and the community cried over the seeming impossibility of conquering the Land of Israel. It was decreed that all adult male Jews of the generation would die in the desert in the upcoming forty years. The story here was that "You cried for nothing? You will have something to cry about." The Talmud calculates how the spies returned precisely on the ninth of Av.

Both the first and the second Temples were destroyed on the same calendar day, the ninth of Av. 

The city of Bethar was conquered fifty-two years after the destruction of the Second Temple. All of its inhabitants were massacred. At this time, death was decreed on the leader, Rabban Gamliel. The Roman messenger appointed to bring about Raban Gamliel's execution was a secret admirer of him. The Roman tradition was that if the messenger dies, the decree is annulled. The messenger threw himself from the roof and died, thus saving Rabban Gamliel.  The Heavenly voice announced: this Roman official has earned his share in the World to Come.

Art: The Death of Chatterton by Henry Walli

Taanit 28 - The fast of the seventeenth of Tamuz

On the seventeenth of the month of Tamuz, five bad things happened in Jewish history, and five other things happened on Tisha B'Av. Both days are commemorated by fasting. These days are three weeks apart; Lamentations hints at this by saying, "All her pursuers overtook her within the straits." What are the five bad things?

Moses broke the Tablets of the Covenant. The Talmud makes the calculation: Moses went up the Mount Sinai and got the Tablets, spent forty days learning the Torah, and came down when he heard the Jews worshiping the Golden Calf. This day was the seventeenth of Tamuz. 

Other events were: the invading Roman army breached the walls of Jerusalem; a Greek general, Apostumos, burned the Torah scroll written by Ezrah the Prophet and put idols in the Temple.

Art: The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans by David Roberts

Taanit 27 - Community standing by

The Temple service and the sacrifices were on behalf of everybody. Can people go about their business as if nothing is happening? For that reason, the appointed members of the congregation were doing "maamadot" or "standing by" - as community representatives.

Now, the whole procedure was as follows. When the appointed week for each priest group would come, they would go to the Temple. However, half of them went to the labor market in Jericho to do agricultural work, which was plentiful and provided sustenance for the priests who served in the Temple. Some say that they would change after three days so that everybody would get a chance for Temple service. There were twenty-four groups of priests in total, and thus they would serve in the Temple two weeks a year on average.

The community representative would be standing by, saying prayers, reading from the Torah, and fasting. Some were in Jerusalem, but some remained in their cities, collecting themselves in the synagogue. Each group was essential, and the sacrifices could not be brought if it was missing.

The Temple service was what assured the existence of Heaven and the Earth. What is the source for this? In the phrase, "Whereby shall I know that I will inherit Israel?" The complete conversation went like this. Abraham said, "Master of the Universe! All is well now, but if Jews sin, will you destroy them?" God said, "No." Abraham continued, "How do I know?" God said, "Take three calves and three goats, etc." This means that the merit of the sacrifices will atone." 

Art: Weaning the Calves by Rosa Bonheur