Purim

Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thank you for answering my last question. The Artscroll "Purim" brings "Oheiv Yisrael" as saying that when Haman requested Achashverosh's permission to kill out the Jews, he used the word "l'abdam," which can mean either "to destroy" or "to enslave" depending on whether the word has an aleph or an ayin, both words being pronounced the same. Haman used this word because if Achashverosh balked at killing such a large portion of the population of the kingdom, Haman could say he meant "to enslave," rather than "to kill." But this only makes sense if Haman was speaking in loshon kodesh to the king. Was Haman in fact speaking to the king in loshon kodesh, rather than Persian? Thanks a lot.

Hi Rabbi, I have an Israeli friend, and we had an argument over the Hamentashen. I said that the Hamentashen symbolize Haman’s hat with the three corners. She said it symbolizes Haman’s ears. She believes this because she speaks Hebrew, and apparently the translation is “ears”. Please settle this Jewish scholarly debate. What does the Talmud say on this? Also, who would have the greater authority on Jewish theology, a Bronx NY Jew, an Israeli Jew, an Orthodox Jew, or a Chassidic Jew? Thank you for your support!

Last week when I attended the Megillah reading, there was a woman in the synagogue who was knitting throughout the reading. No one bothered her about it. When I saw that, it made me regret not bringing my own knitting project to work on. I find the Megillah reading boring and I always struggle to stay awake as I sometimes doze off for part of it. If I were knitting during the reading, it would surely help keep me awake. Do you think it would be okay for me in the future to knit during the reading to prevent myself from falling asleep? If I doze, I would miss some of the words of the reading, but if I knit, I can keep myself awake and alert for every word.

Hi Rabbi, what do you think is an inspiring lesson we can learn from the Purim story to improve our everyday lives? Thanks and Happy Purim!

Dear Rabbi, Do you think there a single theme that unites all of the mitzvahs of Purim? Thank you for this wonderful service. Happy Purim!

I heard that on Purim Jews do not eat non-vegetarian foods. Is this true? If it is, why are non-vegetarian foods prohibited during Purim?

Dear Rabbi, Is there a single theme that unites all of the mitzvahs of Purim? Thank you for this wonderful service. And happy Purim!

Hi Rabbi, what do you think is an inspiring message that we can learn from Purim to improve our everyday life? Thanks and Happy Purim!

Hi Rabbi, What is the reason for the custom to wear masks and costumes on Purim? Thanks and happy Purim!