From the Paper

We may have thought that the first thing Mordechai would do after hearing about the decree of annihilation would be to run to Queen Esther and work on annulling it through their diplomatic and political connections. But that is not what happened.

Some will ask: why bother? Of what use are these conferences? Personally, I say thank God that at least the Europeans are having these conversations. The issue is being addressed.

Rebbetzin Jungreis, a”h, providing guidance on Hakarat haTov--gratitude. Our thanks to you Rebbetzin Jungreis, a”h.

Many modern Jews mistake Purim for a “Jewish Halloween” or an excuse for wild parties. This view has us put on masks, like carousers at a masquerade, to “hide” who we really are. Or, perhaps, as often proves to be the case at a masquerade, we don masks to reveal who we really are.

If Netanyahu’s name were Shimon Peres or Ehud Barak, none of these affairs would ever have been publicized or investigated. This is not about corruption. It’s about politics.

The Palestinian Authority leadership promised, in the Oslo accords, to disband all terrorist groups, seize their weapons, and outlaw them – in short, to put them out of business. How can it be that, 23 years after the PA took over sole control of Bethlehem, Islamic Jihad still has active terrorist cells in and around the city?

By denying the existence of the loan, the debtor, by implication, also admits that he did not repay it.

"My son dressed up as a lion last year," exclaimed Mrs. Kahn. "We bought this great costume. It was so realistic!"

This Rashi seems difficult to understand when we focus on whom these people were and where this was taking place.

Though my father lives in another area of Staten Island, he has been intermittently involved with this synagogue since its inception.

May a person who wants to eat chametz that everybody else finds inedible do so?

Question: I anticipate soon dissolving a business partnership. How should I expect to be treated in a beit din? No Name Please

Our Turn ‘A Gentile Nullifies His Idolatrous Relic’ (Avodah Zarah 52b)

We must also work together to create a culture in our country that embraces the dignity of life, that creates deep and meaningful human connections, and that turns classmates and colleagues into friends and neighbors.

We must never forget that when Aaron was left to lead, the people made a golden calf. But never forget that Moses needed an Aaron to hold the people together. In short, leadership is the capacity to hold together different temperaments, conflicting voices and clashing values.

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While comforting and well intentioned, these officers don’t stand a chance in the event of a sudden attack.

The Talmud teaches that all Israel are responsible for one another. Risa writes that the terrorists attacked Chaim with a knife to his head because he was a Jew -- therefore the Jewish people had to take special care of him.

The Rav astutely notes that the story of Esther tells us in the most lively, realistic fashion, with a tinge of refined yet biting sarcasm, about paradoxical, absurd events, which are both tragic and comical at the same time.

One thinks of family as an all-embracing sanctuary – a safe haven and a refuge from the outside world. But this is rarely the case.

Ben Zion held the Malach in high regard and the feeling was reciprocated. “I never met a man whose views are closer to mine,” the Malach is reported to have said.

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In a democracy, where the rule of law is transcendent, police investigators should not be permitted to run roughshod over a defendant’s right to a fair trial.

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I liked the promise of a new future, but I didn’t understand why it had to be anti-Zionist or anti-Jewish.

Israel annually issues a set of “Moadim L’Simcha” stamps commemorating the Jewish New Year, which are always among my favorites, but it also periodically issues stamps commemorating the other Jewish holidays, including Purim.

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When we turn to cream and sugar during those emotionally-laden moments, we are acting not only from impulse, but from rational self-preservation; eating as a coping mechanism helps us.

Let’s be perfectly honest, holidays are just a convenient excuse to indulge in our favorite activity – eating.