My Purim 5770

FNQ - thought for the week

Will I succeed this year in experiencing a Purim induced alcoholic high and thus merit entering the inner sanctum and Holy of Holiest which is buried deep inside of me (and inside each and every Jew)?

Another Purim has passed and I still am left unfilled in my goal to achieve the sublime heights of Purim seudah bliss. It wasn't from a lack of trying. In truth, it may be unrealistic to think that in my relatively small number of Purim celebrations (fifteen, since my Bar Mitvah), and even fewer times drinking on Purim (ten, from when I was in Yeshivat Hakotel), that I would reach the transcendent level that can be accessed only on Purim. The following is a short description of this year's attempt.

To drink or not to drink?

FNQ – 5 q's of the week

With Purim only a few hours away we will all once again be faced with the ever burning and provocative question: To drink or not to drink? I think that many approach this issue in the wrong way. First of all, it isn't really a Halachic issue. That is, since there is support for everything from total abstention to total inebriation, with no clear consensus, a person has the rare opportunity to do whatever he chooses. Secondly, this is a personal choice since alcohol affects each person differently. Whether or not your Rebbe, best friend or anyone else drinks on Purim should have no impact on your own decision. These are four questions you should ask yourself before drinking alcohol on Purim. The 5^th question is of a more personal nature and I will try to answer it on Tuesday.

Esther and Achashverosh - Better to die than sin?

I give a weekly shiur in Tanach called - Stories that make you go hmm.   They can be found on the sidebar.  This is my latest shiur about the very strange relationship between Esther and Achashverosh.

These are some of the questions I address in this shiur:

1. Was Ester forced to marry Achashverosh or did she do it willingly?
2. Does a Jew have to die to avoid a sexual relationship with a non-Jew?
3. Is there a difference between men and women in this rule?
4. How was it permitted for Esther to ultimately initiate a relationship with Achashverosh? 
5. Is one allowed to commit one of the 3 grave sins (adultery, idolatry, murder) in order to save other Jews?

This is the shiur and this is the source sheet - tell me what you think.

Binyamin - always looking for a good question

Purim – a world with no evil

FNQ thought for the week
What is the connection between the mitzvah to remember Amalek and the celebration of Purim?

The connection between Purim and Amalek is well established. On both the Shabbos preceding Purim and on Purim itself we read the two Torah portions that describe the heinous crimes of Amalek. Furthermore, the Megilah says that Haman was a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag. All of these connections merely show that the celebration of Purim and remembering/destroying Amalek are related. I would like to explore that relationship.

Killing Amalek

FNQ - 5 q's for the week

Before we ascend to the spiritual bliss of Purim we have a commandment to recall the deeds of Amalek. The commandment to remember Amalek is, according to many, a preparative act for the ultimate goal to completely annihilate the Amalekite nation. This mitzvah has drawn significant attention throughout the ages as being very difficult to swallow. These are my 5 questions on the mitzvah to destroy Amalek.

FNQ - Parsha Thought

In the list of the necessary materials for the construction of the Mishkan, Hashem’s dwelling place within the encampment of Klal Yisrael, something is found which presents a slight difficulty. Atzei Shittim, perhaps acacia wood, or any wood for that matter, simply does not exist in Midbar Sinai. How could Hashem ask for the construction of a structure in the middle of a desert which requires wood!?

Rashi quotes the Midrash with an answer, “From where did they have wood? Rabi Yaakov Tanchuma explains, ‘Yaakov Avinu saw with ruach hakedesh that in the future Klal Yisrael would come to build a Mishkan in the desert, he therefore brought trees to Mitzrayim, planted them and instructed his children to take them along with them upon their departure Mitzrayim”.

How have the mighty fallen?

FNQ Special

In light of recent events (המבין יבין) I wanted to share a few questions and a thought on a statement of our Rabbis. No one is perfect and G-d doesn't expect perfection. What is expected is the pursuit of perfection. Chazal say that if you see a Torah Scholar sin at night don't doubt him in the morning for he has surely done teshuva (Brachot 19a).

1. 
   
   Why isn't the onlooker expected to assume that the Scholar didn't sin at all?
2. 
   
   How could this sinner be called a Torah Scholar? Is that not a contradiction?
3. 
   
   Why do chazal say that the sin was at night and yet only starting in the morning is one not allowed to doubt?
4. 
   
   What exactly is it that one isn't supposed to doubt about the Torah Scholar?
5. 
   
   Even if the Scholar does Teshuva is it not reasonable to expect that one may have concerns about such a person's spiritual level?