A Purim Overview - Laws, Customs, Insights

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A Purim Overview: Laws, Customs, Insights

Prepare for Purim with a quick overview of a) the practical laws (halacha) of Purim, b) the Megillah story, and c) insights into the deeper meaning of the holiday.

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, serving one of Canada’s most dynamic Jewish communities. He also serves as Chaplain of the York Regional Police Service. He is an active member of Toronto’s Vaad HaRabbanim (Council of Orthodox Rabbis), and a voting member of the COR Kashruth Council of Canada’s executive rabbinical board. Rabbi Kaplan is featured regularly on many local television and radio shows. He is a sought after speaker, with hundreds of lectures on Chabad.org. He and his wife, Faygie, are blessed with eight children. Artistically endowed, the rabbi enjoys drawing, sketching and creating charcoal portraits.

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Anonymous Mb March 8, 2017

Please increase the volume in all your shiurim you speak normally softly and quickly most of time...but if you could project stronger at least with volume thanks. Reply

Mariah Washington State January 29, 2022

in response to Anonymous:

I’m a Deaf/HH person and your volume is too low and is there any way the Closed Caption can be repaired. It says it on, but it does not caption on this site.

Thank you. Reply

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan Thornhill, Ont. March 5, 2014

Response! There is much truth to your comments, and without doubt there are many layers of truth and reality playing itself out in this story. I would refer you to the classes on the text of the Megillah I've recently been giving. Keep on learning, contemplating and sharing! Reply

Charmaine Kelder Vancouver, B.C. March 4, 2014

Purim- What was going on between Mordechai and Haman? Thank you so much, Rabbi Kaplan. I thoroughly enjoyed your teaching on Purim. I've spent time recently in the book of Esther. Do you see it as part of the dynamic between Mordechai and Haman their respective family backgrounds? Mordechai, a descendant of Kish and Shimei and Haman, a descendent of Agag. It had been M's ancestor, Kish's son Saul, who had not obeyed the prophet Samuel's commands to destroy Agag, king of the Amalekites, a nation that God had commanded Israel to destroy. And it was Haman a descendant of Agag, who was determined to kill all of the Jewish people who had been going to destroy his people. Shimei, I think brought shame on his clan by his behavior with David. So God, orchestrating events -unseen- , graciously gave Mordechai a chance to reverse the stain of dishonor of the disobedience of his ancestor. This has become my understanding of some of what God was up to in this book. I welcome your thoughts. Reply