Ep. 583: Purim and Persia: Then and Now

March 2
1h 8m

Episode Description

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:
 Purim and Persia: Then and Now 

  • What lessons can we learn from Purim about today’s events in Iran? 
  • How do we connect the dots of many seemingly fragmented events now and throughout history? 
  • Why would anyone think of reading the Megillah backwards? 
  • What are the parallels between ancient and modern-day Persia? 
  • Is it providential that Khamenei and his cohorts were wiped out while we were reading the Torah portion about obliterating Amalek?  
  • What happened on Purim 1953 when the Rebbe led the chassidism in shouting hoo-ra hoo-ra three times, and its connection to Stalin’s death that night? How does that apply to our times? 
  • What was the general theme of the maamar the Rebbe delivered then? 
  • What is the central message of Purim? 
  • Why is G-d's name not mentioned in the Megillah? 
  • If our enemies cannot hurt us within the structures of nature, how do we explain tragedies that we suffered throughout history? 
  • How do we reconcile the Purim miracle being dressed up in nature and the fact that it was connected to Purim/lots, which is a level beyond nature? 
  • Why would we be obligated to reach a point where we can't distinguish between “blessed is Mordechai and cursed is Haman”? 
  • If the “Guardian of Israel does not slumber or sleep” why does it say that the “king’s sleep was disturbed that night”? 
  • Why is golus (exile) compared to sleep and dreams? 
  • How do we access the transcendent power of Purim today? 
  • What is the meaning of the expression “anyone who stretches out their hand is given”? 
  • What can I do to ensure that these blessings are fulfilled in my life? 
  • What happened on Purim 60 years ago? 
  • Why did we not take spoils in Persia as we did in Egypt? 
  • Now that the world's biggest terrorist Khamenei is gone what comes next? 
  • Is this a prelude to Moshiach? 

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