The Talmud in Megillah 13b records Haman's exchange with Achashverosh before the decree. Rava observes: "There was no one who knew evil speech like Haman." Haman said, "Come, let us destroy them." The king hesitated: "I fear their God—what He did to those who came before me." Haman answered: ישנו מן המצוות —they are lax in the commandments. The king noted, "But there are rabbis among them." Haman insisted: עם אחד הן —they are one nation. Then in Megillah 16a, Haman encounters Mordechai teaching his students. He asks what they are studying. They tell him: when the Temple stood, one who donated a mincha would bring a kemitzah of fine flour and receive atonement. Haman looks at them and declares: אתא מלי קומצי קמחא דידכו ודחי עשרה אלפי ככרי כספא דידי —your handful of flour has come and pushed aside my ten thousand talents of silver. Several things demand explanation. First, Haman has specific arguments to Achashverosh. What is the deeper meani...

An Aggadah on Boundaries and Flight I. The Story and Its Questions The Talmud in Tractate Menachot (44a), in the context of a discussion about the mitzvah of tzitzit , presents a remarkable aggadah. Rabbi Natan teaches that every mitzvah carries its reward alongside it. As proof, he offers the following story. There was a man who was scrupulous in the mitzvah of tzitzit. He heard of a certain prostitute in the cities of the sea whose fee was four hundred gold coins. He sent her four hundred gold coins and fixed a time with her. When the appointed time arrived, he came and sat at her door. Her maidservant entered and told her: that man who sent you four hundred gold coins has arrived and is sitting at the door. She said: let him enter. She had prepared for him seven beds — six of silver and one of gold — with a silver ladder between each one, and the uppermost ladder of gold. She ascended and sat on the topmost bed, unclothed. He too ascended to sit opposite her, unclothed. At ...

A Dispute as Old as the Sources The Gemara in Menachot 34b discusses the order of the placement of the Tefillin. The first two parshiyot in which the Torah mentions tefillin are from the right, and the next two are from the left. Rashi reads this as two sets: to the person facing the wearer, the first set will begin from the right, and the second set will be to the left of that. So, the order is Kadesh, V'hayah, Shema, V'hayah (Menachot 34b, Rashi s.v. V'hakorei). Tosafot brings the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam that the first two parshiyot indeed begin from the reader's right, Kadesh and V'hayah, but the next set "begins" from left to right, Shema and V'hayah. This results in the two parshiyot that begin with the word V'hayah being in the center chambers (Tosafot, Menachot 34b s.v. V'hakorei). Tosafot cites R' Hai Gaon and R' Yosef Tov Elem (Joseph Bonfils) who preceded Rabbeinu Tam and ruled the same way (Tosafot ibid.). However, Rambam a...

In this week's parshah we encounter the declaration of נעשה ונשמע, "we will do and we will hear." The Talmud in Shabbat 88a records: אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל ״נַעֲשֶׂה״ לְ״נִשְׁמָע״ יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה לָהֶן: מִי גִּלָּה לְבָנַי רָז זֶה שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בּוֹ? Rabbi Elazar said: When Israel said "we will do" before "we will hear," a heavenly voice went forth and said to them: "Who revealed to my children this secret that the ministering angels use?" This represents the pinnacle of willing acceptance - Israel so enthusiastically embracing the Torah that they speak in the language of angels themselves. But what is this "secret of the angels"? What does it mean that their mode is action preceding understanding? We'll return to this question. Just a few lines earlier, the Gemara presents something quite different: ״וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר״, אָמַר ...

Shabbat Shirah , we read the portion of the Torah of the Song of the Sea. After crossing the sea, Moses and the people burst out in song, praising Hashem for their deliverance. The Midrash (Aggadat Bereishit 60:1) marks this as a serial practice every time Israel is in a state of distress and is rescued. Aggadat Bereshit 60:1 - The Pattern of Distress and Song: The passage opens with the principle: וְהָיָה כִּי־תִמְצֶאןָ אֹתוֹ רָעוֹת רַבּוֹת וְצָרוֹת וְעָנְתָה הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לְפָנָיו לְעֵד  "This is what the Holy One Blessed Be He said: When these troubles find Israel and I save them from them, at that moment they will say a song to Me." (Deuteronomy 31:21) The examples: Egypt - They were enslaved. Once He saved them, they sat and ate, and immediately said song, as it says "The song shall be yours as on the night of the sanctified festival" (Isaiah 30:29), referring to that night of Passover. At the Sea - They were in great distress, as it says "and he pa...