Shul Spiel: What's Happening in Local West Orange Synagogues

This Shabbos, Parshas Titzaveh, is the Shabbos immediately preceding the holiday of Purim.  In preparation for the holiday, we read Parshas Zochor, where the Torah commands us to obliterate the memory of the nation of Amalek.

Purim, which will be celebrated next Wednesday night and Thursday, is marked by the special mitzvos of reading the Megillah, giving gifts of food to others, giving charity to the poor and eating the festive Purim meal. While it is certainly very important to be joyful on Purim, it seems that each community has its own way of celebrating. Some places might have a parade, while others might have a masquerade, while others might have a carnival.  But one seemingly minor custom seems to have been adopted almost universally – the eating of the Hamentasch.  

HAMENTASCH - A COOKIE WITH A MESSAGE
Underneath its hard crust and somewhere in the fruity filling, the Hamentasch bears a message embracing the heart of Purim. 

The word Hamentasch is a compound word, comprised of the name of Haman – a descendent of the nation of Amalek, whose memory we are commanded to obliterate – combined with the Yiddish word tasch.

Amalek was the first nation to attack the Jews after they left Egypt. The Midrash compares Amalek to a brazen individual who jumps into scalding hot water, which everyone is afraid to touch. B’nei Yisroel, after witnessing the miracles in Egypt and at the sea, and after experiencing the Revelation at Sinai, were like a scalding bath. They were a people whose spirits were on fire, ablaze with pride and full of self-respect at being the nation of Torah and mitzvos. They were respected and feared by the nations of the world for their experiences.

Amalek was jealous of our lofty spirit. His attack was a calculated effort to cool our fervor and extinguish our fire. “Your Torah and mitzvos are unimpressive,” Amalek was saying with its brazen action, “and if WE determine what is important, then you Jews have nothing special.” They sought to bring down our people by attempting to hinge our self-respect on their approval or disapproval. Had they succeeded in shifting the source of our pride from the Torah itself to outside recognition of us, Amalek would have diminished our self-respect and thus defeated us. Only by looking heavenward did we regain our perspective and thwart their evil designs.

Haman employed a similar strategy. He wanted to break Mordechai’s spirit by forcing him to bow down before him. According to the Megillah, Mordechai would neither bend nor bow. He knew acceding to Haman’s wish would lead to seeking approval in Haman’s eyes, thus effectively surrendering his self-respect to Haman’s control. At stake was Mordechai’s identity, and therefore he could not bow.

The word Hamentasch combines Haman’s name with the Yiddish word tasch, meaning pocket or purse. Each Purim is a reminder for us to follow Mordechai’s example. We must take the “Amaleks” and the “Hamans” of our own time and put them in the tasch, deep in our pocket where they will remain irrelevant, ignored, insignificant and unnoticed. We reinforce our determination not to allow outside forces, values, and criticisms to determine our perspective and capture our self-respect. And we celebrate by eating Hamentaschen and rejoicing in true Jewish identity whose source is, and can only be, the Torah itself.

Some Purim Halachos
Megillah

The Megillah is read during the daytime from sunrise until sunset.  In an extreme situation, one may read it from dawn.  One should have in mind when hearing the brocho of shehechiyanu that it will also apply to the mitzvos he is doing that day, namely seudas Purim, matanos l’evyonim and shaloch manos.

One should not remove their tefillin until after the Megillah has been read.

One should begin to study the halachos of Pesach on Purim day.

Matanos L’evyonim (gifts to the poor)

Every adult and child 6 or older are obligated to give a gift to each of two poor people on Purim.  The gift can be monetary, and each should be greater in value than $1. The money can be given before Purim, as long as it will be distributed on Purim.  It is preferable for one who has given before Purim to give on the day itself too.

We do not inquire into the status or validity of the claims of those who ask for Purim money; rather, we give to anyone who asks for monetary assistance.  The money may not come from maaser funds but must instead be a donation from one’s own monies.

One may give more than two gifts to two poor people.  In fact, this is praiseworthy. Money which exceeds the minimum obligation may be sourced in maaser funds.

Seudas Purim

It is a mitzvah to eat the seudas Purim (the Purim meal). One should try to eat meat and drink wine at the meal. It must be eaten on Purim day, generally in the afternoon, and not the night before.  The halacha states one must drink until he can no longer distinguish between “Haman should be cursed and Mordechai should be blessed.”  This can be accomplished by drinking more wine than usual and then going to sleep. The majority of the meal should be eaten before sundown and then continue into the night. It is proper to study some Torah before eating the meal. Even if one’s seudah continued into the night, he should still recite “al hanisim” in benching.

Mishloach Manos

Everyone is also obligated to send shaloch manos (two gifts of food to one person) on Purim day. The food must be in a state where it is edible, either naturally or through cooking and other preparations. 

Items such as raw meat and fish are inadequate to fulfill the mitzvah, even if there is still time in the day to cook them.  Whoever increases in the number of people they send shaloch manos to is to be praised. 

However, it is better for one to give more matanos l’evyonim if he can, rather than more shaloch manos.

WHO WE ARE

Torah study continues to be the focus of Congregation and Kollel B’nei Torah of West Orange. The Kollel normally meets each week, on Monday through Wednesday nights, from 8:15 to 9:45.  On Thursday nights, it is from 8:30 to 10. Maariv follows each night. The Kollel is held in the Sefardic Minyan at AABJD. All are welcome to come and experience the thrill and fulfillment of studying Torah one to one. B’nei Torah, with its minyan and Kollel, is dedicated to uplifting and enriching the lives of every Jew through Torah study, serious tefillah and atmosphere that stresses and encourages personal growth.  No experience necessary – everyone is welcome to come and grow along with us.

Davening Times for Shabbos Titzveh/ Parshas Zochor

Friday, March 2
Candlelighting: 5:31 p.m.
Mincha Erev Shabbos: 5:35 p.m.

Shabbos Day, Saturday, March 3
Brochos: 8:15 a.m.
Shochen Ad: 8:50 a.m.

Kiddush following davening
Daf Yomi: 11:30 a.m.
Second Reading Parshas Zochor: 5:25 p.m.
Mincha: 5:30 p.m.
Maariv: 6:41 p.m.

Purim Night – Wednesday night, March 7
Maariv: 6:30 p.m.
Megillah: 6:45 p.m.

Purim Day – Thursday, March 8
Shacharis: 5:55 p.m.
Megillah: no earlier than 6:35 p.m.
Mincha: 12:40 p.m.

Weeknight Maariv - Week of March 5

Monday, Tuesday: 9:45 p.m.
(following Kollel; at AABJD Sephardic Wing)