One of the main and most fundamental contentions of all moralists of all ages is that human nature is not basically unchangeable. Ask any teacher of religion whether change is possible in Man, and his answer is inevitably “certainly.” And yet, my friends, if you were to ask me that same question I would have to qualify that assertion. Is change possible? – Yes and no. If by “change” you mean the transformation of the entire character essentials, the metamorphosis of the basic qualities of the soul, the G-d – given talents and personality attributes, the answer is No. There are certain properties of the soul with which you are born, and which you cannot change, willy nilly. Yet that is not the end of the matter. Because if by “change” you mean not the basic change of the “kochos ha’nefesh”, the powers of the soul, but the salvaging of them: not the scrapping and subduing of the fundamental drives for Man, but their redirection and channeling, the answer is a resounding and wholesome Yes. A man may not be able to rid himself of the trait of stubbornness, but he can certainly direct his stubbornness to desired and beneficial directions. Simpler still, a man may not be able to cure himself from insomnia. But he can himself determine whether these waking hours be spent counting sheep or studying Torah.The Jewish ethical literature has two names corresponding to these two types of change, and there are two schools propounding these opposing these. One group claims that the highest goal is “shviras ha’midos,” the breaking and crushing of the evil drives of man. The objectionable trait must be broken and destroyed. The other group believes this unnecessary and impracticable. Rather it proposes “tikun ha’midos,” the correction and re-direction of these dark forces, the channelling of them from the destructive ends for which they had been employed, to new and constructive ends. Redirection, not breaking and destruction, is the highest aim of ethical development. And Hassidim…

The festival of Purim, and the Book of Esther, seem to have a three-fold message for us Jews. There are three individual morals to be learned from it. The first two are, more or less, well known. Here was a people, Israel, dispersed in exile amongst the Persians and the Medes, their very existence threatened by the anti-Semite Haman. There was no way out except through the intervention of G‑d, Who finally did redeem His people. It has been pointed out that the Name of G‑d does not appear even once in the Megillah. However, this does not indicate a lesser religious spirit than one finds in other religious writings. On the contrary, the fact of G‑d is so urgent and real and self-evident to these Persian Jews, that there is no need to mention Him by name. Thus it has been pointed out that Reform Rabbis are more prone to speak about “G‑d” than Orthodox Rabbis, who stick more to practical observance of the Mitzvot because to the Orthodox, G‑d is real enough and there is no need to remind one of Him. So too to Mordecai and his generation, it is certainly G‑d who saves them, and it is because of G‑d that he refuses to bow to Haman, and therefore Mordecai’s reference to G‑d is “Makom Acher” — help will come for us, not from “G‑d,” but from “some other place,” as Mordecai says to Esther.The second moral is the national. Israel is a people torn from its homeland and very much weakened in the land of its exile. Take a foolish king, give him a cruel and arrogant vizier, and apply a liberal dash of anti-semitism, and you have jeopardized the existence of the entire people of Israel. The antidote to this poison is, of course, concerted action. Love your fellow-Jew, work against your oppressing enemy, the anti-Semite. A simple lesson in national solidarity.It is the third moral, however, which is usually overlooked and which is of great importance — that is, the individual character of Mordecai as a leader. Mordecai is by all means the undisputed hero of the Book of Esther. He is…

I. פרשת זכור – a) its importance – קריאתה מדאורייתא (according to most authorities) b) the story – Amalek's treachery. II. Remember what? – [it's more than vengeance – perhaps not that at all]. a) The treachery of g-dlessness. b) The barbanism of immorality. c) the goodness and concern of g-d for those who accept Him d) The manifestation of g-d in History. III. How to Remember: Significantly, g-d notes this Remembrance in 2 ways a) כתוב זאת זכרון בספר – write in Book. Remembering by Recording.

Parshat Zachor – (a) its importance – קריאתה מדאורייתא (according to most authorities); (b) the story – Amalek’s treachery. 2. Remember what? (It’s more than vengeance – perhaps it’s not that at all): (a) the treachery of godlessness, (b) the barbarism of funereality, (c) the goodness and concern of God for those who accept Him.

One of the most interesting phenomena in antiquity appears to us moderns as ludicrous, almost comical, and yet it is one of the great truths of all time – one which affects us as much as it did them. This is the custom of worshipping the gods of your enemies. Often, a victorious nation would urge the vanquished to worship its gods, since they were presumably stronger. But more often in history, the victor would end up worshipping the gods of the defeated. Thus, the legions of Israel under Joshua defeated the nations of Canaan, yet later worshipped Baal. The Philistines, too, worshipped the gods of their conquered foes. In other words, there is a tendency to fight so hard with the enemy that you adopt his techniques and his way of life. Tomorrow’s sidra tells of the war between Israel and the pagan, idol-worshipping Amalek. Amalek’s main quality was achzarius – mercilessness, cruelty, sadism – attacking a tired, weary, unoffensive Israel. We are commanded to “blot out the remembrance of Amalek” (timcheh et zecher Amalek) precisely because its zecher is mercilessness. We must eradicate it so that, in fighting it, we do not contract it. That is, we must not worship the “god” of Amalek – mercilessness itself. In fact, almost all pagans of old shared this quality as part of their idolatrous culture. Therefore, as the Maggid of Dubno explained, when we are commanded to destroy cities that persist in idol-worship, we are told: “Let your hand touch nothing of theirs” – hands off. It is a dread disease; don’t contract this contagion while trying to cure it. That cry of “hands off,” of eradicating every vestige of the Amalekian quality, was a warning to Israel for all time: not to worship the gods of enemies. Anatole France, in Thaïs, tells of a monk who goes to convert the infamous courtesan Thaïs; she becomes pure and devout, while he becomes a rascal. This is not just fiction or ancient history. Dr. Landau, a researcher and scion of a distinguished family who survived th…

I. ancient tradition recorded by בעה"ט in today's sidra connects 3 pasukim by virtue of their sharing one keyword, the word ונשמע – which means "we shall hear" or "it shall be heard." These 3 subjects are פורים, for in the Megilah we read ונשמע פתגם המלך; תורה for at מתן תורה Israel replied נעשה ונשמע; and serula – עבודות כה"ג במקדש – for in today's reading we learn of the golden balls in the priestly garments about which Torah say נשמע קולו בבוא אל הקדוש ובצאתו... – that the voice shall be heard when entering

Dear Mrs. Saretsky: Enclosed is the message for the Manhattan Hebrew High School children to be read at the Purim Seudah. A copy is being sent to Mrs. Fannie Kreinen. I would appreciate it very much either you or she will read my message to the children on Sunday. Sincerely, Rabbi Norman Lamm. My dear friends: I regret most sincerely my inability to attend with you the delightful pre-Purim Seudah sponsored by the Parent-Teacher Association of the Manhattan Hebrew High School. Only a very important previous engagement – the wedding of an old and dear friend – keeps me from being with you at the present time.Purim is the time of "mishteh ve'simchah,” of feasting and happiness. I hope you enjoy your feasting. And I sincerely pray that all of us prove worthy of G-d's gift of "simchah," of happiness, together with our families.This holiday, which celebrates the Jewish triumph over anti-Semitism, is expressed also in the act of Reading of the Megillah, which is essentially the study of Torah. It is that idea which unites us – the study of Torah. It is our answer to the anti-Semites of all ages. Together let us determine to continue to build up our own spiritual resources through education, learning, studying.I hope wo shall have many more such festive occasions together for many years to come, and that the P.T.A., together with the school itself, will continue to flourish and grow.Rabbi Norman Lamm

It is ironical that in Israel greater emphasis seems to be laid on Purim than on Hanukkah. Whereas Hanukkah is amply celebrated, there is even greater festivity on Purim, with its colorful parades and famen’s adeloyada carnival. In the Diaspora, however, because of the coincidence of a certain non-Jewish holiday, Hanukkah is emphasized out of all proportion to its real value, whereas Purim suffers from relative neglect. I say it is "ironical" because Hanukkah is really more appropriate to a free and independent Jewish State, while Purim is more appropriate to those Jewish communities living in galut, amongst other peoples who form the majority and whose cultural patterns predominate. Hanukkah was an occasion of open rebellion, on the soil of the Holy Land, for independence. It successfully achieved the renaissance of Jewish freedom. There was no diplomacy, no apologetics; there was outright war. Purim, contrariwise, is a Diaspora holiday. It is a story about a Persian king who remains a king. It tells of a Jew who rises high in non-Jewish circles. It is a great Jewish story where, however, the uniquely Jewish element is toned down lest it give offense to the state religion of the Persian empire. This fact, usually ignored, explains not only the essence of the Purim holiday, but also clears up for us certain difficulties in the understanding of the Megillat Esther. I beg your leave to give you the gift of a study of the Megillah that appeared two years ago in the Israeli Army Journal Machanayim. I trust that it will prove a new and fascinating insight into one of the most beloved books of the Bible.Who is the real hero of the Megillah? Of course, if we refer the question to the folk-consciousness of our people, there is no doubt that the answer is either Esther or Mordecai. Remarkably, however, if we refer to the Book of the Megillah itself, we discover that the name mentioned most frequently throughout the entire book is that of King Ahasuerus. One nineteenth-centu…

The turning point in the story of Megillat Esther comes at the beginning of Chapter VI when, with a special flourish, the reader informs us of what happened after Haman had prepared the tree with which to hang Mordecai, and Esther had invited the King and Haman to a second banquet. Ba-lailah hahu nadedah shenat ha-melekh, "on that night the king could not sleep" — literally, the sleep wandered from his eyes. And then the king commanded that there be brought before him the sefer ha-zikhronot, the book of records and chronicles. There he discovered the good that Mordecai had done for him by saving his life. From that moment on, the whole fortune of the Jews in the provinces of ancient Persia changed for the better. The king's insomnia gave rise to the whole Purim story.Rashi, desiring to emphasize the importance of this verse, seems, however, to overstate the case. He says: *nes hayah*—it was a miracle. Sleeplessness a miracle? No doubt many of us would regard it as miraculous if we could sleep through one night undisturbed!Perhaps Rashi's point can better be understood by referring to the Talmud's analysis of this royal insomnia. Rabbah teaches (Megillah 15b) that Ahasuerus was disturbed by the fact that Esther had invited Haman along to these banquets she had made for her husband. He tossed and turned and wondered, *dilma etzah ka shakli iluyeh d'hahu gavra le'mikteleh*—perhaps the two of them, Esther and Haman, are plotting to kill me. Then, continued the king, why is there no man who likes me enough, who is sufficiently loyal to me, to apprise me of this conspiracy and save my life? *Hadar amar*—then Ahasuerus said to himself, perhaps there is someone who has done me a good turn but whom I have failed to compensate; maybe I have been an ingrate, and therefore I have lost the loyalty of my friends. That is why he ordered the *sefer ha-zikhronot*, or chronicles, to be read to him. And indeed, he did recall the good Mordecai had done for him. Ahasuerus’ reward to Mo…

We Jews have, for the past few years, been the subject of profound deliberations. These inner debates by a major church of our times may or may not have major consequences for our future and that of the entire world. I refer, of course, to the deliberations concerning the “Jewish Chapter” in the Ecumenical Council at the Vatican in Rome, where the princes of the Catholic Church consulted about whether or not the Jewish people today is guilty of deicide, the killing of their god. The possible ramifications of this Council are such that many Jews were overwhelmed by its significance.Yet, now that it is all over, in the perspective of history, we can see clearly that all these debates were absurd; they would be comical had they not been so tragic for so long. To think that in the latter half of the twentieth century, adults, mature minds, can actually consult as to whether Jews are guilty, partly guilty, or totally absolved of the charge of crucifixion: It would be funny were it not so demonic! It is a matter of regret that so many Jews took the issue itself, as divorced from its possible consequences, so seriously. It is pathetic to think of the numbers of Jews who every morning, during the Council sessions, opened their newspapers at their breakfast tables not to learn, out of curiosity, how the Church was acquitting itself in the eyes of history, but how they were judging our “trial” and how we were faring!Today, however, permit me to discuss with you another anti-Semitic accusation against the Jewish people: a bill of indictment, that is far older than the Christian libel, and which gives more credit to human intelligence, for it is not anywhere nearly as absurd, as preposterous, and as nonsensical as the ridiculous crucifixion charge. This indictment was drawn up by a descendant of Amalek, who held power and a position of considerable influence in the lands of the ancient Persians and Medes. I refer, of course, to Haman. According to the Megillah, this was his se…