What’s so bad about Amalek, that every year,
We stamp out every mention of his name we hear?
And why do we drown out his name with such noise?
With groggers, trumpets and muktza toys?
Amalek likes to tell Jews to calm down, to relax,
Don’t do mitzvos with energy! That’s how he attacks!
We show Haman that rasha and all of his friends,
That with true emunah, the joy never ends!
We serve Hashem with energy, excitement, let’s go!
Connecting to Hashem who loves us so!
Haman!!!!! BOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Purim Jokes!
What did the Megillah say after leining? “That was a scroll lot of fun!”
What was Queen Esther’s royal gown made of?
POLY-ESTER
What bracha (blessing) did the Jews say upon seeing Haman hanging on the gallows?
HA’EITZ!
How do you know Achashveirosh was hard of hearing?
Because it says: “Vayehi bimei Achashveirosh… WHO? Achashveirosh!”
Why did the grape stop in the middle of the road? Because it ran out of juice!
Chaim: “Waiter, waiter! I’m in a hurry, will my Hamantashen be long?”
Waiter: “No sir, they will be triangles!!”
How do we know that Achashveirosh had a telephone?
First he gave Haman a ring, then he hung him up.
What did the grape say when a dancing bochur stepped on him? Nothing. But it did let out a little “whine”!
Purim Torah!
Share these wherever you go on Purim!
Before we lein the Megillah, we say the brachah, “…asher kidshanu bimitzvosav vitzivanu al mikra Megillah.” Why don’t we say al krias Megillah? Rav Elimelech Biderman quotes the Kav Hayashar who says that the mitzvah of listening to the Megillah is not simply to read it, but to call out to it – kind of like inviting it! “Mikra,” he says, comes from the word “kara, to call,” or invite. Invite the Megillah? What does that mean? We invite the Megillah into our neshamos – absorbing not just the funny story, but the deep, sweet emunah and brochos contained in the Megillah. We call out to the Megillah, come inside me!
What’s in a name? The Gemara (Megillah 11a) says “Shmuel says ‘Achashveirosh blackened the face of the Yidden like shulei kedera – like something burnt in a pot.’ “ The Maharsha explains: Achashveirosh is made of the same letters as “shachor aish” – something burnt from the bottom of a pot! Rav Yochanan says: “Whenever his name was mentioned, people would say ‘Ach (oy vey) lirosho (to his head).’ “ The Maharsha explains that either people would curse his name, or they would exclaim, “Ach Lirosh! – Ow! My head!” His name alone would give people headaches!
The Megillah lists all the details of Achashveirosh’s seudah, but there is no mention of music. Why was there no music at the party? Rav Shlomi Alkebetz explains that the rule by the party was “lassos ritzon kol ish vaish, to do whatever anyone wanted.” They would have had to play music for every group of people there, whether they were Chinese, African, or anything else. That means he would also have been required to play Jewish music – and that would foil his plan. His plan was to get the Yidden to sin at the party. If they heard REAL Jewish music, they would be inspired to do Teshuvah… and they would leave!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 27 Special Purim Editions.