Purim

Even though the Torah commands us to wipe out the descendants of Amalek, if an Amalekite agrees to observe the seven Noahide laws, he no longer has the status of an Amalekite, and one may not kill him.

According to most poskim, women are not obligated in the mitzva of remembering Amalek, because this mitzva is connected to the mitzva of annihilating Amalek.

The Sages instituted the reading of Parashat Zakhor once a year in order to fulfill the Torah commandment to remember and not forget the evil deeds of Amalek.

The mitzva to destroy Amalek is primarily incumbent upon the people of Israel as a whole. Indeed, the Sages taught that the people of Israel were commanded to fulfill three mitzvot upon entering Eretz Yisrael

Three mitzvot in the Torah relate to Amalek. The first is a positive commandment to remember what Amalek did to us. . The second is a negative commandment not to forget what Amalek did to us. The third is a positive commandment to eradicate Amalek’s offspring from the world.

The Sages instituted the public reading of four Torah passages (parshiyot) in addition to the weekly Torah portion: Parashat Shekalim, Parashat Zakhor, Parashat Para, and Parashat Ha-ĥodesh.

It is well known that the Jewish months are fixed by the lunar cycle, whereas years follow the solar cycle, because Pesaĥ must always be in the springtime. In order to keep the lunar months in sync with the solar year, leap years, in which an extra month is intercalated, must be declared occasionally.

The Sages said, “When Av arrives we curtail [our] joy, and when Adar arrives we increase [our] joy”. In saying this, the Sages teach us that nothing happens by chance and that every season has its own character and nature.

It is known that the most important aspect of the holiday of Purim is happiness and joy – and sometimes, the very insight into Divine Providence alone is more joyous even than rescue and salvation!