Northern Light-Reading

  USE EXTREME CAUTION: PESACH PREPARATION DANGER ​ Illustration by Denis Shifrin There is a commandment to ritually clean certain objects (Kalim,  כלים  in Hebrew) associated with cooking or eating. This commandment stems from the Book of Numbers, chapter 31, verses 21-23. The ritual process of immersing these objects is called Toiveling,  טובלים. In preparation for the festival of Passover, I had a Toiveling adventure that I would like to pass on to you: I am not a brave man, but when the Chief asks me to do something even though I would be putting myself at considerable risk, I dutifully comply. The rock band 10-cc said it all in their version of “The Things We do For Love”: Too many broken hearts have fallen in the river Too many lonely souls have drifted out to sea,  You lay your bets and then you pay the price The things we do for love, the things we do for love https://youtu.be/i-6PnsnBpQE So in preparat...

  Esther is considered by most people as the symbolic heroine of Purim. She courageously stood up for her people, our people.  However, there is another woman who will stand up for all women, Jew or gentile, the worldwide over.                             THE TRUE HEROINE OF PURIM   Esther is considered by most people as the emblematic heroine of the Purim story. After much wringing of the hands, Esther confesses to her gentile husband that she is a Jew, and most importantly she stands up for the Jewish people. However, there is another woman who will stand up for all women, Jew or gentile, the worldwide over. The story of Purim found in the Book of Esther begins in the Persian city of Shushan.   The year is 427 BCE, during the 3 rd year of King Achashverosh the son of Cyrus the Great. (As an aside, not germane to “The True Heroin...

  THE STORY OF PURIM FROM A HISTORICAL APPROACH This history of Purim covers my study of Purim history relying on specific, documented sources that allow for a theoretical approach to the subject matter. An 18th-century Megillat Esther During the festival of Purim we read the  Book of Esther  ( Megillahs Esther ).  The story of Purim is set in ancient Persia, but just as well could take place today.  It is a story about assimilated Jews living outside the Land of Israel, afraid to reveal their identity, intermarriage, Jew hatred, being in control of your life and standing up for yourself and for your people. In this essay I have tried to pin down what we know about the four main individuals in  Megillahs Esther : Mordechai, Ahasuerus, Haman and Esther. I think that they are real people and not characters of historical fiction. It is a very interesting time in our Jewish past and involves Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Cyrus the Great of Persia, tw...

    PRECIOUS STONES            ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE TREASURED BY HASHEM   In Parshat Tetzaveh at 28:17-20 we learn that the Kohen Gadol wore a breastplate called the  חֹשֶׁן . It contained 12 precious and semi-precious jewels, representing the twelve Tribes.  If you are wondering what the identity of individual gemstones in High Priest’s breastplate are, forget it.  Take it from me - No one living today really knows.  There is only speculation.    From a mineralogical perspective I have a good idea as to what they may be, and a better idea as to what they are not, but only from the viewpoint of mineralogy or better yet gemology. There are 3,500 known minerals in the world at large.  Minerals are naturally occurring chemical compounds.  The mineral that we are most familiar with is halite better known as salt.  It is the chemical compound sodium chlo...