Purim Seudah TODAY'S MESSAGE IS DEDIICATED IN MEMORY OF LEAH BAT ESTRELLA A'H BY HER CHILDREN DAVID AND SALLY WAHBA RAYMOND BEYDA'S NEW BOOK 1 MINUTE WITH YOURSELF IS NOW AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR GO TO WWW.RAYMONNDBEYDA.COM AND CLICK ON THE BOOK COVER A LITTLE FUN FOR PURIM PRINT AND SAVE! QUESTION 1: Agag and Haman each had a son with the same name--what was it? . QUESTION 2: What is preferable—to increase the amount of Mishloach Manot you give or the Matanot La'Evyonim that you give? QUESTION 3: What famous American object has the same gematria as "Amalek"? What can you learn from that? QUESTION 4: How many humps did the Achashdranim Bnei HaRamachim have? How many legs did it have? QUESTION 5 : Why did Esther invite Haman to her party with Achashveirosh? The Gemara gives 12 reasons and QUESTION 6 : What are the last five sefarim in Tanach? QUESTION 7 : What was the sin committed by Bnei Yisrael that prompted the great gezaira against them? QUESTION 8 : Which cities in Eretz Yisrael (and outside it) today would read the Megillah on two days--the fourteenth and the fifteenth of Adar because of a doubt as to whether they were walled from the time of Yehoshua Bin Nun? QUESTION 9 : Name two evil people in the Megillah whose names rhyme. QUESTION 10 : True or false? In order to fulfill the mitzvah of Mishloach Manot, you must give two different foods that have two different Berachot. QUESTION 11 : Identify six instances of Middah K'neged Middah that appear in the Megillah. HERE ARE THE ANSWERS: ANSWER 1 : Vayzata (see Esther 9:9 and Targum Sheni). ANSWER 2 : According to the Rambam (Hilchot Megillah 2:17) it is preferable to increase the amount of Matanot LaEvyonim that you give over the amount of Mishloach Manot. See the moving words of the Rambam there. ANSWER 3 : Amalek has the same gematria as "dollar"--both have the numerical equivalent of 240. As far as the lesson, we will only point to Amalek's grandfather--Esav--and his passion for money and worldly goods. We leave other lessons up to you. ANSWER 4 : According to HaRav Yaakov Emden, Z'TL (Megillah 18A), these were a unique type of camel with two humps and eight legs, and were accordingly, exceedingly fast. Fascinatingly HaRav Emden notes that these camels were reportedly in existence in ANSWER 5 : The Gemara may be found in Megillah 15B. Here are several reasons: a) she wanted Achashveirosh to suspect that she and Haman were plotting together against him; b) she wanted the Jews not to be overconfident with her political abilities to get them out of their life threatening situation--by her inviting Haman to the party(!), they would pray with even greater intensity; c) she wanted all the other ministers to be jealous of Haman and so unite against him; d) she wanted Haman to be available to trip himself up in some way ; e) so that Achashveirosh would not realize that she was Jewish prior to the party ; and f) so that Hashem would have special mercy on her--seeing that she, a Neviah and a Tzadeket, would have to be in the same room with this arch-enemy of the Jews. ANSWER 6 : According to the printed Tanach, the last five Sefarim are the Megillot of Koheletand Esther, followed by Daniel, Ezra-Nechemiah and Divrei HaYamim. However, the Gemara in Bava Batra 14B-15A lists the following as the last Sefarim of Tanach: Eichah (describing the Churban), followed by Daniel, Megillat Esther, Ezra-Nechemiah and Divrei HaYamim. This second listing is, obviously, also chronological, as Sefer Daniel discusses periods prior to the events of Megillat Esther. ANSWER 7 : The Gemara (Megillah 11A and 12A) lists three reasons: a) a laxity in Torah study and Mitzvah observance; b) participating in Achashveirosh's first party in which he used the Keilim of the Bet HaMikdash, and which he hosted in celebration of the Jews not being redeemed; and c) bowing down to the tzelem (idol) of Nevuchadnezzar and/or Haman--, which violated a prohibition of Avoda Zara. HAKHEL NOTE: We see how severe sin the first one really is, if it can be compared to such grievous sins as the second two! ANSWER 8 : Among the cities: In Eretz Yisrael: Chevron, Yafo, Gush Chalav, ANSWER 9 : Zeresh and Teresh (Teresh, one of the infamous plotters whose plan was overheard by Mordechai) ANSWER 10 : False. Mishloach Manot must just consist of two **different** portions of food--they can both be meat, or any other type of food or drink (See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 695:4 and Mishnah Berurah there). ANSWER 11 : a) Vashti made Jewish girls who were her captives work for her unclothed--and so she was ordered to come before the king unclothed (Megillah 12B); b) Haman was hung on the tree that he prepared for Mordechai; c) Bigtan and Teresh wanted to kill the king, yet they were killed instead; d) The Jews ate and drank at Achashverosh's party, so they were forced to fast for three days; e) Haman wanted everyone to bow to him--at the penalty of death, and in the end Achashverosh ordered him to be killed--because he fell before Esther; and f) Mordechai put on sackcloth and ashes on his head over what Haman had decreed, and in the end, took over Haman's position, wearing the royal apparel and a large gold crown. WOULD YOU LIKE TO DEDICATE A MESSAGE IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE? REFUAH SHELEMA? Click Here to go to the 'Donations' area, or E-mail your dedication to RBEYDA2000@AOL.COM . 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