Pesach

Midrash Rabba (20,6) on Shemos 13,17-Pharaoh was upset that the Jews are leaving because before he was getting messages from Hashem and now he won't anymore. It's a mashal to a man who's son was far away and a rich man accepted him graciously. Then the king kept sending him messages to send his son, and then when his son finally left the rich man starting crying. People asked him why he's crying, and he said before I used to get honor because the king used to keep sending him messages and now that the son left he won't be getting them anymore. How was it a kavod to Pharaoh that Hashem kept sending him messages that if you don't send my son, I'm going to smash you to smithereens? That's not an honor, he's insulting him! It's only in honor if it was a normal message!

Pesach

Shemos 26,5- Rashi- Arami Oved Avi is being Mazkir Chasdei Hamakom (remembering the kindnesses of Hashem)........ And because he planned to do (to eradicate all Klal Yirael), Hashem considered it as if he had (eradicated Klal Yisrael)... I understand that we want to write it as if Lavan had destroyed Klal Yisrael, but here is totally not the time and place to be doing that! The purpose of Arami Oved Avi is to remember the kindness of Hashem. If so, why do we phrase it as though Lavan had actually killed us? That's completely antithetical to the whole purpose of the passuk, because now it reads that Hashem did us absolutely no favor!

Pesach

The Haggada says "if Hashem had given us their (the Egyptians') money and not split the sea for us it would've been enough." How would it have been enough if he hadn't split the sea for us? We all would've been killed by the Egyptians!

Pesach

Ramba"m Hilchos Chametz Umatzah 2,2- "what is the Hashbasa (destoying chametz) that is said in the Torah? That he should be mevatel the chametz in his heart, and consider it like dirt and he should place in his heart that he has no chametz in his reshus at all. And that all the chametz in his reshus should be like dirt and like something he has no use for at all." Why does the Rambam repeat that you should consider all the chametz like dirt? Also how can you consider all the chametz in your reshus to be like dirt once you've already made it as though you have no chametz in your reshus? You don't have anything in your reshus to make into dirt!

Pesach

After 7 of the Makkos Pharaoh promises to free the Jews and then changes his mind once Moshe removes the Makka. Why doesn't Moshe just take the Jews out first and wait to remove the Makka until we're long gone? What's this whole game? He knows that Pharaoh changed his mind the last 6 times, chances are he's going to change his mind again!

Pesach

What does the Haggada mean "Sheparo lo gazar elah al hazicharim" (for Pharaoh only decreed on the boys...)? That's not true! The decree to throw all newborn boys was only for the year (or so) that Moshe was born (Sotah 12b)! All other decrees were against men and woman equally!

Pesach

Shemos 12,36- "Vayinatzlu es Mitzraim" (and they emptied Egypt). If Mitzraim got emptied, how could (Rashi on Shemos 15,22) the Jews have gotten even more by Bizas Hayam than they got when they left Egypt? There was nothing left to get, let alone getting even more than they get when they left!

Pesach

Why do we say "Come and learn what Lavan wanted to do to Yaakov Avinu, for Pharaoh only wanted to kill the boys, but Lavan wanted to uproot everyone"? All it does is trivialize the miracle of Yetzias Mitzraim! Its basically interjecting with "you know the guy Hashem saved us from wasn't really that bad". It just minimizes the miracle Hashem did for us! It doesn't add anything to the story either. We don't discuss Lavan at all. At the very least we should thank Hashem for saving us from him or something! It comes off almost rude. How is that a fitting introduction to Arami Oved Avi Vayered Mitzraimah"?

Purim

Ester Raba3,10- Every "Hamelech" stam (without saying "Hamelech Achashverosh") in Megillas Ester is talking about Hashem (in addition to Achashverosh). What about 3,15 "Vehamelech vehaman yashvu lishtos" (and the king and Haman sat down to drink) and 3,10 "Vayasar Hamelech es Tabato meal yado vayitna lehaman...." (and the king removed the ring from on his hand and gave it to Haman....) and 2,2 "vayomru naarei Hamelech mesharasav yevakshu lamelech nearos besulos tovos mareh" (and the king's pages said 'let there be sought for the king beautiful young maidens) etc.?

Purim

Why did Mordechai have to incite Haman by not bowing down to him? Why couldn't he just arrange to lose his job of sitting at the palace gates or retire from it or move away or pretend to be sick or something? He can't make a point of not bowing down and thereby jepordize his life and the lives of his fellow Jews! Also the Gemara (Megilla 6b) says "Im Ra'isah Rasha Shehasha'ah Misachekes lo al tisgareh bo" ( it's assur to incite a rasha that is enjoying good fortune), so how could he have incited Haman? Haman was clearly enjoying good fortune!

Purim

Megillas Esther starts with "Vayehi Bemai Achashverosh" (It was in the days of Achashverosh) So why does it need to say in the next passuk "Bayamim Hahaim" (in those days)? I know that it was during that time because it just said that!

Purim

In Esther 2,22, why did Mordechai tell Esther to tell Achashverosh that Bigsan and Seresh were plotting to kill him? Why didn't he just let them kill Achashverosh? Avodah Zara 26 a-b says that you shouldn't save goyim's lives, especially Achashverosh's life considering (Rashi Megilla 14a) Achashverosh wanted to do destroy the Jews on his own, even without Haman's encouragement. Remember, this is before Haman became the second most powerful man in the world so chances are whoever would've taken over Achashverosh would've been much more friendly to the Jews. Maybe even Esther would've been the one who would take over, so why did they save Achashverosh from Bigsan and Seresh?

Purim

Megila 12b-Megillas Esther (1,10) says "Bayom Hashvi'i K'tov Lev Hamelech Byayin" means that ALL the goyim at the party, which was on Shabbos, were drunk, discussing which country has the prettiest girls. However when Jews get drunk they talk Divrei Torah and praise Hashem. But the passuk says HAMELECH (not Ha'ir Shushan or Ha'am or something similar that would imply that the focus is on the King) but yet, the Gemarah makes it sound like the focus is difference between the Jews and the Non Jews?

Purim

How can Megilla 13b (see Hagahos Habach) say the reason why Esther didn't tell anyone what her nationality is is because she's so Tzanu'ah? Esther 2,20 says that the reason why she didn't reveal her nationality is because Mordechai told her not to tell!

Purim

Megila13b- Esther would get up from having relations with Achashverosh and go have relations with Mordechai. There is nothing that would make Achashverosh more upset at Esther and the rest of the Jews than finding out that a Jew is sleeping with his wife! Megilla 15b says that Achashverosh would kill Esther and Haman if he suspected them of being in love, if he found out the Gadol Hador was hooking up with his wife wouldn't he be a hundred times more angry!? Why would Esther risk everything like that?

Fw: 8 Adar (purim)

Why does the megilla only discuss the decor of the second party?Should discuss the decor of both the same way it discusses the purpose of and who was invited to both! Why did Achashverosh only use the Klei Beis Hamikdash by the second party? We see by the first party he wore the Bigdei Kohen Gadol (Megilla 12a) so apparently even by the first party he was trying to be mevazeh the Beis Hamikdash and the Jewish religion! Why do we only find that (Esther 1,9) Vashti made her own party by the second party(for Shushan)? We don't see anything about her making her own party the first time (for everybody)! What's the difference?