?In ancient times – whether it was Abraham defeating the five kings, the conquest of Jericho led by Joshua, or the victories of King David, and later the Maccabees – Jews were warriors. At the conclusion of the Purim story, we learn that Jews took up arms to defend themselves and defeat their enemies. Unfortunately, after many centuries of exile, most often in hostile environments, Jews learned to keep their heads down and maintain a low profile.

Throughout our history, Hashem has performed miracles to save His people, and many cities around the world have established their own “Purim” with their own unique megilla reading. Here is an account of a imaginary sixth-century Purim miracle.

by Talia Beyidna

I was born and raised in Hyrcania, one of the most beautiful provinces known to man. Hyrcania was nestled in between the Caspian Sea in the north and the Alborz Mountain Range in the south. In the mornings, we would awaken to the hawking of the bustling markets in the city squares, and in the evenings we would fall asleep to the songs of the jays, nightjars, and Persian lads on their flutes trying to romance the lasses. The Jewish community had settled in the hills of Hyrcania, and while we could not see the sea from where we lived, during the windy seasons, we could feel the mist on our cheeks.

Reviewed By Rabbi Mordechai Shuchatowitz, Head of the Baltimore Bais Din

In past articles[1], we explored various scenarios that arise relating to carpools and what guidance we can learn from the appropriate halachos. We will now explore a different scenario, that of bullying, and see how it impacts the obligation of a carpool group.

The unfortunate reality is that bullying exists among our children.[2] It is obvious that the optimal situation is where the bullying can be stopped. But the goal of this article is to explore one specific angle of this issue: When the bullying persists within a carpool setting, may the other carpool families expel the bully from the carpool? We will illustrate this situation through a fictitious case study.

As I wrote a month ago, Israel’s religious and rightwing parties won a major victory in Israel’s November 1 elections, winning 64 out of 120 seats in the Knesset (53 percent versus 47 percent), and this after three years of stagnation and stalemate. When one considers that 10 of the losing seats went to Arab parties, who will never be a part of the rightwing, and that four politically prominent rightwing Knesset members (Avigdor Liberman, Gideon Saar, Matan Kahane, and Dov Elkin) were part of the losing side, the rightwing victory within the Jewish population was much more pronounced than 53 percent (58 to 42 percent or, arguably, 61 percent to 39).

Driving with some friends in the Binyamin region of Eretz Yisrael, just a few short minutes north of the Yerushalayim neighborhood of Neve Yaakov, we pass by the hilltop outpost of Giv’at Asaf. It consists of several houses, built using light construction materials. These structures made of panels of insulated sheet-metal are commonly known in Israel as caravanim. Though you probably won’t find this definition in an English dictionary, an English speaker in Israel who uses the word caravan is more likely to be referring to one of these than to a mobile home.

The wonderful holiday of Purim is once again on the horizon and, along with the feasting and fun, comes the yearly challenge of teenage drinking. Many of us would like to say to our teens, “If you are offered alcohol, just say no,” and if they listened, there would be no need for this article. The reality, however, is that teenage drinking on Purim is common and perhaps even encouraged (or at least accepted) in some parts of our community. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to present harm reduction strategies for teenagers who choose to drink on Purim.

There is nothing more infuriating than the feeling that someone is deliberately trying to ruin your day by saying or doing something to trigger you on purpose. Maybe you were even in a good mood (for a change) before your friend/coworker/partner decided to bring up an issue that you deliberately asked them to avoid. Life is hard enough, right?! 

There is no shortage of beautiful, interesting, and fun dating venues in Maryland, but what’s a dater to do when the mercury drops and the great outdoors is no longer a comfortable option? I polled matchmakers and daters for their best “Baltimore and beyond” winter dating ideas.* Mind you, they did include some outdoor suggestions for those more tolerant of the cold, but no worries for those who aren’t – spring is right around the corner!

Sonya was lost in a forest. There were several paths, but she was not sure which one to take. She was hungry, thirsty, and tired. She longed for some food and a place to sleep, but most of all, she yearned for somebody to show her the way out of the forest. Suddenly, she noticed a sign tacked to a tree: “Are you hungry, thirsty, tired, and lost? I will show you the way out of the forest and give you some food and a bed.” What a relief it was to Sonya! She followed the directions on the sign and was soon eating a bowl of soup while listening to instructions for leaving the forest. 

Have you ever felt that there was an emotional concern that you were facing and didn’t know if it needed to be addressed? Do you have an emotional concern or diagnosis that you want to see a mental health professional for, but don’t know whom to go to?

Find RELIEF

Relief Resources is a mental health referral service that can be of benefit to you. Finding the “right” mental health clinician can be challenging. Unlike searching for other types of professionals or services, where it is common for neighbors or family to discuss where to go, in mental health, people are often not comfortable reaching out to their acquaintances for suggestions.

RELIEF has one goal in mind, to get you to the best mental health clinician for you in your specific circumstance. What may work for another person may or may not work for you. There are many variables and considerations that make therapy successful. Just because someone else went to a clinician and was successful doesn’t mean it is the best match for you. Similarly, just because someone had a negative experience with a clinician, doesn’t mean that you can’t be helped.