This episode discusses the Gemara in Ta’anis 23a about Choni’s 70 year slumber. It’s advisable to listen to this shiur after the shiur on Choni Hameagel’s Circle - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elie-feder/episodes/Choni-Hameagels-Circle-e2h0gli

Happy Purim!!! The Gemara (megilla 16a) fills in more details of the story of Mordechai’s interaction with Haman when they were getting ready to ride Mordechai through the streets on the king’s horse. This episode discusses how this Gemara reveals new insight into Haman’s downfall.

The Gemara in Megilla 16a says that Esther started pointing at Achasherosh to accuse him of trying to kill her nation, until the malach came and pushed her hand towards Haman. Why would she do such a thing? It seems like suicide? I and Ezra (my son) present two different interpretations of this enigmatic Chazal.

Starting with the miracle of Achashverosh not being able to sleep on the layla hahu (that night), this episode analyzes the Purim miracles and the idea of nes nistar (a hidden miracle).

In the beginning of Pikudei (35:21), Rashi explains that when the two batai mikdash were destroyed for our sins, they serve as a collateral. What does this mean?

After a brief introuction to gematria, this episode (from a shiur I gave a few years ago and wrote about in my book) discusses two interesting gematrias regarding Purim. The first involves the gematria of Haman's rov banav, many sons, which indicates that he had 208 sons. The second involves the gematria equivalence of hakesef, the money (that Haman offered Acheshverosh to kill the Jews), and ha'etz (the tree the Haman was hanged upon).

The famous Gemara in Taanis 23a tells the story of Choni refusing to leave his circle until it rained, thereby “manipulating” Hashem to provide rain.

The Gemara in Chagiga 11b discusses the terrible sin of staring at a rainbow. One can help but wonder: Why is this so bad??? By analyzing the aftermath of the story of the flood, this episode explains this enigmatic Gemara and elucidates the significance of the rainbow.

Rashi (Shmos 35:27) says that the Torah left out a yud of nesi’m because their laziness caused them to offer to pay the balance of the funds for the Mishkan instead of paying first.