Ep. 582: What Does Purim Teach Us About Retroactively Transforming a Negative Past?

About this episode

Rabbi Jacobson explores the lessons of Purim and the month of Adar, focusing on joy, transformation of the past, and insights from the Torah parsha Tetzaveh.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Adar What does Purim teach us about retroactively transforming a negative past? Is there a connection between joy and Pisces, the sign of Adar? Why is Adar made up of the two words, “alef dar”? Are there other reasons why we increase in joy during this month? Does Adar have an association with Adaru (this month in Akkadian and Babylonian), which means darkness and gloom? Can animals be trained to do mitzvos? 7 Adar Why don’t we make a bigger deal of this day – the birthday and yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu? How do we apply Zayin Adar to our lives? 11 Adar What do we learn from the Rogatchover Gaon, whose yahrzeit is on this day? Tetzaveh What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? Why is Moshe’s name not mentioned in this Parsha? What is the positive reason for this? Why is the pure olive oil, the ketoros and the Yom Kippur service not discussed in the same Torah portion of the actual building of the Mishkan and its vessels? What should our attitude to sports be? How should we react to someone watching a game while sitting in a Torah class? Is there room for sports in a Chassidishe life? How…

People in this episode

Host: Jacobson

Topics covered

• Purim
• Adar
• joy
• Torah parsha
• sports

Keywords

• retroactively transforming a negative past
• connection between joy and Pisces
• Zayin Adar
• Rogatchover Gaon
• Moshe Rabbeinu
• pure olive oil
• ketoros
• Yom Kippur service
• sports in a Chassidishe life

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Purim, Torah, Parsha

Places: Israel

More episodes of MyLife: Chassidus Applied

• Ep. 594: Chof Ches Sivan – 85 Years: What Is the Historic, Spiritual and Cosmic Significance of the Rebbe Coming to America? · June 8, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Ep. 593: How Should We Respond to the Recent Tragic Deaths of Young People in Our Community? · June 1, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Ep. 592: How Do I Study Torah and Chassidus in a Meaningful and Inspiring Way? A Step-by-Step Guide · May 25, 2026 · 1h 15m
• Ep. 591: What’s the Most Important Way to Prepare for Matan Torah? · May 18, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Ep. 590: Is the Torah Only for Jews? · May 11, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Ep. 589: How Does Lag B’Omer Apply to My Daily Life? · May 4, 2026 · 1h 5m