Ep. 583: Purim and Persia: Then and Now

Ep. 583: Purim and Persia: Then and Now

From MyLife: Chassidus Applied by Rabbi Simon Jacobson

March 2, 2026 · 1h 9m

About this episode

Rabbi Jacobson explores the lessons of Purim in relation to modern events in Iran and historical parallels with Persia.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Purim and Persia: Then and Now What lessons can we learn from Purim about today’s events in Iran? How do we connect the dots of many seemingly fragmented events now and throughout history? Why would anyone think of reading the Megillah backwards? What are the parallels between ancient and modern-day Persia? Is it providential that Khamenei and his cohorts were wiped out while we were reading the Torah portion about obliterating Amalek? What happened on Purim 1953 when the Rebbe led the chassidism in shouting hoo-ra hoo-ra three times, and its connection to Stalin’s death that night? How does that apply to our times? What was the general theme of the maamar the Rebbe delivered then? What is the central message of Purim? Why is G-d's name not mentioned in the Megillah? If our enemies cannot hurt us within the structures of nature, how do we explain tragedies that we suffered throughout history? How do we reconcile the Purim miracle being dressed up in nature and the fact that it was connected to Purim/lots, which is a level beyond nature? Why would we be obligated to reach a point where we can't distinguish between “blessed is…

People in this episode

Host: Jacobson

Topics covered

  • Purim
  • Persia
  • Iran
  • Jewish history
  • spiritual lessons

Keywords

  • Megillah
  • Khamenei
  • Amalek
  • Purim 1953
  • Rebbe
  • miracle
  • nature
  • blessed is Mordechai
  • cursed is Haman

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Ep. 583, Megillah, Torah, the “Guardian of Israel

Places: Iran, Persia, Egypt

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