Purim Guide for the Perplexed, 2014

*Celebration and Happiness sustain optimism and faith - the backbone of individuals and nations.

13. A lethal enemy destroyed and a lethal threat commemorated. The pre-Purim Sabbath is called "Memorial Sabbath" (שבת זכור), commemorating the war of extermination launched by the Amalekites against the Jewish Nation, ongoing since the Exodus from Egypt. A Purim lesson: Be wary of deadly enemies, posing as harmless partners of peace, who conceal a strategic goal of extermination.

Happy Purim