FEBRUARY 28, 2023 - Purim: How to Stand Before the King (Part 5 of 47)

There's a saying that Purim has a lot in common with a certain other Jewish holiday. But unlike Purim, that other holiday isn’t exactly known for parties, costumes, and sweet treats. No, it’s Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and atonement. So where’s the similarity?

In this week’s episode, Rabbi Fohrman and Rivky Stern go back to the Torah’s description of the Yom Kippur service and uncover a whole list of parallels with the Book of Esther. One of those parallels is sorrowful: When Vashti is banished for refusing to come before King Ahasuerus, the Megillah’s language seems to send us back to the deaths of Aaron’s sons in Leviticus. But as it turns out, both stories include a more hopeful “replay.” God teaches Aaron how to come safely into the Holy of Holies once a year, on Yom Kippur. Meanwhile, Queen Esther takes a significant risk to approach her King’s inner courtyard… and becomes the savior of her people.