עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחַת פּוּרִים בְּהַמְחָאַת כַּף וְרִקּוּדִין, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה מַמְשִׁיכִין בְּחִינַת קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה בְּנִגְלֶה וְנִסְתָּר
Our joy and clapping and dancing on Purim make us worthy of receiving the Torah in its two aspects, revealed and hidden.
Something I love about Purim is just how much Torah there is to explore about its story's heroine, Esther. To help you prepare for the holiday, I want to share a handful of those great sources — some revealed and some more hidden — that are available on Sefaria.
Featured Text: Esther Rabbah
Esther Rabbah compiles multiple interpretations and expansions on the Book of Esther — filling in gaps, adding rich details, and providing new perspectives on all the major (and minor) players. Explore the text in full English translation commissioned by Sefaria.
Looking for more explanation or ideas for parts of the text to highlight with your students? Go behind the scenes with the Stars of the Megillah, a study collection that delves into the plot lines and major characters of the Purim story.
Additional texts to explore:
- Get easy access to the Book of Esther in Hebrew and English — plus, you can open the resource panel to find a full English translation of Rashi's commentary (and 14 other Hebrew commentaries).
- There's a great stretch of midrash on the Book of Esther in tractate Megillah of the Babylonian Talmud. Explore with additional commentary from Rashi and Tosefot in English via the resource panel.
Teaching Resources
Costumes, food, gifts to friends… Purim is associated with many customs. Where do they come from and what role do they play in our lives? This Sefaria-curated sheet collection offers some ideas.
Finally, I want to make sure you have access to this collection of Purim resources just for educators — from scavenger hunts and mask-making to a lesson on machloket (rabbinic disagreement).
Get Tech-Ready for Purim
Head to your local megillah reading with the Book of Esther and grogger in your pocket — all via the Sefaria app!
You can also use the app or website to access our kid-favorite Emoji Megillah, which replaces words in the Hebrew or English text with emojis. Use these steps to practice changing translations on Sefaria with your students.
As we get closer to Purim, I'd love to hear from you which resources you or your students liked best! You can reply to this email or send a note anytime to [email protected].