Alleyways To Torah

I refuse to believe that this is actually a question, rather than simply a sarcastic remark.

And acc. to an earlier post, if i remember correctly, we ARE suppose to confess our sins, in the בית המקדש at least, on שבועות.

Dear Will, I believe thus is a question and not a sarcastic remark by our dear rebbe.

Indeed this is not sarcasm!!

I try to avoid it as much as I can [even though at times I am nichshal]. But I do attempt to use humor [ at times without success] to try to get a point across].

So why DO we mention Haman in Maoz Tzur?

The same reason we sing about נבוכדראצר exiling us - these are all bad things that happened to us and yet ה showed us favor and helped us (ובא נוגש והגלני...קץ בבל זרובבל).

I apologize for thinking this was sarcastic, I just wasn't sure why Rebbe would focus on המן vs. any of the other calamities that occurred to the Jewish people throughout history. We mention המן because it fits with the general theme, just as we mention the יונים. One could ask why we mention anything except for the יונים and the "prayer" at the end, but i don't think that's what Rebbe is asking.

What I do think is surprising is that we mention bad things the Jewish people did throughout history (e.g., כי זרים עבדתי). I would venture that it's part of the theme that despite that we have done wrong ה is still good to us and saves us.

Maybe it means that their fate was תלוי על עסקי העץ - if מרדכי would be hanged then he would have them and continue to enjoy them, but if not then he would lose them, as he did. THis would be focusing on one aspect of the irony of the פורים story.

It seems that textually, "Maoz Tsur" is as pertinent to Passover or to Purim as it seems to be to Chanukah. Why we sing the song on Chanukah is unknown historically as far as I know. It originated in 13th-century Germany and was composed by an unknown poet named Mordecai.