Purim: A Probably Dull (to read) Chronicle

[debka_notion]

I get sort of weirded out that Megillat Esther (and why do I feel the need to spell Esther the English way rather than in translit?) depends so much on Esther's involvement and actions, and the very last line sums everything up in terms of Mordechai. It seems awfully simplistic and sort of skewed for a text that bases itself so much on gender relation issues, and where Mordechai really can't do anything except through Esther...

As for my own Purim, I had a much better time than I was expecting. My Megillah reading went pretty well, although I felt like I sounded a little off for some reason. But it was ok, and I got a lovely IM from tovaks complimenting me on it- it was one of those totally unexpected little things that brighten up a day. zodiacmg and I came back the my apartment to break fast, since the dining hall had a huge line, and while here, one of the apartmentmates commented on the general obscurity of both our costumes, which somehow inspired zodiacmg to remember the passage from our Aramaic quiz about the flaming sword outside the garden of Eden- and so even though I was a different angel with a flaming sword (the one who stops Bilaam's donkey: Steve and Steve were dressed respectively as the donkey and Balak), we copied the descriptor from the Pseudo-Jonathan onto my cardboard, ducttape and construction paper sword. THe one classmate of ours whom I showed it to thought it was really funny. I think I may just bring it in to class tomorrow...

We went to the Hillel party and I actually had a very good time there, which surprised me: freshman year I enjoyed it, Sophomore year I found it sort of awkward, and last year I went only for long enough to find someone. I think feeling genuinely comfortable helped- sophomore year I was dating jakal88 and was sort of over-aware of what was going on with him, and last year I was just really aware of the state of my life the previous 2 Purims, and was thinking too hard about it all, and just wasn't up for lots of crowds. It also helped that this year, I think because BOO wasn't allowed to co-sponsor the event, there were 3 sections on the actual ground floor, rather than putting us co-ed dancing types in the balcony, which was uncomfortably slippery and rather off-putting as far as feeling part of the event. So I did a bit of dancing and spend some time snarking at the costume contest. Eventually we headed off to put some stuff down and change (it was pouring, on and off, and by the time I got to around where my apartment was, I was soaked), and then to Steve's party, where we spent more time than expected (expected was about 20 minutes, but rain tends to make one want to stay put a bit more), and I had a very good time talking and hanging out. And then people started getting drunk enough to make me feel weird being there and being sober, and it was getting late, so I headed for home.

My stomach was grouchy this morning, but calmed down over the course of the day, so I had a reasonable excuse for not going to the seudah. I just ate in bits, which was helped by the mishloach manot, and the food in class. At a few different points I got to just stop and hang out with some friends for a bit- it was nice: I'd pretty much assumed I wouldn't really get work done today, so I didn't have to feel bad about it all. I think I shocked a couple of friends, albeit quite mildly, too- I get a bit of perverse fun out of that...

Since the rabbi who usually teaches a shiur I go to tonight didn't come, zodiacmg and I learned a bit of gemara from the beginning of Masekhet Rosh HaShanah.

Comments

[margavriel.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. Purim. Both on Monday night and on Tuesday night, I got incredibly drunk (עד דלא ידע), yet (to LabRab's amazement) managed to sober up within four or five hours.

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

I've occasionally wondered why we spell it "Esther" in English. Why the TH?

Several congregations (including WLSS at JTS) have recently expanded the minhag of repeating certain verses about Mordekhai to include some about Ester. I have the complete list somewhere around here . . .

Hope your stomach's feeling better.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Indigates lack of dagesh maybe, originally? But Ｉdon't know why it would lack a dagesh.....

Should you find that list, might you care to share it?

It is, thanks.

[margavriel.livejournal.com]

No, chas ve-sholem. There is definitely a doghêsh in the tov of אֶסְתֵּר. The /th/ is because of the aspiration (NOT fricativization) of the dental in the Greek transcription of the name, Εσθηρ (with theta, rather than tau). The Septuagint aspirates some letters in a number of transliterated Hebrew names. It is not clear exactly what Hebrew pronunciation this is meant to reflect, but it should be kept (relatively) separate from the Massoretic notation of doghêsh qal (let alone doghêsh hozoq!).

Interestingly, when I looked up the Septuagint to check this out, I noticed that the text printed by Rolfs (NOT the so-called "A-Text") does not mention the name "H^adhasso" at all.

[tovaks.livejournal.com]

I tried to find you right afterwards, but there were too many people and I had to go study anyway. I'm glad it brightened your day a little--especially since the compliment was genuine. ;)