Comments on: Purim Present http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2009/02/26/purim-present/ A Journal of Jewish Thought and Opinion Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:26:03 +0000 hourly 1 By: Moshe Schorr http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2009/02/26/purim-present/comment-page-1/#comment-373456 Moshe Schorr Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:59:10 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/?p=1855#comment-373456 I heard a very interesting story from Rav Yitzchak Zilber Z"L who was in Russia at the time. Not only was he in Russia, he was in a Russian jail. The day before, he announced at evening roll call; "Tonight is Purim. You are all invited to my cell to hear the story of Purim". One of the inmates could not control himself. "Yitzchok" he said, "you're _crazy_. Stalin plans to murder all the Jews here. He has the trains waiting to take us to Siberia. And you talk about Purim??!!" Rav Zilber wasn't fazed. "Stalin is a human being. A half hour from now, he could be _dead_. Tonight's Purim, and I'm gonna tell the story!" "Yitzchok, you're crazy" the fellow said and left. The next morning he came running back to Rav Zilber. "Remember what you said last night? That Stalin was a human being and could be dead in a half-hour. Well, he _died_ last night, a half hour after you said that!" I heard a very interesting story from Rav Yitzchak Zilber Z”L who was in Russia at the time. Not only was he in Russia, he was in a Russian jail. The day before, he announced at evening roll call; “Tonight is Purim. You are all invited to my cell to hear the story of Purim”. One of the inmates could not control himself. “Yitzchok” he said, “you’re _crazy_. Stalin plans to murder all the Jews here. He has the trains waiting to take us to Siberia. And you talk about Purim??!!” Rav Zilber wasn’t fazed. “Stalin is a human being. A half hour from now, he could be _dead_. Tonight’s Purim, and I’m gonna tell the story!” “Yitzchok,
you’re crazy” the fellow said and left.

The next morning he came running back to Rav Zilber. “Remember what you said last night? That Stalin was a human being and could be dead in a half-hour. Well, he _died_ last night, a half hour after you said that!”

]]> By: Nathan http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2009/02/26/purim-present/comment-page-1/#comment-373301 Nathan Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:40:53 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/?p=1855#comment-373301 May HASHEM, G_d of Israel, again have mercy on His people and speedily strike down all the Hamans and the Stalins who are alive today. May HASHEM, G_d of Israel, again have mercy on His people and speedily strike down all the Hamans and the Stalins who are alive today.

]]>