Megillah 14 - December 26, 22 Tevet

This week of learning is sponsored anonymously for the refuah shleima of Tova Motel bat Chanah Etel. The repentance of the Jewish people when Achashverosh took off his ring to sign the edict to kill the Jews was greater than all the repentance generated by the 48 male and 7 female prophets. All those prophets didn't add or detract from anything written in the Torah, except for instituting the reading of the Megillah. They instituted it as a form of song of praise of God. If so, why not Hallel? Three reasons are given. Aren't there more than 55 prophets? Elkana was from Ramatayim - isn't that a reference to 200 prophets? Two other ways of explaining the word Ramatayim are brought. Why were the seven female prophets? How do we know that each of them was a prophet? For some, there is a direct reference in the verse as they are called "the prophet." For others, it is derived from something she said that she predicted an event that would happen in the future. Why did they turn to Chulda in the time of Yoshiyahu and not to Yirmiyahu, the main prophet of the time? Devorah and Chulda both exhibited arrogance and therefore, their names are the names of creatures that are abhorred. Chulda was from Joshua's descendants. But wasn't she descended from Rachav, the prostitute? Rachav converted and married Joshua and Chulda was born from their descendants.